Game Settings - Elden Ring

Game Settings Guide for Elden Ring

This guide covers every settings menu in Elden Ring for PC (Steam), PlayStation 4/5, and Xbox One/Series X|S. We explain each option, give optimal values for performance and quality across different hardware tiers, and highlight the settings most commonly misconfigured by new players. All references to controller actions use Xbox layout (A/B/X/Y); PlayStation equivalents are listed in parentheses.

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Graphics Settings (PC Only - Also Present on Consoles, but Limited)

Elden Ring uses the same engine as Sekiro (DirectX 12). The graphics menu is identical on all platforms, but PC offers more granular controls. Consoles have fixed presets (Performance or Quality Mode on PS5/XSX).

#### Setting Descriptions & Recommendations

Setting	Options	Purpose	Recommendation
Screen Mode	Fullscreen, Windowed, Borderless	Fullscreen provides best performance; Borderless is best for multi-monitor setups.	Fullscreen
Resolution	Based on monitor/TV	Native resolution matters most for clarity.	Native; avoid upscaling unless necessary.
Graphics Quality Preset	Minimum, Low, Medium, High, Maximum	Quick set for all sub-settings.	Start here, then fine-tune.
Texture Quality	Low – Maximum	Affects sharpness of surfaces. VRAM dependent.	High (4GB VRAM) or Maximum (8GB+ VRAM)
Antialiasing Quality	Low, Medium, High, Maximum	Smooths jagged edges.	High (TAA) – best balance. Maximum adds SMAA but blurrier.
SSAO	Off – High	Ambient occlusion adds depth to shadows.	Medium – subtle but important for immersion.
Depth of Field	Off – High	Blurs distant objects; can cause headaches.	Off (recommended for clarity; many turn this off)
Motion Blur	Off – Strong	Blurs during movement; hides low framerate but nauseates some.	Off (most players disable for precision)
Shadow Quality	Low – Maximum	Resolution and distance of shadows.	High – good balance. Maximum expensive.
Lighting Quality	Low – Maximum	Affects dynamic light sources.	High – noticeable improvement.
Effects Quality	Low – Maximum	Particle effects, magic, fire.	Medium or High – lower for performance.
Volumetric Quality	Low – Maximum	Fog, mist, smoke.	Medium – heavy performance cost at High+.
Reflection Quality	Low – Maximum	Screen-space reflections on water and shiny surfaces.	Medium – high cost for little gain.
Water Surface Quality	Low – Maximum	Ripples, reflections on water.	Low – performance eater; small visual impact.
Shader Quality	Low – Maximum	Overall shader complexity.	High – keep.
Global Illumination Quality	Low – Maximum	Bounces light; costly.	Medium – balanced.
Grass Quality	Low – Maximum	Density of grass/foliage.	Medium – low for performance (looks sparse).
Ray Tracing	Not present	No ray tracing in Elden Ring.	N/A

#### Optimal Performance vs Quality Presets (PC)

Hardware Tier	Example GPU	Resolution	Preset	Key Manual Tweaks
Low-End	GTX 1060 6GB, RX 580	1080p	Low	Set Shadows to Low, Volumetrics to Low, Grass to Low. Turn off Motion Blur and Depth of Field.
Medium-End	RTX 2060, GTX 1080	1440p / 1080p	Medium	Set Volumetrics to Medium, Shadows to High. Keep Motion Blur Off.
High-End	RTX 3080, RX 6800 XT	1440p / 4K	High (or Maximum)	Turn off Motion Blur and Depth of Field. Set Volumetrics to Medium for stable 60 FPS at 4K.
Ultra-End	RTX 4090	4K	Maximum	All on Max, but still turn off Motion Blur. Expect 60 FPS; frame rate cap is 60.

Important: Elden Ring is capped at 60 FPS on PC (can be unlocked with mods, but not recommended for online play). The game suffers from stuttering on all hardware due to shader compilation. To reduce stuttering:

Stay in Fullscreen mode.

Disable Steam Overlay (right-click game in library → Properties → uncheck Enable Steam Overlay).

Run the game from a fast SSD.

