There is no universal best graphics preset for every Soulslike on PC: the right settings depend on the specific game, your hardware, resolution, and frame-rate goal. For smoother play, set those targets first, use the game’s own graphics options, and change one demanding setting at a time while checking the same difficult scene or encounter.
How to tune settings for smoother gameplay
- Choose a resolution and frame-rate goal. Decide what resolution you want to play at and what frame rate you are aiming to hold. A settings choice only makes sense in relation to those targets and your PC.
- Start with the game’s own graphics menu. Make changes there rather than assuming settings from another Soulslike apply. Options and their performance effects differ by game.
- Test a demanding feature first. If the game offers ray tracing and performance is poor, compare play with it on and off. For Elden Ring specifically, Bandai Namco says ray tracing can affect frame rate and resolution and documents how to disable it.
- Adjust one option at a time. If the problem remains, lower a visual setting, then replay the same demanding scene or encounter. This makes it easier to see whether that change helps without sacrificing more image quality than necessary. There is no established universal order for reducing shadows, effects, reflections, or other options.
- Judge consistency in the situation that causes trouble. A setting that seems smooth in a quiet area may not address dips during a demanding fight. Compare like with like, and keep the setting that best balances stable play and visual detail for your system.
Elden Ring: turn ray tracing off if it is hurting performance
For Elden Ring, Bandai Namco’s version 1.09 notes warn that performance, including frame rate and resolution, may be affected while ray tracing is on. The publisher’s path to disable it is System → Graphics → Set Ray Tracing Quality → OFF. Bandai Namco also issued a PC notice on April 18, 2023 advising players to switch ray-tracing quality off if it had been enabled unintentionally and was causing problems. See the version 1.09 patch notes and the PC notice. This is Elden Ring-specific guidance, not a claim about every Soulslike or every PC configuration.
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Check requirements for your particular game
Published minimum GPU requirements can help you check whether your PC meets a game’s listed baseline. They do not promise smooth performance, or establish a frame rate at a particular resolution or preset.
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| Game | Listed minimum graphics hardware | Source and qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Elden Ring | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB or AMD Radeon RX 580 4 GB | Steam system requirements; accessed October 7, 2026. Listed minimum requirement, not a measured performance result. |
| Lies of P | AMD Radeon RX 560 4 GB or NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 4 GB | Steam system requirements; accessed October 7, 2026. Listed minimum requirement, not a measured performance result. |
The different listed GPU models illustrate why a genre-wide hardware threshold is not useful. Check the requirements for the game you actually play; Lies of P’s official support page identifies it as a Soulslike.
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Low frame rate and stutter are different problems
If the frame rate is persistently low, graphics settings may help when a demanding option is reduced, but the result depends on the game and PC. Intermittent stutter is a separate symptom: the available official guidance does not establish that changing graphics settings fixes stutter across different Soulslikes and systems. Avoid treating a community workaround as a guaranteed or official remedy.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What a reliable settings recommendation needs
A genuinely useful preset should name the game, PC configuration, resolution, and frame-rate target it was tested against. Without those details, “best settings” is not a reproducible promise. The method above gives you a practical way to tune your own game without mistaking a game-specific instruction or minimum requirement for a universal performance guarantee.
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