Elden Ring: which platform plays it best?
What changes between PC, PS5, Xbox, PS4, Switch 2: resolution, FPS per mode, what each official store publishes and the FPS we measured on PC.
Quick verdict
The best platform to play Elden Ring on is PC, and if you play on console, PS5.
Why PC wins
On PC you set the resolution and the quality yourself, and that is where the gap opens: an RTX 3080 Ti clears 120 FPS at 1080p, a place no console goes.
PS5 versus Series X
PS5 and Series X are neck and neck: both run at 2160p with 30 FPS in quality and drop to 1620p to hold 60. PS5 keeps a better average; Xbox pulls ahead if your display supports VRR, and its key is the cheapest of the five.
Series S, PS4 and Switch 2
Below that it sorts itself out: Series S drops to 1440p and 1080p, PS4 sits at a locked 30 FPS and Switch 2 has a single mode around 30. It is the weakest image, but it is the only one you can take with you.
On PC there are drops when loading areas and in some fights, which the analysis puts down to a bug in the game.
Price on each platform
The best live offer for each version, every price with its format.
Final prices with fees
Copied!
Elden Ring on PS5, Xbox Series and PC: graphics comparison
- PS5 and Series X run at 2160p with 30 unlocked FPS in quality, and at 1620p with 60 FPS in performance.
- Series S drops to 1440p at 30 FPS and 1080p at 60 FPS.
- Xbox pulls ahead with VRR if your display supports it; PS5 has no VRR here but holds a slightly higher average.
- Performance mode cuts shadows, reflections and anisotropic filtering on every console, and further on Series S.
- The shortest load times are on PC with an NVMe SSD and on PS5.
- PC has drops when loading areas and in some fights, which he puts down to a bug in the game.
Elden Ring on Switch 2 versus PS5: final graphics comparison
- Switch 2 has a single display mode, with an unlocked frame rate hovering around 30 FPS.
- The cuts against PS5 are concentrated in vegetation and a few effects; the rest looks close enough.
- Dynamic resolution drops too low in some areas and there it does show.
- His recommendation: if you go for the Switch 2 version, play it in handheld mode.
Elden Ring on PS4, PS4 Pro and PS5: graphics comparison
- PS4 runs at 1080p and 30 FPS; PS4 Pro climbs to 1800p reconstructed with the frame rate unlocked.
- PS5 improves draw distance, anisotropic filtering, textures, shadows and vegetation.
- PS4 suffers noticeable stutter, less pronounced indoors.
- Running the PS4 version on a PS5 gives a perfect frame rate at 1800p, at the cost of the native PS5 improvements.
Elden Ring on Steam Deck against PS4, Xbox Series S and PS5: graphics comparison
- Steam Deck runs with every setting on high and lands very close to the current-generation consoles.
- For ideal performance, he recommends locking the frame rate to 30 FPS from the Steam Deck settings.
- Loading times are slightly faster on Steam Deck than on the next-gen consoles with the SSD model.
- The game is optimised for Steam Deck's handheld gaming mode: desktop mode, or pushing past 1280x800, brings performance problems.
- Even though it supports Steam Deck's native resolution, it forces a 16:9 aspect ratio instead of 16:10.
Full platform comparison
Resolution, modes and FPS come from the video analyses above. The rest is published by each platform's official store and by the game's technical sheet on PC. Where nobody publishes the figure we put a dash, not a guess.
