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If Elden Ring suddenly runs poorly on PC, check Ray Tracing Quality before changing anything else. An update-related bug can enable ray tracing after older save data is loaded, and Bandai Namco warns that ray tracing can reduce frame rate and resolution. Turn it off first when smooth performance matters, then compare your hardware with the correct system requirements and change other quality controls one at a time. On PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, ray tracing is controlled under Game Options; on PS5, rebuilding the database from Safe Mode is an additional official troubleshooting step for unstable frame rate.
Start with the setting most likely to explain a sudden slowdown
Ray tracing is the clearest performance-versus-visual-quality choice in Elden Ring. It adds more advanced lighting effects, but the official Update 1.09 notes say that enabling it can affect both frame rate and resolution. If you are trying to make the game steadier, disable it before lowering every other quality option.
- On PC, open System (called SYSTEM in some notices), choose Graphics or Graphics Settings, and find Ray Tracing Quality or Raytracing Quality.
- Set the option to Off, apply the change, and restart the game if performance does not immediately stabilize.
- Play the same area or activity that exposed the problem and compare frame pacing rather than relying on a single peak frame-rate number.
Bandai Namco’s June 24, 2024 calibration notice says that ray tracing could be enabled unintentionally on some PC installations after loading save data from an older game version. The notice specifically tells affected players to inspect the setting and turn it off when frame rate is unstable. Menu capitalization and wording can differ by update or language, so look for the equivalent ray-tracing control if the label is not identical. See the official calibration notice.
Do not treat disabling ray tracing as a guaranteed number of extra frames. The official material identifies the trade-off, not a universal gain for every graphics card, resolution, or scene.
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Where ray tracing is controlled on each platform
| Platform | Menu path | What the setting changes | Best first action when performance is unstable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows PC | System > Graphics or Graphics Settings > Ray Tracing Quality | Ray-traced lighting can reduce frame rate and resolution. | Turn ray tracing off, especially after loading an older save. |
| PlayStation 5 | Game Options > Ray Tracing | The publisher warns that ray tracing affects frame rate and resolution. | Disable ray tracing when consistency is more important than lighting effects. |
| Xbox Series X | Game Options > Ray Tracing | The same visual/performance trade-off applies. | Disable ray tracing and test the problem area again. |
The cited console guidance does not establish a PC-style preset menu for every console model. Avoid assuming that a setting available on Windows exists on Xbox or on every PlayStation version.
PC: a methodical performance workflow
1. Confirm ray tracing has not been enabled unexpectedly
This is the fastest check because it can explain a change that appeared without a hardware or driver upgrade. It is especially relevant if you recently loaded an older save, returned after a long break, or noticed a large drop after an update. Open the graphics menu, record the current value, switch ray tracing off, and test under the same conditions. If the setting was already off, leave it off while you continue troubleshooting so that later changes are easier to evaluate.
2. Compare your PC with the general game requirement
Steam lists a baseline configuration for running the game. These figures are requirements for the general PC version, not a promise of smooth play at a particular resolution, quality level, or frame rate.
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| Minimum | Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 3 3300X | 12 GB RAM | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB or AMD Radeon RX 580 4 GB | 60 GB | Steam’s general ELDEN RING requirement; the page does not state a publication date. |
| Recommended | Intel Core i7-8700K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600X | 16 GB RAM | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 8 GB or AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 8 GB | 60 GB | Steam’s general recommended configuration; it is not a ray-tracing specification. |
Check the complete listing on Steam Support’s ELDEN RING technical-issue page. Meeting the minimum requirement means only that your components are within the published baseline. It does not establish a fixed frame rate, eliminate traversal stutter, or guarantee that every quality option can be raised.
3. Separate ray-tracing hardware requirements from the ordinary requirements
Update 1.09 published a substantially higher set of specifications specifically for ray tracing. Bandai Namco attached a resolution and quality target to each tier, so do not mix these figures with the general Steam table.
