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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchThe right setup depends on which PC edition you own. For Dark Souls: Remastered, start with the game’s stock 60 FPS target at 1080p. For the original Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition (PTDE), DSfix can raise internal resolution and remove the 30 FPS cap, but unlocking the frame rate can introduce gameplay and visual problems. Treat 60 FPS as the practical ceiling for PTDE.
First, identify your PC edition
Prepare to Die Edition is the original PC release; Remastered is a separate PC release. Their settings and mod advice are not interchangeable. The guidance below treats Remastered’s published 1080p/60 FPS target as the stock baseline and DSfix as the established configuration route for PTDE.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Dark Souls Trilogy (PS4) | $38.80 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Dark Souls: Remastered (Nintendo Switch) | $43.79 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Dark Souls Remastered - PlayStation 4 | $22.19 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
![Dark Souls Remastered [Online Game Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/B1QaL9g82CS._SL160_.jpg)
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Dark Souls Remastered [Online Game Code] | $19.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| Edition or option | Resolution and frame-rate approach | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Dark Souls: Remastered | Use the stock game as the starting point. Steam lists 60 FPS at 1080p for both minimum and recommended system targets: low settings for minimum, high settings for recommended. | These are official system targets, not a guarantee or a measured benchmark for every PC. |
| Prepare to Die Edition with DSfix | Configure internal rendering resolution and, if desired, unlock the original 30 FPS cap. Keep the limit at or below 60 FPS. | Unlocking alters game code in memory and can cause collision, gameplay, or visual issues. Compatibility depends on the PTDE build. |
| Above-60 FPS community unlock for Remastered | A Nexus Mods listing advertises 120 or 240 FPS options and physics fixes for Remastered and PTDE. | These are mod-author claims; the listing does not establish independent testing, safety, online compatibility, or reliable behavior across configurations. |
Recommended setup for Dark Souls: Remastered
Start with the stock 60 FPS target
Steam lists 60 FPS at 1080p on low settings as the minimum target and 60 FPS at 1080p on high settings as the recommended target. Use those figures as a reference for the PC release, not as a promise of performance on a particular system. They do not describe measured results from a benchmark.
For a straightforward modern setup, use the game’s built-in display and graphics options first and aim for 1080p and 60 FPS. Consider a frame-rate-unlock mod only if you specifically want to experiment beyond the stock reference and are prepared to troubleshoot it. A community listing, DS1 FPS Unlock – Remastered (DX11), advertises higher rates, including 120 and 240 FPS, with physics fixes. Those claims are not independently verified here, so it is not a necessary setting or a general recommendation.
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- DARK SOULS REMASTERED - Then, there was fire. Re-experience the genre-defining game that started it all. Return to Lordran in the beautifully remastered game in high definition, 60 fps with single-player or online multiplayer with dedicated servers. Includes the Artorias of the Abyss DLC.
- DARK SOULS II: SCHOLAR OF THE FIRST SIN - Prepare to Die again. The second installment of the series includes the base Dark Souls II plus all three DLCs: Crown of the Sunken King, Crown of the Old Iron King, and Crown of the Ivory King.
- DARK SOULS III: THE FIRE FADES - Now only embers remain… Dark Souls III is the final journey in the series where players can fight through intense combat solo or team up for in co-op or PvP multiplayer. Includes the award-winning game and both DLC chapters: Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City.
- ALL ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACKS - Visit the EP!C corner to download the music of the Dark Souls saga composed by Motoi Sakaraba and Yuka Kitamura. 110 tracks and more than 6 hours to listen and take back any Dark Souls fan to the intense boss fights and the best moments of their deadly journeys.
Configure Prepare to Die Edition with DSfix
Install only for a compatible PTDE build
PTDE has few configurable options, and PCGamingWiki documents DSfix as the route for increasing rendering resolution and removing the 30 FPS cap. Before installing, check the mod page and its instructions against your exact game build. A separate listing titled DSFix 3.0 – Modern System Fixes and More reports an October 1, 2026 update; its author claims Windows 10/11, high-DPI, and frame-pacing fixes, and says it supports only the latest Steam version of PTDE. The author warns that retail and GFWL builds will not hook properly. These are listing-author statements, not independent compatibility testing.
The original DSfix listing instructs users to place DINPUT8.dll beside DARKSOULS.exe, edit DSfix.ini, and turn off the game’s own antialiasing to avoid graphical issues. In the example Steam layout, the executable and files are in the game’s DATA directory. Follow the manual included with the version you download, since folder layouts and supported builds matter.
