It turns out that the Elden Ring can be paused after all, but only on one specific menu.
FromSoftware’s Souls-like game follows in the footsteps of its predecessors, forcing players to find a quiet corner of the map to get out of harm’s way whenever they need some downtime.
But now, YouTuber iron pineapple He found a way to really pause the game. The best part? You don’t need modification to do this – the hidden pause function is actually part of a single menu defined in the game.
This basically means that PC gamers no longer have to disable online play to pause their game…and console players can do that too.
The feature is activated by heading to your inventory, then the “Help” screen, then selecting “Menu Explanation”. While this inventory is displayed, the game pauses – allowing you to make a cup of tea or answer the door calmly.
IGN has confirmed that this pause is indeed working in-game.
A quick look at the Elden Ring’s unofficial “pause” list. Credit: FromSoftware.
It’s a very long way to pause the game – more complicated than just pressing “start” as in older games. But while this method might not help much if you’re in the middle of one of the incredibly tough Elden Ring boss fights, it might help you take a break as you cross the lands in between.
Unfortunately, this appears to be an unintended benefit…and so it is likely that the developers of Elden Ring FromSoftware will fix this functionality in the future. Until then, feel free to use it whenever you need a break from the relentless attack.
The IGN review of Elden Ring described it as “a massive iteration of what FromSoftware started with the Souls series, bringing its relentlessly challenging battles into a stunning open world that gives us the freedom to choose our own path.”
Want to read more about the Elden Ring? Check out our beginner’s guide for all the basics plus our tips, secrets, and tips for survival.
Ryan Liston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. you can follow it Twitter.
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