Console Graphics Options:

PS4 / Xbox One: Fixed 30 FPS, no Quality/Performance toggle. Locked to 1080p.

PS4 Pro / Xbox One X: Option to prioritize Framerate (target 60 FPS) or Resolution (target 4K checkerboard). Choose Framerate for smoother play.

PS5 / Xbox Series X|S: Two modes:

Performance:

Quality:

Series S: Only Performance mode (1440p 60 FPS) with minor visual cuts.

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Audio Settings

Option	Purpose	Recommendation
Master Volume	Overall volume	70-80% to avoid ear fatigue during loud boss screams.
Music Volume	Background music	100% – music is integral to atmosphere.
SFX Volume	Sound effects (combat, footsteps etc.)	100% – important for hearing enemy attacks.
Voice Volume	NPC dialogue, cutscenes	100% – but you may lower if subtitles are on.
Audio Output Mode	Headphones, TV, or Surround	Headphones – gives excellent spatial awareness. TV introduces small surround simulation.
Subtitles	On/Off	On – many NPC lines are crucial for lore.
Subtitle Background	Off, Low, High	High – makes text readable over bright backgrounds.
Narrator Audio Language	English, Japanese, etc.	Choose per preference; Japanese voice acting is widely praised.
Text Language	Multiple languages	Set to your preferred language.

Key Caution: If you play with headphones, set Output Mode to Headphones immediately. The game's audio mix does not perform well if you leave it on TV or Surround (too much reverb, muddied directional cues).

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Controls Settings

#### Controller (Recommended)
Elden Ring was designed for a controller. The default layout is classic FromSoftware: RB (R1) = light attack, RT (R2) = heavy attack, LB (L1) = block/parry, LT (L2) = weapon skill. A (X) = jump, B (O) = dodge/roll/sprint, X (Square) = use item, Y (Triangle) = two-hand weapon.

Customizable Options:

Camera Sensitivity (X & Y) – Default 5. Increase to 8+ for quicker target switching. Decrease if you feel nauseous.

Invert Y Axis – Off (unless you prefer pull stick down to look up; classic flight sim style).

Auto-Lock Target – On (recommended). When you press lock-on (R3), it automatically picks the nearest enemy. Off requires manually cycling with right stick. Most players prefer On.

Camera Auto-Adjust – On (default). Camera centers behind you after a delay. Off gives full manual control. On is less disorienting.

Lock-On Switch – Closest vs Current. When you press R3 again, Closest switches to the nearest enemy; Current keeps the same target. Closest is usually better for chaotic fights.

Dodge Button – B (O) default. Some may prefer A (X) for Souls veterans. Change if uncomfortable.

Confirm Button – A (X) for accept / B (O) for back. This can be swapped in settings (yes, a rare option). Ensure consistency.

Controller Vibration – Off (recommended) – reduces rumble distraction and preserves battery. Some like it for immersion.

full key remapping

Strong Attack – default is Shift+Left Click. Change to a side mouse button for quicker combos.

Jump – default Spacebar. Fine.

Dodge/Roll – default Ctrl. Many rebind to Spacebar (but then jump is Space too? Actually jump is Space by default; hold Space to sprint?). Ensure no conflicts.

Item Use – default E. Safe.

Two-Hand Weapon – default F. Good.

Map – default M.

Toggle Lock-On – default Middle Mouse Button. Good.

Crucial:

Disable Mouse Controls in Menus

Accessibility Settings

Subtitles – On. Background opacity High.

Colorblind Mode – Three options: Protanopia (red-blind), Deuteranopia (green-blind), Tritanopia (blue-blind). This changes UI tints (health bar, stamina bar, item icons). Enable if you have trouble distinguishing colors. No preview, so try all three.

Text Size – Not adjustable (fixed small text). On PC, you can increase UI scale via config files, but not in game.

Audio Cues – No settings; but the game does have distinct sound for item pickups, enemy aggro, etc. Important for those with visual impairments.

Note:

Summoning

Spirit Ashes

Language Settings

Voice Language – choose between English and Japanese (and other regional dubs depending on your game version). Many prefer Japanese for more emotional acting.

Text Language – sets all menus, items, descriptions, and subtitles. Switch freely.