Rank #2
- Delve into an epic dark fantasy universe stricken by decline and the Curse
- Each playthrough surprises you with new challenges and unexpected facets of the game
- Hundreds of unique combinations of weaponry, armour, magic and crafting options to create your own play style and gaming experience
- From your first steps to mastery, build your character while refining your playing skills. Learn to strategise freely and experience the rewarding taste of overcoming daunting foes
- Compatible with Nintendo Switch only
Use conservative resolution and frame-rate settings
- Set DSfix’s internal rendering resolution to your monitor’s native resolution as a starting point. Higher framebuffer sizes can reduce performance; DSfix’s documentation says performance depends on the system and scales with framebuffer size.
- Disable in-game antialiasing when using DSfix, as directed by the mod listing.
- If you enable the FPS unlock, set its limit to 60 or lower. DSfix’s configuration warns against setting it much higher because the engine can develop issues.
- Test the game in ordinary play before relying on the setup. Avoid sliding down ladders when FPS unlocking is enabled; the configuration warns that altered game behavior can cause collision detection failures.
DSfix is not a guarantee of flawless rendering. Its listing notes that the sun may render incorrectly at vertical resolutions above 720 in some circumstances. Custom HUD settings can also mishandle elements such as the curse symbol. If either issue appears, return to defaults or reduce the relevant customization rather than assuming the game or display is defective.
Decide whether an above-60 FPS mod is worth the risk
For either edition, a mod that claims higher frame rates is a more experimental choice than staying at 60 FPS. The Remastered unlock listing advertises 120 or 240 FPS and physics fixes, but its claims do not establish that every feature works reliably, that online play is compatible, or that the mod is safe on every configuration. For PTDE, DSfix’s own documentation specifically warns that FPS unlocking modifies game code in memory and can cause unintended gameplay side effects.
Rank #3
- Delve into an epic dark fantasy universe stricken by decline and the Curse. Explore its intricate world design - full of hidden passages, dungeons and secrets - and uncover its deeply rooted lore
- Each playthrough surprises you with new challenges and unexpected facets of the game. Don't bet on completing the game only once
- Hundreds of unique combinations of weaponry, armor, magic and crafting options to create your own playstyle and gaming experience
- From your first steps to mastery, build your character while refining your playing skills. Learn to strategize freely and experience the rewarding taste of overcoming daunting foes
- Whatever your motivations are to play online - collaboration or confrontation, support or betrayal - you'll find your true home among the nine covenants. Which allegiance will you choose?
- Choose the stock Remastered target if you want the simplest route and do not need a higher frame rate.
- Choose DSfix for PTDE when you want more control over internal resolution or the original frame-rate cap.
- Try above-60 options only if you accept possible compatibility, gameplay, and rendering problems and can revert the changes.
Troubleshoot PTDE and DSfix problems
DSfix does not load or the game crashes
The DSfix listing advises checking that the DLL and INI files are in the correct game folder, restoring default INI settings, and turning off overlays that manipulate Direct3D. If a crash occurs while using FPS unlock, the original listing also suggests disabling Windows Data Execution Prevention. That changes a system security setting: do not do it casually, and prefer safer checks such as restoring defaults and disabling overlays first.
Online session disconnects at very low frame rates
The PTDE manual says the game disconnects from an online session and returns to the title screen if FPS remains below 15 for 30 seconds. This is a legacy PTDE manual note, not a rule established here for Remastered. See the Prepare to Die Edition PC manual.
Rank #4
- Delve into an epic dark fantasy universe stricken by decline and the Curse. Explore its intricate world design - full of hidden passages, dungeons and secrets - and uncover its deeply rooted lore
- Each playthrough surprises you with new challenges and unexpected facets of the game. Don't bet on completing the game only once
- Hundreds of unique combinations of weaponry, armor, magic and crafting options to create your own playstyle and gaming experience
- From your first steps to mastery, build your character while refining your playing skills. Learn to strategize freely and experience the rewarding taste of overcoming daunting foes
- Whatever your motivations are to play online - collaboration or confrontation, support or betrayal - you'll find your true home among the nine covenants. Which allegiance will you choose?
Achievement notifications cause a display problem
The same PTDE manual describes a possible full-screen achievement-display problem and suggests trying windowed mode, while warning that this workaround does not always solve it. Treat it as a PTDE-specific troubleshooting suggestion, not a guaranteed fix or a Remastered setting.
Quick Recap
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