Hardware Tips and Accessories to Help You Conquer Elden Ring on PS5

After many delays, the highly-anticipated dark fantasy action game Elden Ring was finally released on February 25, 2022. This spiritual successor to the Dark Souls series immediately became the hottest new game on the market and developer From Software’s fastest seller ever. The hype is justified, too, as it’s received rave reviews that call it an early candidate for game of the year and even one of the greatest games of all time.

Elden Ring is available on seven consoles plus Windows PC, and it’s a beautiful game on any platform, with a vibrant open world full of imaginative designs, intricate detail, stunning lighting effects, and lush foliage. While the PS4 version is the best-seller so far, the consensus is that Elden Ring is best experienced on Sony’s Playstation 5. 

However, even the mighty PS5 struggles with the game’s ambition at times. Its two graphics modes, Performance and Quality, each involve some trade-offs. Quality Mode looks amazing in 4K, but it has issues with slowdown and stuttering as the console struggles to render everything around you. Performance mode, meanwhile, drops the resolution from 4K to 2K in order to improve the framerate, but it still doesn’t reach a consistent 60 fps.

If a consistent 60 fps frame rate is your main concern, the best solution is to play the PS4 version of the game on PS5. Naturally, this will mean a downgrade in resolution and visual detail, but if you ever change your mind you can upgrade to the PS5 version with a free patch. No similar downgrade is available for the PS5 version, making the PS4 version of Elden Ring the best value.

However, if you’re hooked on the PS5’s graphical prowess (and the swaying tall grass, which seems to have been mowed down on PS4), one thing you can do to maintain performance in Elden Ring is to keep your PS5 from overheating. If your PS5 gets too hot, it can cause longer load times, freezing and stuttering, and even graphical glitches.

Keep Your PS5 Cool Under Pressure

An overheated PS5 console is usually the result of poor airflow, which may be caused by air vents that are blocked or have built-up dust and grime in them. You can often tell when the PS5 is overheating either by touching the console or listening for its built-in fans, which will be especially loud as they run on high the whole time you’re playing. 

One easy solution to overheating is to invest in a PS5 console stand with built-in cooling. NexiGo has a variety of stylish and convenient PS5 vertical cooling stands. One of the most popular options is a bundle that includes a controller charger, storage space for game cases, and even a headphone holder. And as a bonus, those stands are far more stable than the default stand included with the console.

The NexiGo horizontal PS5 stand can also help keep the console cool on its own, as it prevents heat from getting trapped underneath the console, but it’s especially useful in the combo package that includes a rear vent fan. These fans work alongside the PS5’s internal cooling to pull air through the console more efficiently. They also catch a lot of dust that would otherwise end up in the console, and they’re much easier to remove for cleaning compared to opening up your PS5. Just be sure to give them plenty of space for airflow.

Or if you really want to make a statement with your PS5 while keeping it cool, a more involved but very impressive solution is to install a wall mount for it, which also passively improves air flow.

Explore all day with a PS5 controller battery pack

Elden Ring’s setting of the Lands Between combines an open world with punishing difficulty, which means you will frequently come across a challenge that you’re unprepared for. If you try to take it on anyway, chances are you’ll soon see the infamous “You Died” screen. When that happens, the best course of action is to explore other areas in order to find equipment and abilities that can give you an edge the next time. This design, combined with the immersive fantasy world, makes it easy to get lost in the game for hours at a time. One Youtube streamer even played continuously for four days in a row before finishing the game.

We don’t recommend that sort of commitment as it’s not healthy to go so long without sleep. But spending a full Sunday adventuring across the Lands Between? That we can get behind. The only problem is that your PS5 controller may not agree. Estimates for the DualSense controller’s battery life vary, but some say it only lasts around five to seven hours if you’re playing a game that makes use of the haptic feedback, and 10-13 hours if the game uses standard vibration. Elden Ring seems to only support vibration, despite pre-launch claims it would use haptic feedback. While many are disappointed with that, it does mean that you can play wirelessly for longer.

Still, if you’re playing all day the controller’s battery will eventually run out, which could be highly frustrating if you’re close to beating one of Elden Ring’s many difficult bosses. You could choose to end your gaming session there, or you could get close enough to the TV to plug in your controller via USB. Or you can prepare for this eventuality in advance: either by buying a second DualSense for $69.99 and keeping it charged on the dock, ready to swap out… or just by picking up a $17.99 battery pack for the controller you already have. The PS5 DualSense battery pack from NexiGo adds an extra six hours of gameplay, which gives you plenty of time to finish out the day (as long as you intend to sleep).

Stay in the Battle with a DualSense Controller Grip

Even if you’ve solved the battery life issue, you might run into another problem if you’re playing an intense game like Elden Ring for a long time — your hands can easily get cramped and sweaty from gripping the controller tightly. Nothing is worse than missing the timing for a life-saving dodge roll because the controller slipped a little bit. 

Once again, the solution to this is to either stop playing and give your hands a salt bath, or to go in prepared with a controller grip cover for the DualSense. NexiGo’s PS5 controller grip cover helps you to stay in control with comfortable soft silicone that’s designed to absorb sweat. It also includes thumbstick covers in three height options, so you can choose which is most comfortable for your hands. And finally, if your controller “accidentally” leaves your hands after your 13th attempt at fighting the wretched Starscourge Radahn, the silicone padding on the controller grip will go a long way toward softening its impact on the ground.

None of these handy PS5 accessories will negate Elden Ring’s formidable challenge, but any of them could be the extra weapon in your arsenal that you need to survive. Now we bid you to rise, Tarnished, and take your place as an Elden Lord!