With the release of Shadow of the Erdtree (SOTE), Elden Ring's PC performance remains largely the same as it was at launch, with a few nuances that could affect new players or those looking to revisit the game. Here, we'll break down the performance benchmarks, optimal settings, and the system requirements for the DLC, as well as tips to maximize your experience whether you're on mid-range or high-end hardware.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree System Requirements

Though SOTE doesn't push the game's performance requirements higher, it does require additional space, increasing the total storage footprint to 75GB after installation.

Minimum PC Specs:

OS: Windows 10

CPU: Intel Core i5-8400 / AMD Ryzen 3 3300X

GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 3GB / AMD Radeon RX 580 4GB

RAM: 12GB

Storage: 75GB (including 15.06GB for SOTE)

DirectX: DirectX 12

Recommended PC Specs:

OS: Windows 10/11

CPU: Intel Core i7-8700K / AMD Ryzen 5 3600X

GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 / AMD Radeon RX Vega 56

RAM: 16GB

Storage: 75GB SSD (including 15.06GB for SOTE)

DirectX: DirectX 12

Notes on Performance:

The expansion doesn't increase the overall system requirements; however, it introduces a slightly more GPU-intensive experience, especially in newer regions of the game like the SOTE opening area.

If your rig runs Elden Ring well, it will handle Shadow of the Erdtree without issues. Even older GPUs like the GTX 1060 will manage playable frame rates at 1080p.

Performance Benchmarks: A Detailed Breakdown

Testing Shadow of the Erdtree with various GPUs, we get a clearer picture of how the DLC runs across different hardware. Here's a breakdown of performance at different resolutions and quality settings:

Mid-Range GPUs (GTX 1060, Intel Arc A750):

GTX 1060 (6GB):

1080p, Maximum Quality: ~45fps

1080p, High Quality: ~51fps

1080p, Medium Quality: ~56fps

1080p, Low Quality: ~56fps

Intel Arc A750:

1080p, Maximum Quality: ~51fps

Higher-End GPUs (RTX 4050, RTX 3070, RTX 4070 Ti):

RTX 4050 (Laptop GPU):

1080p, Maximum Quality: ~40fps

Lower settings (Interior regions): noticeably smoother.

RTX 3070:

1440p, Maximum Quality: ~55fps

RTX 4070 Ti:

1440p, Maximum Quality: ~56fps

4K, Maximum Quality: ~56fps

4K, with Ray Tracing: ~46fps

Premium GPU (RTX 4090):

RTX 4090:

4K, Maximum Quality: ~56fps

4K, Ray Tracing: ~51fps

Steam Deck:

Despite being handheld, the Steam Deck can stay above 30fps at a combination of Maximum, High, and Medium settings impressive feat for such a compact system.

Performance Optimization: Best Settings for Your PC

Even if your hardware is on the higher end, Elden Ring and Shadow of the Erdtree can still leave you in a kind of performance limbo, especially with ray tracing and resolution scaling. Below are the settings I recommend based on various hardware configurations:

Low-End Hardware (GTX 1060, Intel Arc A750):

For smoother gameplay on older hardware, you'll need to lower a few settings, particularly when running at higher resolutions like 1440p or 4K.

Resolution: Stick to 1080p for smoother performance.

Graphics Quality: Set to Medium or Low.

V-Sync: Turn off to increase frame rates.

Texture Quality: Set to Medium (to prevent VRAM usage from being too high).

Ray Tracing: Disable Ray Tracing for smoother gameplay.

DLSS / FSR: If supported, enable DLSS (for Nvidia cards) or FSR (for AMD cards) to improve performance without sacrificing too much visual quality.

Mid-Range Hardware (RTX 3070, RTX 4060):

Resolution: 1440p or 1080p with Maximum Quality should be fine.

Graphics Quality: High settings for the best balance between visuals and performance.

V-Sync: Disabled for uncapped frame rates (unless tearing is noticeable).

Ray Tracing: Low/Medium for better performance if you want to use ray tracing, or leave it off entirely for smoother performance.

DLSS/FSR: Enable for extra performance, especially at 1440p and higher resolutions.

High-End Hardware (RTX 4080, RTX 4090):

For those using the latest and greatest GPUs, you can aim for 4K with Maximum Quality, though keep an eye on ray tracing settings:

Resolution: 4K with Maximum Quality should be achievable for the most part.

Ray Tracing: Set to Medium or High depending on your preference.

DLSS/FSR: Enable DLSS 3.0 (or FSR 2.0 for AMD) for better performance at high resolutions.

V-Sync: If you experience screen tearing, turn it on, but otherwise, keep it off for higher frame rates.

Framerate Cap Issues & Ultrawide Support

Despite improvements to performance, Elden Ring's frame rate cap and lack of ultrawide resolution support continue to be sore spots for many PC players.

Framerate Cap: Elden Ring still caps the framerate at 60fps natively, and this can only be removed via mods. While this isn't a major issue on lower-end hardware, it can hinder higher-end systems like the RTX 4070 Ti or RTX 4090, where players could benefit from a higher cap.

Ultrawide Resolution: Full ultrawide support is still unavailable without using mods. However, this can break online functionality since Easy Anti-Cheat must be disabled.

Ray Tracing & DLSS/FSR: What's Missing?

While Elden Ring supports ray tracing, the lack of DLSS (for Nvidia cards) or FSR (for AMD cards) means you're left with limited options to maintain smooth gameplay, especially when using ray tracing at 1440p or 4K. These technologies could have greatly improved performance, but are notably missing in Shadow of the Erdtree.

Final Thoughts

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree runs well across a variety of hardware, from older GPUs like the GTX 1060 to high-end options like the RTX 4090. However, despite ray tracing and DLC-heavy areas, the game still doesn't support modern PC features like DLSS, FSR, or full ultrawide resolution support without mods.

For those upgrading their hardware for smoother play, these benchmarks should help you gauge whether you can run the game at Maximum settings or if you need to lower a few settings to get the best performance.

In the end, Shadow of the Erdtree doesn't demand an upgrade to your existing PC, but it still provides a compelling reason to tweak your settings and optimize performance for the best Elden Ring experience. If you're aiming for top-tier performance, the key is balancing resolution, ray tracing, and DLSS/FSR settings to ensure the best visual quality without compromising frame rates. Whether you're using older hardware like the GTX 1060 or the latest RTX 4090, adjusting your settings based on these benchmarks will help you achieve the smoothest gameplay possible while still immersing yourself in the breathtaking world of Elden Ring and its Shadow of the Erdtree expansion.

For those looking to get Elden Ring Runes and Elden Ring Items, optimizing your performance can make your gaming sessions more enjoyable and allow you to focus on the exploration, combat, and upgrades that are the core of the experience. Enjoy your time in the Lands Between-now, with a bit more shadow added!