Elden Ring.
Rise, Tarnished, and be guided by grace to brandish the power of the Elden Ring and become an Elden Lord in the Lands Between.
Executive Technical Summary
Elden Ring is a visually stunning game developed by FromSoftware, Inc. using the FromSoftware Engine.
Quick Facts & Specifications
Release Date
2/25/2022
Game Engine
Proprietary
Series Order
Standalone
Published by Bandai Namco Entertainment as part of the Elden Ring franchise, Elden Ring features robust Single-player modes. Built on the FromSoftware Engine engine, it has an estimated playtime of 60 hours for the story campaign, scaling to 136 hours for completionist runs. With an age rating of PEGI 18, the game occupies approximately 60GB SSD of storage.
Can my current laptop run it?
You need a minimum of 12GB RAM, a capable quad-core CPU, and at least a GTX 1060 3GB to run Elden Ring at 1080p Low. Ensure you install it on an SSD.
Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 SE (2022)
Official Trailer & Gameplay
PC Compatibility Calculator
Select your processor and graphics card to check performance and potential slowdowns
Configure Your Laptop Specs
We compile dynamic frame estimates based on instruction speeds, floating-point units, and raster benchmarks.
System Diagnostics
ULTRA / 4K
Absolute beast. You can play this game at Ultra/4K settings with top-tier frame rates.
What are the official PC requirements and resolution profiles for Elden Ring?
Performance Verdict: Requires at least a GTX 1060 or equivalent GPU for 1080p Low 30FPS, while 1080p High 60FPS demands an RTX 3070 or better with 16GB of system RAM.
Official PC System Requirements & Sources
⚡Ultra
Maximum Preset, 4K 60FPS
CPU: Intel Core i7-10700K or AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
(Ensures the 60FPS cap is maintained perfectly even with heavy spell effects and Ray Tracing.)
Laptop CPU: Intel Core i9-12900H / AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX
(High core count CPUs to prevent bottlenecking at max settings.)
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 / RTX 4080 or AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT
(Necessary for 4K 60FPS on Maximum settings, especially if utilizing Ray Tracing.)
Laptop GPU: NVIDIA RTX 3080 Ti Laptop / RTX 4080 Laptop
(Requires significant memory bandwidth for 4K rendering in the open world.)
RAM: 16 GB
(16GB is highly recommended for stable memory allocation.)
Storage: 60 GB SSD
(NVMe SSD heavily recommended for minimizing load times on fast travel.)
💻 Base Core OS
Operating System
Windows 10 / 11 (64-bit only)
(Requires a 64-bit OS and supports DirectX 12 exclusively.)
DirectX API
Version 12 (Feature Level 12.0)
(Elden Ring exclusively uses DirectX 12; older GPUs without hardware-level DX12 support will not launch the game.)
Disk Footprint
60 GB available space (Expands to ~80GB with Shadow of the Erdtree DLC)
(While HDD is technically possible, it causes massive asset loading stutters while riding Torrent across zones.)
⚠️The game engine has a hard 60 FPS cap on PC. Unlocking the framerate requires third-party mods, which will disable online features via Easy Anti-Cheat.
🔋 Laptop Considerations
An RTX 4060 Laptop easily locks to 60 FPS at 1080p Maximum settings, providing a console-beating experience on the go.
GPU TGP
Since the game is capped at 60FPS, mid-to-high TGP laptops won't need to run at maximum wattage constantly, helping thermals.
CPU Power Limits
Elden Ring has intermittent CPU spikes; ensure performance mode is active.
Cooling Thermals
Normal for intensive AAA games.
MUX Switch Optimus
MUX switch is recommended to reduce latency.
🚀 Optimization & Tuning
Upscaling Engines
Native support for Ray Tracing was added, but the game surprisingly lacks official DLSS/FSR/XeSS support natively without mods.
Critical Setting Targets
Lowering Volumetric Quality and Shadow Quality provides the largest FPS gains with minimal visual loss.
💻 Base Core OS
Operating System
Windows 10 / 11 (64-bit only)
(Requires a 64-bit OS and supports DirectX 12 exclusively.)
DirectX API
Version 12 (Feature Level 12.0)
(Elden Ring exclusively uses DirectX 12; older GPUs without hardware-level DX12 support will not launch the game.)
Disk Footprint
60 GB available space (Expands to ~80GB with Shadow of the Erdtree DLC)
(While HDD is technically possible, it causes massive asset loading stutters while riding Torrent across zones.)
⚠️The game engine has a hard 60 FPS cap on PC. Unlocking the framerate requires third-party mods, which will disable online features via Easy Anti-Cheat.
What is the best gaming laptop to play Elden Ring smoothly?
Direct Laptop Verdict: For an optimal balanced gameplay experience, we recommend laptops equipped with an RTX 4060 or RTX 4070 (e.g. delivering a stable 60+ FPS on High settings).
