Elden Ring’s new patch offers a fix for some of the RPG’s framerate issues. The problem is that this “fix” doesn’t seem to be very effective.
Elden Ring’s 1.12.3 patch, released earlier today, features a section dedicated to “Possible unstable performance fixes.” Previously, publisher Bandai Namco suggested PC players check their mouse to resolve frame rate issues, but it’s now turned its attention to the PS5. In the notes, it suggests that “unstable frame rates can be improved by using the ‘Rebuild Database’ option in the device’s Safe Mode.”
“Rebuild Database” is a feature in the PS5’s Safe Mode menu that scans your console’s drive and creates a new database of the content stored on it. Sony explains that this is “useful if you’re experiencing issues with system functionality or if a game icon remains on the home page after being deleted.” This seems to suggest that this is a system-level tool, not something that will have any real impact on individual games.
That’s the opinion espoused by FromSoftware expert (and noted PlayStation dataminer) Lance McDonald, who claims that Rebuild Database “has absolutely no way of affecting the game’s performance.” McDonald suggests that using the tool to fix Elden Ring’s framerate would be “like calling your ISP about slow internet and they tell you to try clearing cookies.”
McDonald goes on to say that the tool “is useful in cases where an installed game disappears for some reason” – like a major firmware update, like a big DLC release – but that all it does is “scan the hard drive for missing games and add the icons back to the dashboard.”
If you’re hoping for a fix, McDonald isn’t sure you’ll find it here. There are other solutions you should be able to find, though some of them are probably better for players than others. The fix that stops Black Knight Tiche from accidentally healing the boss seems handy, but if you were a fan of Perfume Bottles, that’s not such great news.
I hope a fix is also on the way for the bug that Creates two copies of the final boss of Shadow of the Erdtree.