In a sense, the core takeaways have not changed since we first looked at the Elden Ring network test last year. First of all, the quality of the game is beyond doubt – From Software deftly blending its unique Souls formula with an open-world to surprising success. Every inch of its map is ripe for exploration, rewarding players for going off the beaten path – for making discoveries at their own pace. However, in terms of technology, while there are changes to how the game presents on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles, the basic headlines remain in place. Whichever way you play, it’s a challenge to get a stable 60fps level of performance on even new consoles, despite a choice of two rendering modes.
In summary, both quality and performance options run with a fully unlocked frame-rate. Kicking off with the quality mode, PS5 and Series X run at a fixed 4K – 3840×2160 – while Series S renders at 2560×1440. There’s no dynamic resolution scaling in quality mode, meaning that performance adjusts constantly in order to keep resolutions rigidly fixed at these targets. DRS is possible though: it’s integrated into the alternative frame-rate mode for every current-gen console.
On the PS5 and Series X this changes image quality, where the range varies from 2688×1512 at lowest to full 4K at peak. Series S is similar, albeit with a 1792×1008 to 2560×1440 dynamic range. It’s worth noting that cutscenes are fixed to the max resolution in both cases. So, for example, PS5 and Series X run at a fixed 4K while first meeting Margit the Fell – even in frame-rate mode. Hence, the performance isn’t wildly different to quality mode.
What’s the difference? Curiously, if we factor out resolution, it’s surprising to see just how close the two modes are in settings. Grass draw distance and density are identical between all consoles, and all modes. Even Series S holds its own against PS5 and Series X in rendering Limgrave’s beautiful opening vistas. Shadow rendering however is the one big difference between the modes, with an improved turn-out in the quality mode. In Series S’s case shadows are always one preset lower than PS5 and Series X equivalents (which in turn share the same setting regardless of mode), resulting in an especially blurry, low resolution shadow in its frame-rate mode.