Elden Ring: PC vs. PS5 – Where Should You Embark on Your Tarnished Journey?
Choosing the right platform for your Elden Ring adventure is a crucial decision that can significantly impact your overall experience. So, the definitive answer: For the most consistently smooth and hassle-free experience, the PlayStation 5 is generally the better choice for playing Elden Ring. While the PC version offers potential advantages like higher resolutions and customizable settings, it has been plagued by performance issues, particularly stuttering, that can detract from the game’s intricate world and challenging combat. The PS5, on the other hand, provides a more stable and optimized experience, ensuring a more consistent frame rate and fewer technical distractions. But that’s just the broad strokes. Let’s delve into the details to help you make the most informed choice.
Performance: A Tale of Two Platforms
The primary reason the PS5 often wins this comparison is performance stability. From launch, the PC version of Elden Ring has suffered from stuttering issues, regardless of the power of the gaming rig. These stutters, characterized by sudden frame rate drops followed by compensatory bursts of speed, can be jarring and disruptive, particularly during critical combat encounters.
While patches have attempted to address these issues, they haven’t entirely eliminated them. Some players with high-end PCs can mitigate the problem with specific settings and configurations, but this requires technical know-how and isn’t a guaranteed fix. The PS5, with its optimized hardware and software, offers a much more consistent and reliable frame rate, minimizing stuttering and providing a smoother gameplay experience.
The PC version’s performance issues stem from a combination of factors. The game’s CPU requirements are high, potentially bottlenecking performance even on powerful systems. The game also seems to have issues with shader compilation which causes stuttering the first time you load into an area. The game also appears to have issues with memory utilization.
Visual Fidelity: The PC’s Edge
Where the PC version shines is in visual customization and potential fidelity. If you possess a powerful gaming PC and are willing to tinker with settings, you can achieve higher resolutions, sharper textures, and overall more visually stunning graphics than are possible on the PS5. The PS5 offers two graphical modes: “Quality” and “Performance.” The quality mode prioritizes resolution and fidelity which runs around 40-45 fps. Performance mode targets 60 fps but can be unstable. PC’s customization, with the right hardware, can exceed both of these modes.
However, this visual advantage comes at a cost: the aforementioned performance instability. Achieving truly smooth gameplay at maxed-out settings often requires significantly more powerful hardware on PC compared to the PS5.
Cost and Accessibility
The PS5 offers a more accessible entry point. Building a PC capable of consistently running Elden Ring at high settings can be significantly more expensive than purchasing a PS5. Furthermore, the PS5 eliminates the need for constant driver updates, compatibility checks, and other technical troubleshooting that can be associated with PC gaming.
However, if you already own a capable gaming PC, the cost argument becomes less relevant. Weigh the cost of upgrading your PC versus the cost of purchasing a PS5, considering your existing hardware and gaming preferences.
Modding and Customization (PC Only)
One of the most compelling arguments for choosing the PC version is the potential for modding. Elden Ring has a thriving modding community that creates everything from cosmetic enhancements and gameplay tweaks to entirely new content and challenges. This provides a level of customization and replayability that is simply not available on consoles.
If you enjoy experimenting with mods and tailoring your gaming experience to your specific preferences, the PC version is undoubtedly the better choice. However, keep in mind that modding can sometimes introduce instability or compatibility issues.
Online Play and Security
The closed nature of the PS5 ecosystem provides a more secure online experience. While hackers are relatively rare on consoles, they can be a more prevalent issue on PC, potentially disrupting your online play and compromising your account security.
Additionally, while Elden Ring does not support cross-play between PC and PS5, the PS5 benefits from a large and active player base, making it easy to find online partners for co-op play or PvP battles.
Controller Support
Both the PC and PS5 versions of Elden Ring support controllers. The PC version will work with Xbox and PlayStation controllers and the PS5 supports its DualSense controller, which allows for features like haptic feedback.
Exclusive Features
The PS5 version benefits from the DualSense controller’s features, like haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. These enhance the immersion by providing tactile feedback that corresponds to in-game actions, such as drawing a bow or casting a spell.
While these features are not essential, they do add an extra layer of depth to the gameplay experience. The PC version lacks these controller-specific enhancements.