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| Ray-tracing tier | Processor | Memory | Graphics card | Published target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum ray tracing | Intel Core i5-10600K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT | 16 GB RAM | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 8 GB or AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT 12 GB | 1080p, low quality, low ray tracing |
| Recommended ray tracing | Intel Core i7-10700K or AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT | 16 GB RAM | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8 GB or AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT 16 GB | 1080p, high quality, high ray tracing |
These ray-tracing specifications were published with Elden Ring Update 1.09 on March 23, 2023, in the official patch notes. They describe the hardware Bandai Namco associated with those settings; they do not promise a particular frame rate and are not an instruction to purchase a new graphics card. If your system is below the ray-tracing minimum, disabling ray tracing is the more defensible starting point than trying to compensate with unrelated tweaks.
4. Update the graphics driver, with the date and qualification in mind
Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe wrote on February 25, 2022: “For the PC version, updating your graphics card drivers to the latest version may significantly improve performance.” That is dated general advice, not a current guarantee for every driver release or system. Install a driver appropriate for your GPU from its manufacturer, restart Windows, and test again. If a newly installed driver introduces a problem, use the manufacturer’s supported rollback process rather than repeatedly changing game settings without recording results. The original statement appears in Bandai Namco’s performance-issues message.
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5. Check software that controls mouse behavior
Version 1.16 notes identify third-party applications that control mouse behavior as a possible source of unstable performance on PC and suggest deactivating them. This is targeted troubleshooting, not evidence that every overlay, peripheral utility, or background process causes stutter.
- Close mouse-remapping, macro, or pointer-control software temporarily.
- Launch the game without that utility and reproduce the same movement or combat sequence.
- If the issue disappears, re-enable one application at a time to identify the conflict, then update or reconfigure the offending program.
Do not purchase a “PC cleaner,” FPS booster, mouse, or controller as a substitute for this test. The official notes do not establish that such products solve Elden Ring performance problems.
6. Change other graphics options incrementally
No official source reviewed here provides comparative testing of every PC quality preset across current GPUs. Therefore, use a controlled workflow instead of copying a supposedly universal “best” preset:
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- Keep ray tracing off while establishing a stable baseline.
- Change one available quality control at a time, either downward to reduce load or upward to recover visual quality.
- Apply the change and test in the same area, weather condition, and camera movement.
- Keep the change only if it improves the problem without introducing a new one.
Changing several options at once makes it impossible to tell which adjustment helped. Record the original values so you can return to them. If a setting has no measurable effect on your system, restore it and test a different control rather than lowering image quality indefinitely.
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7. Use file verification only for the problem it addresses
Version 1.16 recommends verifying game-file integrity when the message “Inappropriate activity detected” appears. That instruction is tied to that message; it is not presented as a general frame-rate fix. Use Steam’s installed-game properties to run the integrity check when you see that specific error, then restart the game. Do not interpret a successful verification as proof that every source of stutter has been removed.
How to choose between visuals and frame-rate stability
The practical decision is not “which preset is objectively best?” It is whether your priority is ray-traced lighting or a steadier presentation, and whether your hardware meets the specification for the option you want.
| Your situation | Starting choice | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Performance changed after loading an old save or updating | Check ray tracing first and turn it off if enabled. | The publisher documented an auto-enable issue on some PC versions. |
| PC meets the general Steam requirement but not the ray-tracing minimum | Leave ray tracing off and tune ordinary quality controls cautiously. | The general requirement is lower than the published RT specification. |
| PC meets or exceeds the ray-tracing recommendation | Test ray tracing at the desired resolution, then keep it only if frame pacing remains acceptable. | The recommendation identifies hardware for 1080p high quality/high RT, not a guaranteed FPS. |
| Console player who values consistency | Disable ray tracing in Game Options. | Bandai Namco warns that RT can affect frame rate and resolution. |
| Console player who prefers lighting effects | Enable ray tracing only after checking whether the resulting frame-rate trade-off is acceptable. | There is no cited universal console benchmark for every mode or model. |
PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X troubleshooting
Ray tracing on consoles
On both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, open Game Options and locate Ray Tracing. Turn it off when frame-rate consistency is the priority. The official Update 1.09 warning applies to these console controls as well: ray tracing may affect frame rate and resolution. The available menu does not establish that consoles expose the same collection of quality sliders as the PC version.
PS5: rebuild the database only as a targeted recovery step
Bandai Namco’s Version 1.16 notes say that unstable frame rate on PS5 may improve after using Rebuild Database from the console’s Safe Mode. Treat this as a possible improvement, not a guaranteed or routine first step.
