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For the most reliable starting point, turn ray tracing off when frame rate or resolution is unstable. On PC, also test Motion Blur set to Off and Depth of Field set to Off if attacks and movement look smeared. Ray tracing is the only setting in the cited publisher guidance explicitly tied to possible frame-rate and resolution changes. Motion Blur and Depth of Field are clarity choices from a PC settings guide, not guaranteed performance fixes.
There is no single best preset for every graphics card or console. Use the platform-specific menu paths below, change one setting at a time, and judge the result in the same demanding area of the game. The instructions and caveats in this guide reflect the official patch information and PC guidance linked in each relevant section.
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The short answer: start with ray tracing off
If Elden Ring feels uneven, looks lower-resolution than expected, or becomes less responsive during busy scenes, check ray tracing before changing anything else. Bandai Namco warns that ray tracing can affect both frame rate and resolution. Disable it as a troubleshooting step when consistent movement and readable combat matter more than the extra lighting effect.
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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →| Platform | Ray-tracing menu documented by the publisher | Recommended first test |
|---|---|---|
| PC | System > Graphics > Ray Tracing Quality | Set Ray Tracing Quality to OFF, then restart or return to the game and check the same scene. |
| PlayStation 5 | Game Options > Ray Tracing | Set Ray Tracing to OFF if frame pacing or resolution is unstable. |
| Xbox Series X | Game Options > Ray Tracing | Set Ray Tracing to OFF when stability is the priority. |
| PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Xbox Series S | Not stated in the cited ray-tracing instructions | Do not assume the PS5/Series X menu path applies. Check the options available on your own installation. |
The publisher’s Version 1.09 notes document the PS5 and Xbox Series X path and the frame-rate/resolution warning: Bandai Namco Europe, Elden Ring Patch Notes Version 1.09. Version 1.16 gives the PC troubleshooting path: Bandai Namco Entertainment, Elden Ring Patch Notes Version 1.16.
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Best PC settings for clearer combat
Turn Motion Blur off
Motion Blur: Off is the clearest first clarity change recommended by PC Gamer’s settings guide. With blur disabled, rapid camera movement and the beginning of an enemy swing are presented without an added streaking effect. That can make it easier to read spacing and animation transitions, especially when you are learning a boss’s timing.
This is not a publisher-certified frame-rate fix. The guide presents it as a visual starting point, and the outcome depends on your graphics card and the rest of your PC. If you prefer the cinematic look of blur, leave it on; if combat readability is the goal, Off is the sensible test.
Turn Depth of Field off
Depth of Field: Off is the second clarity-oriented recommendation from the same guide. Depth-of-field blur can soften parts of the scene outside the focus plane. Disabling it keeps more of the environment and nearby characters visibly defined while you move the camera.
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As with Motion Blur, do not treat this switch as a guaranteed performance gain. Test it for image clarity first, and keep it only if the sharper presentation helps you distinguish an attack, ledge or projectile.
Use ray tracing as a separate decision
Ray tracing is not equivalent to Motion Blur or Depth of Field. The latter two are presentation effects discussed by a PC settings guide; the publisher specifically warns that ray tracing may change frame rate and resolution. Evaluate ray tracing separately so you know which change affected stability.
A practical PC order is:
- Open System > Graphics > Ray Tracing Quality and set it to OFF.
- Set Motion Blur to Off.
- Set Depth of Field to Off.
- Play the same encounter or area after each change rather than changing several unrelated options at once.
- Keep the combination that gives you the clearest attacks without making the image unpleasant to view.
PC Gamer’s source for the two clarity settings is “Elden Ring best settings on PC: hit that 60fps cap in style”. Its recommendations are editorial guidance, not a universal preset or a current benchmark across every GPU.
How to decide between visual effects and stability
Use this decision framework instead of assuming that a setting called “quality” is always desirable:
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- Choose ray tracing off when you notice unstable frame delivery, a drop in perceived responsiveness, or an unexpected loss of resolution.
- Choose Motion Blur off when camera pans and fast attacks look smeared and you want a cleaner view.
- Choose Depth of Field off when background or foreground softness makes targets, terrain or effects harder to distinguish.
- Keep a visual effect enabled if its appearance matters more to you than the clarity or stability trade-off and your system remains comfortable.