Subtitles Language – if different from text language. Example: Japanese voices with English subtitles.

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Network Settings

Option	Description	Recommendation
Play Online	Enable/disable multiplayer features.	On to see messages, bloodstains, and get invaded. Off for pure single-player.
Cross-Region Play	Perform Matchmaking (allow all regions) or No Matchmaking (only your own region).	Perform Matchmaking – larger pool for summoning/invading.
Password for Multiplayer	Set a password to restrict co-op/invasions to friends with same password.	Leave empty for random matchmaking.
Launch Setting	Play Online vs Play Offline. Same as above, but appears at title screen.	Choose Play Online for full experience.
Send Summon Sign / Invasion	Controlled in-game via items, not settings.	N/A

Important: If you want to avoid invasions (PvP attacks) entirely, you must Play Offline. Playing online with a password does not prevent invasions; it only restricts summon signs.

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Gameplay Settings

Option	Description	Recommendation
Brightness	Adjust gamma until the icon on the right is barely visible.	Set per your display; do not make too dark.
HUD Display	Always On, Auto-Hide (HUD fades when idle), or Off.	Auto-Hide – reduces clutter; works well.
HUD Opacity	0-100%.	70-80% – clear but not intrusive.
Auto-Equip Items	When picking up a weapon/armor, automatically equip it if slot is empty.	Off (recommended) – prevents accidental equips of heavy gear.
Camera Auto-Adjust	Camera slowly rotates behind you when standing still.	Off – prevents unwanted camera swings; gives full control.
Auto-Lock Target	Explained earlier.	On – makes locking onto nearest enemy easier.
Lock-On Switch	Closest vs Current.	Closest – helps in crowds.
Confirm Button Mapping	Switch between A/B as confirm.	Depends on your platform muscle memory. On PlayStation, X is default confirm; O cancel.
Item Toggle	Default is hold down D-pad to switch items? Actually Elden Ring uses a quick pouch system for items. Not a setting.	-
Rune Level Display	Those who care about PvP level ranges. Not a setting.	-

Crucial: Auto-Equip Items is often overlooked. Turn it Off to avoid overweight build when you accidentally pick up a heavy greatshield. Also, Camera Auto-Adjust can cause motion sickness in tight areas – turn Off if you prefer manual camera.

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Special Attention Points

1. Motion Blur and Depth of Field – Many players hate these. They make the image blurry during combat, reducing clarity. Turn both Off immediately.
2. Auto-Lock Target – Default is On. If you find yourself targeting wrong enemies (e.g., locked onto a deer while fighting a boss), try switching to Current instead of Closest. Or practice manually cycling.
3. Audio Output Mode – Failing to set to Headphones ruins directional sound. This is the #1 misconfiguration in audio.
4. Brightness Calibration – Use the in-game calibration screen. A too-dark setting will make caves and night areas unplayable. Don't trust your monitor's default.
5. HUD Auto-Hide – Great for immersion, but if you need to constantly check HP/FP/Stamina, set to Always On.
6. Confirm Button Swapping – Only exists on console/PC with controller. If you switch between Souls games (which use circle/B as dodge), be consistent. Elden Ring allows swapping confirm/cancel; many prefer Dark Souls muscle memory (X=confirm, O=cancel on PlayStation).
7. Network Password – Do not leave a password if you want random co-op/invasions. And remember that passwords do not block invasions.
8. Console Performance vs Quality – On PS5/XSX, always select Performance mode for 60 FPS. The Quality mode's 30 FPS plus blurred motion makes boss fights much harder.

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Quick Reference: Recommended Starting Settings

Graphics: Use preset for your hardware, then turn Off Motion Blur and Depth of Field.

Audio: Headphones mode, subtitles On.

Controls: Auto-Lock On, Camera Auto-Adjust Off, Controller Vibration Off.

Accessibility: Subtitles High Background, Colorblind mode if needed.

Gameplay: Auto-Equip Items Off, HUD Auto-Hide On, Brightness calibrated.

Network: Online, Cross-Region Matchmaking On, no password.

Apply these once before entering the Lands Between for a smoother, clearer journey. Good luck, Tarnished!