Gaming laptops that meet the requirements
🎯Budget Choice: ASUS ROG Strix G16 (G615LR-AS96) - for 1080p
Golden Optimization Settings ⚙️
Recommended Adjustments for Massive Framerate Boosts
Volumetric Quality
High
📈Dropping from Maximum to High yields a solid 10% FPS boost with almost zero noticeable difference in fog and lighting density.
Shadow Quality
High
📈Saves around 5-8% performance over Maximum while keeping shadows crisp and avoiding the pixelation seen on Medium.
What is the gameplay and performance like in Elden Ring?
Direct Gameplay Verdict: Featuring hybrid combat systems and open world progression, Elden Ring scales well on multi-threaded processors but is VRAM intensive on high quality textures.
Gameplay and Settings Overview
Gameplay & Core Mechanics
Weighty and precise action combat. Features distinct weapon arts (Ashes of War), jumping attacks, guard counters, vast spell arsenals, and the ability to summon AI spirits for aid.
World Design & Atmosphere
Completely non-linear open world mapped by collecting map fragments. Players use a spectral steed named Torrent to double-jump over terrain and traverse vast distances.
Performance & Graphics Settings Tips
Optimized to scale across modern CPU cores. Disabling high-impact settings like Volumetric Fog or Screen Space Reflections results in significant performance gains.
Editions, Modes & Multiplayer
Cross-Play, Cross-Save, & Multiplayer Details
Supported Features Matrix
Cross-Play
No
Cross-Save
Supported
Monetization
Premium
Base Price
USD $69.99
Expansion Packs & DLCs
Steam Deck Lab 🎮
Elden Ring is officially Verified on Steam Deck. Valve implemented custom proton-level shader pre-caching specifically for this game, making it run smoother on the Deck than on many mid-range desktop PCs at launch.
Anti-Cheat Report 🛡️
Accessibility Analysis
Elden Ring Inclusivity Report
Subtitles
Full dialogue & ambient sounds support
Colorblind Modes
Presets for deuteranopia, protanopia, or tritanopia
Motion Blur Control
Ability to toggle or scale motion blur and camera shake
Controller Remapping
Full remapping support in client configuration options
Screen Reader / Narration
Audio narration of onscreen elements and menus
Cloud Gaming Support
Elden Ring — Streaming Platform Intelligence
GeForce NOW
UnavailableRTX ON with ray tracing supported in Ultimate tier.
Xbox Cloud
UnavailableAvailable with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription.
Boosteroid
AvailableWorks well with stable 20+ Mbps connection.
Shadow PC
AvailableFull PC cloud instance. RTX 4070 tier available.
Campaign & Game Details
Missions, Weapons, Vehicles, & Characters
🗺️ Campaign Missions
Ranni the Witch's Quest
The longest and most intricate questline in the game, taking players through hidden underground cities, a lake of rot, and resulting in a unique ending.
Assault on Stormveil Castle
The first major test for players, requiring them to defeat Margit the Fell Omen before storming the castle to challenge Godrick the Grafted.
🗡️ Weapons & Gear
Dark Moon Greatsword
FromSoftware's iconic moonlight sword, rewarded at the end of Ranni's intricate questline. It scales heavily with Intelligence and fires frost projectiles.
Rivers of Blood
A legendary katana found late in the game, infamous for its devastating 'Corpse Piler' skill that unleashes a flurry of blood-cursed slashes.
🚗 Vehicles & Mounts
Torrent
A horned, spectral horse gifted to the player early on. Essential for open-world traversal, featuring a magical double-jump to scale cliffs and avoid attacks.
👥 Cast & Characters
Malenia, Blade of Miquella
An undefeated demigod cursed with the Scarlet Rot, widely considered one of the most difficult bosses in video game history.
Melina
A mysterious maiden who offers an accord to the player, granting them the ability to level up and gifting them Torrent.
The Tarnished
A descendant of those banished from the Lands Between, returned by grace to restore the Elden Ring.
Gameplay Screenshots
High-Quality In-Game Screenshots
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to Common Questions
Q:Do I need to play Dark Souls before Elden Ring?
A:No. Elden Ring is an entirely new universe with standalone lore. While the combat mechanics are similar, it is arguably the most accessible entry point for newcomers due to the open-world freedom.
Q:Can I pause the game?
A:Officially, no. However, players have found a workaround by opening the inventory, navigating to the 'Menu Explanation' screen, which freezes the game world in single-player mode.
How We Verify Hardware Requirements
At NKMGaming, we do not rely on official specifications sheets alone. We verify system compatibility and performance by testing games on dozens of real-world gaming laptops. We analyze actual gameplay, processor performance, graphics power, and laptop temperatures. We also cite verified game developer updates, player reports, and hardware tests to ensure our recommendations are accurate as of 2026.