| Feature | PC | PS5 | Xbox | PS4 | Switch 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum resolution | Unlocked (4K tested) | 2160p | 2160p on Series X · 1440p on Series S | 1080p | Dynamic |
| Resolution in performance mode | — | 1620p | 1620p on Series X · 1080p on Series S | — | — |
| FPS in quality mode | — | ~30, unlocked | ~30, unlocked | 30 | ~30, unlocked |
| FPS in performance mode | — | 60 | 60 | — | — |
| Graphics modes | Free settings | Quality and performance | Quality and performance | One | One |
| Download size | 50.04 GB | 44.80 GB | 48.90 GB | 43.64 GB | — |
| On Steam Deck | High settings at 1280x800 with a forced 16:9; locking to 30 FPS is recommended | — | — | — | — |
| HDR | Yes | — | Yes | — | — |
| Ray tracing | Yes | — | No | — | — |
| VRR | — | No | Yes, with a compatible display | — | — |
| Optimised for the current generation | — | — | Yes | — | — |
| Ultrawide | Partial | — | — | — | — |
| Upscaling (DLSS/FSR/XeSS) | No | — | — | — | — |
| Adjustable field of view | Partial | — | — | — | — |
| Online co-op | — | — | Yes | — | — |
| Cloud saves | Yes | — | — | — | — |
Xbox is the Series X column unless Series S is stated. Resolution, modes, FPS, VRR and download size come from the videos; HDR, ray tracing and PC features from the technical sheet and the official Xbox catalogue.
PC performance
FPS measured at 1080p on Very high quality, across 27 graphics cards. These are measurements on this game, not estimates.
| Graphics card | FPS at 1080p | Relative performance |
|---|---|---|
| GEFORCE RTX 3080 Ti 12 GB | 122–145 | |
| Radeon RX 6900 XT LC 16 GB | 126–141 | |
| GEFORCE RTX 3080 10 GB | 113–135 | |
| Radeon RX 6900 XT 16 GB | 116–129 | |
| Radeon RX 6800 XT 16 GB | 111–124 | |
| GEFORCE RTX 3070 Ti 8 GB | 102–115 |
Frequently asked questions about Elden Ring
Which platform does Elden Ring look best on?
On PC, as long as the card keeps up: it is the only version with free resolution and quality, and the only one that goes past 60 FPS. Among consoles, PS5 and Series X are level at 2160p in quality and 1620p in performance.
How many FPS does it run at on console?
In quality mode the three current-generation consoles sit around 30 FPS, unlocked, and in performance mode PS5 and Series X reach 60. PS4 stays at a locked 30 FPS at 1080p. These are figures observed in the video analyses, not a measurement of ours.
Is the Switch 2 version worth it?
Only if you want it portable. It has a single display mode with the frame rate unlocked around 30 FPS and a dynamic resolution that drops too low in some areas. The cuts against PS5 are mostly vegetation and a few effects. The analysis itself recommends playing it in handheld mode.
What is the difference between Xbox Series X and Series S?
A whole resolution step. Series X runs at 2160p in quality and 1620p in performance; Series S sits at 1440p and 1080p, and cuts shadows, reflections and anisotropic filtering further in performance mode.
Does it have ray tracing?
On PC yes. On console, the official Xbox catalogue does not declare it for this game, and PS5 publishes no figure. HDR is there on both the PC and the Xbox version.
What if I play the PS4 version on a PS5?
You gain stability and lose quality. The PS4 version running on PS5 gives a perfect frame rate at 1800p reconstructed, but you give up the draw distance, filtering, textures and vegetation of the native PS5 version.
How much space does it take on each platform?
50.04 GB on PC, 48.90 GB on Xbox, 44.80 GB on PS5 and 43.64 GB on PS4. No figure is published for the Switch 2 version.
What graphics card do I need to play it well on PC?
An RTX 3060 gives you 66-75 FPS at 1080p on the highest quality, already past any console. Of the 27 cards we have measured on this game, well over half clear 60 FPS at 1080p. On the requirements page you can pick yours and see the exact figure.
Which one is cheapest?
The cheapest key is on Xbox. Above it sits PC. Prices move every day: the live ones are on each version’s page. Watch out for account offers, cheaper because they are not a purchase in your name.
Is there crossplay between platforms?
No. The Xbox catalogue flags online co-op but not cross-platform play, so each version plays with its own.
Video analysis by El Analista de Bits. The videos play from their own channel. PC data according to PCGamingWiki and our own FPS measurements; Xbox features according to the official Microsoft catalogue.
Italiano
English
Español
Português
Deutsch
Français