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- Save your game and close Elden Ring.
- Turn the PS5 off completely rather than leaving it in Rest Mode.
- Start Safe Mode according to Sony’s current console instructions, connect the controller by USB when prompted, and choose Rebuild Database.
- Allow the process to finish, restart the console, and test Elden Ring before changing several other options.
Do not select a Safe Mode option that resets or reinstalls the console when you intend only to rebuild its database. The recommendation comes from the official Version 1.16 notes; it does not establish an equivalent Xbox procedure.
Xbox Series X: keep the diagnosis limited to documented controls
For Xbox Series X, use Game Options to switch ray tracing off and retest. The cited material does not provide a comparable database-rebuild instruction or a complete list of console performance modes. If the issue persists, note whether it occurs in one area or across the entire game, restart the console, and consult the game’s current support guidance rather than applying PC-only fixes.
Symptoms, likely causes, and the safest next test
| Symptom | First test | What the evidence supports |
|---|---|---|
| A sudden PC slowdown after an old save was loaded | Inspect Ray Tracing Quality and disable it. | An official 2024 notice documents unintended RT activation in this situation. |
| Unstable PC frame rate with ray tracing already off | Temporarily deactivate third-party mouse-control software. | Version 1.16 identifies these applications as a possible cause. |
| PC performance remains poor on older hardware | Compare the machine with Steam’s minimum and recommended specifications. | The published requirements show whether the system is below the general baseline; they do not predict a specific FPS. |
| Ray tracing looks attractive but causes inconsistent play | Disable it and retest before lowering every other option. | The official notes establish a visual/performance trade-off, not a guaranteed gain. |
| “Inappropriate activity detected” appears | Verify game-file integrity through Steam. | Version 1.16 ties this instruction to that message, not to general stutter. |
| PS5 frame rate is unstable | Use Rebuild Database from Safe Mode if simpler checks do not help. | Version 1.16 lists it as a possible improvement, not a guarantee. |
What the published figures do—and do not—tell you
- The Steam minimum of 12 GB RAM, an Intel Core i5-8400 or Ryzen 3 3300X, and a GTX 1060 3 GB or RX 580 4 GB describes the general PC baseline.
- The Steam recommended tier of 16 GB RAM, an Intel Core i7-8700K or Ryzen 5 3600X, and a GTX 1070 8 GB or RX Vega 56 8 GB is not a ray-tracing requirement.
- The Update 1.09 ray-tracing minimum and recommended tiers both specify 16 GB RAM and 1080p targets, but use substantially faster processors and GPUs.
- None of these tables is an independent benchmark. They do not establish a universal 60-frame-per-second result, eliminate every form of stutter, or prove that one quality preset is best for all PCs.
Use the tables as a compatibility filter, then make decisions from your own repeatable test. A system above a listed requirement can still behave differently because of drivers, background software, thermal limits, game updates, or the particular scene being rendered.
A repeatable test routine
- Write down your platform, GPU, processor, RAM, display resolution, and current ray-tracing state.
- Close third-party mouse-control software and other nonessential applications for the test.
- Apply the platform-specific ray-tracing change: PC under Graphics, or console under Game Options.
- Use the same save, location, camera movement, and combat activity for each comparison.
- Change only one remaining graphics control between tests.
- Keep a setting only when it improves consistency without an unacceptable visual loss.
- Restore the original configuration if a change makes the problem worse.
This process cannot create a performance result that the hardware and current game build cannot deliver, but it prevents random changes from obscuring the cause.
Bottom line for a smoother Elden Ring
Turn ray tracing off first when frame rate is unstable, particularly on PC installations that loaded older save data. Then compare your hardware with Steam’s general requirements and the separate, higher Update 1.09 ray-tracing specifications. Update the graphics driver, test without third-party mouse-control applications, and adjust other quality options one at a time. On PS5, Rebuild Database from Safe Mode is an official possible remedy for unstable frame rate; Xbox guidance in the cited sources is limited to the Game Options ray-tracing control. These steps improve diagnosis and may improve playability, but no published source supports a universal preset or a guaranteed FPS increase.
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