These choices are independent. Ray tracing can affect performance and resolution according to Bandai Namco; the PC guide does not establish that disabling blur or depth of field produces a measurable frame-rate increase. Do not claim a specific number of frames gained from any of these switches without a controlled test on your own hardware.
PC troubleshooting when performance is unstable
1. Check for accidentally enabled ray tracing
Bandai Namco’s Version 1.16 notes specifically direct PC players with unstable performance to inspect ray tracing. Open System > Graphics > Ray Tracing Quality and confirm that it is not unintentionally set to On. The calibration update repeats this warning for PC players.
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Read the calibration notice here: Bandai Namco Europe, Elden Ring Calibration Update 1.12.2. The notice is a check to perform, not a promise that every stutter has the same cause.
2. Temporarily deactivate mouse-control applications
The Version 1.16 notes say that third-party applications controlling mouse behavior may cause an unstable frame rate. Close or deactivate those utilities temporarily, then launch the game and compare the same scene. If stability returns, re-enable applications one at a time to identify the conflict rather than assuming every background program is responsible.
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3. Verify game files after an “Inappropriate activity detected” message
If that message appears even though you have not been cheating, Bandai Namco recommends verifying the game files before restarting. Use your PC storefront’s file-verification command, allow it to complete, and then restart the game. The publisher describes this as a troubleshooting step, not a guarantee that every false detection will be resolved.
4. Change one variable and record the result
Write down whether ray tracing, Motion Blur and Depth of Field were enabled before you began. Change one option, revisit the same location and note whether the problem was frame instability, softness, a resolution change or something else. This prevents a visual improvement from being mistaken for a performance improvement and makes it easier to restore a preferred setup.
PlayStation 5: ray tracing and database rebuilding
Disable ray tracing from the documented menu
On PS5, the documented path is Game Options > Ray Tracing. Set it to Off when you are troubleshooting uneven performance or a softer-than-expected image. Bandai Namco warns that ray tracing can affect frame rate and resolution, so disabling it is the appropriate first comparison when stability is more important than the lighting effect.
Try Rebuild Database in Safe Mode if the frame rate remains unstable
Version 1.16 says unstable frame rate on PS5 may improve after using Rebuild Database from the console’s Safe Mode. The wording is deliberately qualified: this may help, not definitely fix the issue.
- Save your work and close Elden Ring.
- Turn the PS5 fully off rather than leaving it in Rest Mode.
- Enter the console’s Safe Mode using Sony’s standard power-button procedure.
- Select Rebuild Database and allow the process to finish.
- Restart the console, launch Elden Ring and compare the same area you used previously.
Follow the console’s on-screen warnings carefully. Rebuild Database is a system-maintenance action, so do not interrupt power while it is running. Bandai Namco’s recommendation appears in Version 1.16 patch notes.
Xbox Series X: use the documented ray-tracing toggle
For Xbox Series X, Bandai Namco documents Game Options > Ray Tracing. Turn it off for a controlled stability comparison, then return to the same encounter or location. The publisher’s warning about possible frame-rate and resolution effects applies to this documented ray-tracing implementation.
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The cited instructions do not provide the same menu path for Xbox Series S. Do not copy the Series X instruction onto Series S by assumption; inspect the options exposed by your version of the game instead. The official Version 1.09 notes cover the documented platform rollout and menu location at Bandai Namco Europe.
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What about PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Xbox Series S?
Elden Ring is documented in the official patch information for PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series X|S and Steam. That confirms the game’s supported platform families, but the cited ray-tracing troubleshooting instructions do not establish a common toggle or identical menu for every one of them.
On these platforms, use only the graphics and game-options controls that your installation actually shows. Do not infer that a missing ray-tracing menu means a problem, and do not describe a setting as available on every console when the publisher’s instructions name only PS5 and Xbox Series X. If your platform has no ray-tracing control, concentrate on the options it exposes and on platform-specific maintenance guidance from the publisher.
How to test whether a setting really helped
A repeatable comparison is more useful than changing settings while moving through different parts of the game. Use this short test:
- Choose one demanding location or encounter that reliably exposes the problem.
- Play for long enough to see the issue twice, noting whether it is stutter, sustained slowdown, image softness or motion smear.
- Change only one setting.
