PS5

Following its brief network beta in February we now have the final release of Elden Ring Nightreign, giving us a fresh chance to assess the console versions. To cut to the chase, there is both good and bad news for console users. The positive side ultimately comes down to Nightreign’s winning gameplay design because, against all the odds, developer FromSoftware’s multiplayer spin-off works surprisingly well. Barring ongoing issues with network latency during its first week – causing lag on NPC reactions after a strike at points – this is a well crafted, Fortnite-inspired twist on Elden Ring. The combat mechanics are instantly familiar, and there’s plenty of strategic depth as you spend a one hour session levelling up in anticipation of a Night Lord boss. It compels repeat attempts, and crucially, rewards a trio of players to co-ordinate their character builds towards that final point.

On the downside there’s the state of Nightreign’s technology. This is really nothing new to those familiar with FromSoftware’s Elden Ring engine, and how it operates on consoles. Its optimisation on PS5 and Xbox Series machines is still disappointing and, much like the network beta, the game continues to often fall short of a target 60 frames per second while exploring the Limveld map. Added to that, there is no support for PS5 Pro. The PlayStation store page makes no mention of enhancements for Pro hardware even on release, and that bears out in our tests where there are no extra modes or optimisations of any sort. It simply runs the base PS5 code, which, as I’ll get to, does at least yield some benefits in frame-rate and image quality depending on which graphics mode you use. Finally, it’s worth noting that the ray tracing mode – included in the main Elden Ring game to allow RT shadows and ambient occlusion – is still absent in Nightreign all round which is a shame.

In terms of how the consoles compare, FromSoftware sticks to its tried and tested settings from the network beta. PS5, PS5 Pro and Series X each run at a fixed 4K in their quality modes – while the frame-rate mode uses a dynamic setup that drops their resolution to 1440p lowest in order to better hit 60fps. On the other hand, for Series S, 1440p is a fixed target on its quality mode, while the frame-rate mode allows for a 1008p to 1440p range to improve performance. Beyond resolution differences all machines run at identical settings with a few exceptions. Firstly, comparing PS5 and PS5 Pro, the Pro side has a small benefit in image quality. By running the base PS5 code on more powerful hardware, PS5 Pro tends to hit higher numbers along that 1512p to 4K range. On average it’ll trend higher, though this only applies to the frame-rate mode of course, and shadows, textures, and world draw are identical.

Here’s the video breakdown for Elden Ring: Nightreign, tested on PS5, PS5 Pro, Xbox Series X and Series S… with a dash of PS4 for good measure.Watch on YouTube

Secondly, the Xbox Series consoles show a greater divide in visual quality. The 4TF Series S inevitably takes a bigger visual downgrade in comparison to Series X: it runs with lower resolution global shadows, plus a dropped ambient occlusion setting – affecting the shading under grass. Most visible, of course, is that drop to a 1440p target. Honestly the turnout is still more than acceptable for Series S, and using the opening tutorial area to match weather and time of day, you’re getting the full fat Nightreign experience otherwise.

In fact, this is a far better scenario than the last-gen releases. Taking base PS4 as an example – which wasn’t available for testing in the network beta – the overall playability of Nightreign suffers quite a bit by not playing on the latest wave of systems. On PS4 you get significantly dropped shadow quality, and dropped foliage density when compared to PS5. It runs at 900p typically (lower than the 1080p found in the main Elden Ring game), and performance is significantly worse than the base game too. It’s targeting 30fps with uneven frame pacing, though in practise, the range is 20-30fps, with a lot of play typically at the midway point.

Switching to current-gen performance testing today, there is sadly no significant boost since the network beta four months ago. Using base PS5’s quality mode for example – with a fixed 4K resolution value – we still have a 35-50fps range of frame-rate while circling the Roundtable Hold. Actual combat around Limveld tends to be even more taxing, but the hub area gives us a way to perfectly match conditions between the network beta and final build. It’s a broadly identical readout too, though there is one curious exception: parts of this hub area have been altered, opening out new areas in the final game and with extra light points and volumetric fog added in one room. As a result performance in this specific spot drops from 45fps in the network beta down to 39fps in the final build, which is expected given the increase in load.

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Generally speaking though, using the Roundtable Hold, there’s been no provable performance upgrade or downgrade in the interim since the beta. Switching to PS5 Pro, comparing the network test against the final build shows much the same issue, though Pro was always least much closer to the 60fps mark on quality mode.

Ultimately, using the quality mode makes no practical sense on any console. Base PS5 in typical open world play runs at a lower 30-45fps range, with drops into the 20s also possible while dropping from the sky. You won’t even see a flash of 60fps while looking directly upward, to theoretically lower GPU load. Xbox Series X follows the same trend with a matching readout to base PS5 – 30-45fps with potential drops under using quality mode – making it a write-off. Series S meanwhile runs at a much more restrictive 30-40fps range, but essentially hugs the 30fps line for most of a round, again with drops into the 20s. And finally, PS5 Pro fares best with a 40-60fps range, which while an improvement over the rest of the console quartet, is still outside the ideal VRR range to mask drops.

This isn’t good enough, and the fixing at a 4K resolution – as crisp and sharp as it is – just doesn’t justify this performance penalty. With all consoles compared in a matched tutorial run, PS5 Pro comes out best with a 47fps reading, while PS5 and Series X occupy a midway point at 35fps, and Series S trails behind at 32fps.

Without a specific patch to support the hardware, PS5 Pro’s advantage is limited to a boost in performance while using Nightreign’s quality mode – plus a small image quality improvement in the frame-rate mode.

The easier mode to recommend is still the frame-rate mode. Base PS5 runs at between 40-60fps, which still does not easily slot into the ideal VRR range. Long passages of play, especially by the dying embers of a round, veer towards the lower end and visibly lurch to 40fps. Series X has the exact same range, but given that Xbox consoles do have a wider VRR window to work to (40-60Hz, versus the 48-60Hz on PS5 systems), there is some flexibility to adapt. It’s a much smoother, less visibly juddering experience as a result – if your display supports VRR. Even Series S benefits in this sense, with so much of its performance running at between 40-60fps, keeping up pace with the other machines.

Last up is PS5 Pro. To its credit, the Pro hardware produces a 50-60fps range most of the time, which does fit nicely within Sony’s nominated VRR range. The only snag is sharp 40fps lurches while exploring Limveld, which occur in some rounds more frequently than others, and stick out clearly. In relative, matched tests using our Roundtable Hold route, PS5 Pro in theory has the upper hand with a tighter adherence to the 60fps target, while PS5 and Series X hover just below and Series S landing at around 50fps.

Despite having the final release of Nightreign in hand, there’s so much left to be desired on the technical front. The remixing of Limgrave’s locations to forge Limveld creates a perfect playground for its shortened one hour online experience – but performance on current-gen is still lacking. My recommended pick is the frame-rate mode, and ideally on an Xbox Series system where VRR is more flexible to handle a 40-60fps range. PS5 Pro meanwhile gets to the theoretical best frame-rates, purely by running the base PS5 code on a more powerful GPU – but it’s a disappointment and there is no official Pro patch in place.

It sets a worrying precedent for a new release to neglect Pro hardware entirely, and even as an off-shoot to a major game I expected more. I’m hopeful we’ll see FromSoftware come round to the idea, since so many of its games could benefit from Pro support, but Nightreign isn’t that breakthrough moment. The state of affairs with the final release is sadly as we left it in the network test: it’s unquestionably enjoyable – a mad concoction of ideas that somehow ties together. But regardless of console or mode, 60fps performance is all too often out of reach.

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