In a sense, the core takeaways have not changed since we first looked at the Elden Ring network test last year. First of all, the quality of the game is beyond doubt - From Software deftly blending its unique Souls formula with an open-world to surprising success. Every inch of its map is ripe for exploration, rewarding players for going off the beaten path - for making discoveries at their own pace. However, in terms of technology, while there are changes to how the game presents on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles, the basic headlines remain in place. Whichever way you play, it's a challenge to get a stable 60fps level of performance on even new consoles, despite a choice of two rendering modes.
In summary, both quality and performance options run with a fully unlocked frame-rate. Kicking off with the quality mode, PS5 and Series X run at a fixed 4K - 3840x2160 - while Series S renders at 2560x1440. There's no dynamic resolution scaling in quality mode, meaning that performance adjusts constantly in order to keep resolutions rigidly fixed at these targets. DRS is possible though: it's integrated into the alternative frame-rate mode for every current-gen console.