Without having to mod the game, players have discovered a way to pause "Elden Ring." The critically praised RPG from From Software is marked by its extreme level of difficulty, which includes the impossibility to pause the game, which means players can never stop the action to collect their thoughts.
This pause hack in "Elden Ring" looks to be an oversight, and it may be rectified shortly, but it's obviously useful for those exploring "The Lands Between" in the meantime.
Users may pause the game thanks to a previously released PC mod, but this newly discovered option also works with console versions of the game that can't be modded.
TechieW's PC mod, simply titled Pause the Game, allows users to freeze the action at any time by pressing P. Because the mod alters the game's rules and is technically cheating, it cannot be activated while the game's Easy Anti-Cheat software is active, which it always is while the game is being played.
If you want to take matters into your own hands, here's how:
- When you're in-game, press start or ESC to access the menu.
- Navigate to any menu on the left side of the screen.
- To view contextual options, press the back button.
- Select the option for menu explanation.
Your game will pause once you've selected the menu explanation option. This menu system feature is intended to clarify what objects do, such as what the Equipment menu does. Because it's such a crucial piece of information, the game will stop working until you complete reading the explanation.
It's a bit of a process because pausing the game requires more than a few inputs, but muscle memory is a great thing. But, unfortunately, it's evident that this isn't the intended mechanic. Because you aren't supposed to be able to pause the game by executing this sequence of activities, it's possible that this may be patched out of the game in the future.
However, as of this writing, it is still functional, and because it is only a game feature, using it will not get you banned or otherwise in trouble if you take advantage of it while you can. You can obviously pause the game in multiplayer, so even if you try it, it won't work, even if you're not risking anything.
"Elden Ring" has earned near-universal acclaim from critics and is already near the top of numerous best games of all time lists.