- Return to the same location and repeat the same camera movement or combat situation.
- Compare responsiveness and image readability, not just whether one moment looked better.
- Restore the previous value if the change helped one scene but harmed the overall presentation.
This method cannot produce a universal benchmark. Hardware, drivers, display settings, game updates and the location being tested all affect what you see. The available PC guide explicitly says its results depend on the graphics card and PC build, while the official notes provide troubleshooting instructions rather than controlled performance measurements.
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Assuming ray tracing is always a clarity upgrade
Ray tracing changes lighting, but Bandai Namco also warns that it can affect resolution and frame rate. If combat appears less readable because movement is inconsistent or the image is softer, disabling the effect may produce a better practical result even if the lighting looks less elaborate.
Calling Motion Blur and Depth of Field performance fixes
The PC guide recommends both settings Off for a clearer presentation. It does not establish a guaranteed frame-rate gain. Describe them as clarity controls and judge them on your own PC.
Applying PC advice to consoles
The cited Motion Blur and Depth of Field recommendations are from a PC settings guide. Do not claim that the same controls, labels or results exist on every console. Likewise, the ray-tracing paths named by Bandai Namco are specifically documented for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X in the cited instructions.
Changing many options at once
If you disable ray tracing, blur and depth of field simultaneously, you will not know which change solved a problem. Use a one-change test unless the game is so unstable that you simply need the lowest-risk starting configuration.
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Expecting a guaranteed repair from database rebuilding or file verification
Bandai Namco presents PS5 database rebuilding and PC file verification as possible troubleshooting steps. They are not guarantees. Stop if the console or storefront displays a warning, and follow its instructions rather than interrupting the process.
Recommended starting configurations
| Goal | PC | PS5 or Xbox Series X | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum stability first | Ray Tracing Quality Off; Motion Blur Off; Depth of Field Off | Ray Tracing Off | Removes the publisher-documented ray-tracing trade-off and uses the PC guide’s clarity starting points. |
| Clearer combat with minimal change | Leave ray tracing as-is initially; set Motion Blur Off, then Depth of Field Off if needed | Use the existing graphics options; no equivalent console clarity preset is established by the cited sources | Separates clarity testing from the larger ray-tracing performance decision. |
| Keep the visual effect | Ray tracing On only if your own comparison remains stable; test blur and depth of field independently | Ray Tracing On only if the frame rate and resolution remain acceptable to you | There is no current controlled benchmark supporting a universal On recommendation. |
The first row is a troubleshooting baseline, not a promise of a particular frame rate. After testing, you can restore any effect that you prefer.
When to seek further help
Use the official patch notes as the next reference when the documented steps do not resolve the issue. On PC, record whether ray tracing was on, whether a mouse-control application was active and whether file verification completed. On PS5, note whether the issue changed after Rebuild Database. On Xbox Series X, record the result of the Ray Tracing toggle comparison.
Those details make a support report more useful than saying only that the game “feels slow.” Include your platform, whether the problem is unstable frame delivery or image clarity, and the exact menu setting you changed. Do not claim that a setting caused the issue unless the before-and-after comparison consistently reproduces it.
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The official Version 1.09 notes identify Elden Ring support for PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series X|S and Steam. The practical menu instructions in this article are limited to the platforms and labels explicitly documented by Bandai Namco. Menu wording can change with updates or differ by platform, so use the nearest matching label shown in your copy of the game.
No current, controlled benchmark across GPU models or consoles is established by the cited material. Treat every recommendation here as a defensible starting point: ray tracing off for troubleshooting stability, Motion Blur and Depth of Field off on PC for a clearer image, and platform-specific recovery steps when instability persists.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I turn ray tracing off in Elden Ring?
Turn it off as a troubleshooting test when frame rate or resolution is unstable. Bandai Namco warns that ray tracing can affect both; turn it back on only if your own comparison remains acceptable.
How do I make Elden Ring combat clearer on PC?
Test Motion Blur set to Off and Depth of Field set to Off. PC Gamer presents these as clarity-oriented starting points, not guaranteed performance fixes.
What should I do if Elden Ring is unstable on PS5?
Check Game Options > Ray Tracing first. If instability remains, Bandai Namco says Rebuild Database from Safe Mode may help; it is a possible remedy, not a guarantee.
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