Elden Ring might again be the talk of the town right now, becoming the most-played game on Steam Deck, but it may face a slight challenge. Not from another title, but from a technical hurdle for PC players. FromSoftware’s official support account recently issued a warning regarding potential framerate issues stemming from mouse software running in the background.
This news comes on the heels of the highly anticipated Shadow of the Erdtree expansion that was released a week ago. While the expansion itself has been praised for its captivating environments and engaging gameplay, PC players experiencing stuttering issues now have a new culprit to consider – their mouse software.
Stuttering problem on Elden Ring
According to the translated message on X from FromSoftware’s Player Support: “In the PC version, the frame rate may not be stable when playing the game while running a mouse-control related app. In that case, please try playing the game after stopping the mouse-control related app.”
This is a surprising wrinkle for a game that has been generally well-received on PC. While open-world titles released earlier in 2024 might have suffered from open-world fatigue, Elden Ring’s new release stood out for its exceptional design and ability to keep players engaged. The news of mouse software causing frame rate issues is a slight blow to the game’s momentum, especially considering the great reviews for the new expansion. While some stuttering might be tolerable, it can significantly hinder the fast-paced combat and exploration that Elden Ring is known for.
Still unclear on the culprit
It’s important to note that the FromSoftware statement doesn’t specify which mouse software applications might be causing the problem. This leaves PC players in a bit of a bind, potentially needing to experiment by closing various mouse-related programs in the background before launching the game to see if the stuttering persists.
While this is certainly an inconvenience, it’s likely not a widespread issue affecting all PC players. However, for those experiencing frame rate drops, it’s worth investigating any mouse software running in the background and potentially closing them to see if that resolves the problem. Despite this technical hurdle, Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree remains an achievement in open-world game design. Hopefully, FromSoftware can address this mouse software issue with a future patch, ensuring a smooth gameplay experience for all PC players.