Community and Support
Both the PC and PS5 versions have strong and active communities. However, the PS5 community is often perceived as being more focused on pure gameplay, while the PC community is more diversified, encompassing modding, technical troubleshooting, and other related activities.
Ultimately, the best choice depends on your individual priorities and preferences. If you value a smooth and hassle-free experience with a stable frame rate, the PS5 is the better option. If you prioritize visual fidelity, customization, and the potential for modding, and you are willing to troubleshoot technical issues, the PC version may be more appealing.
Elden Ring: A Worthy Adventure Regardless
Regardless of your chosen platform, Elden Ring is a truly exceptional game that is well worth experiencing. Its intricate world, challenging combat, and compelling lore offer hundreds of hours of rewarding gameplay.
Consider what will matter most to you. If you want to delve deeper into the study of games, consider exploring resources like the Games Learning Society at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/. Happy adventuring, Tarnished!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is Elden Ring crossplay between PC and PS5?
Unfortunately, no. Elden Ring does not support crossplay between PC and PS5 (or Xbox). You can only play with others on the same platform.
2. Does Elden Ring run well on PC?
The answer to this is complex. Elden Ring can run well on PC, but performance can vary significantly depending on your hardware and settings. Stuttering has been a persistent issue, even on powerful PCs.
3. What PC specs are recommended for Elden Ring?
The official recommended specifications for Elden Ring are:
- CPU: Intel i7-8700K or AMD R5 3600X
- Graphics Card: Nvidia GTX 1070 or AMD RX Vega 56
- RAM: 16 GB
- Operating System: Windows 10
However, to consistently achieve high frame rates at higher resolutions, you may need a more powerful system.
4. Is Elden Ring better on PS5 than PS4?
Yes, Elden Ring is noticeably better on PS5 than PS4. It has faster loading times, improved frame rates, and higher resolutions. While the game is perfectly playable on PS4 (especially PS4 Pro), the PS5 provides a superior experience.
5. Does the PS5 version of Elden Ring have different graphics settings?
The PS5 version of Elden Ring has two graphics modes: “Quality” mode, which prioritizes resolution and visual fidelity, and “Performance” mode, which prioritizes frame rate.
6. Is Elden Ring still worth playing in 2024?
Absolutely! Elden Ring remains one of the best games of its generation. Its expansive world, challenging gameplay, and intricate lore continue to captivate players. With the DLC “Shadow of the Erdtree” coming in June 2024, there will be more to do than ever.
7. Is Elden Ring CPU or GPU intensive?
Elden Ring is generally considered to be more CPU-intensive than GPU-intensive, though both are important. The game also has some software-related performance issues that can cause stuttering.
8. What controller is best for Elden Ring on PC?
Both Xbox and PlayStation controllers are excellent choices for playing Elden Ring on PC. The DualSense controller offers haptic feedback, but the Xbox controller is often considered more natively compatible with PC.
9. Can I transfer my save data between PC and PS5?
Unfortunately, there is no official way to transfer save data between the PC and PS5 versions of Elden Ring.
10. What is the hardest ending to get in Elden Ring?
The Lord of Frenzied Flame ending is widely considered the most difficult to achieve, as it requires completing a specific and somewhat obscure questline.
11. Is Samurai a good starting class in Elden Ring?
Yes, the Samurai class is a good starting class because it has one of the highest base stat totals and comes with good starting equipment such as Uchigatana katana.
12. What are the equivalent PC components for the PS5?
Roughly, a PC with an AMD Ryzen 5 5600 processor and an AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT or Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card would offer performance similar to the PS5.
13. How long does it take to beat Elden Ring?
The average Elden Ring playthrough takes between 50 and 90 hours, depending on your playstyle and how much of the game you explore.
14. What is the level cap in Elden Ring?
While you can theoretically level up to 99 in all stats, the “meta level” for PvP is generally considered to be around 125-150. This is the level range where you’ll find the most active player base for online duels.
15. Will there be a sequel to Elden Ring?
There are currently no confirmed plans for a direct sequel to Elden Ring. However, with the popularity of Elden Ring and FromSoftware’s commitment to creating new and engaging experiences, it is possible. FromSoftware has confirmed that the DLC “Shadow of the Erdtree” is coming in June 2024.