It turns out that Elden Ring can be paused on both console and PC without the use of mods.
Elden Ring is a tough game, made even harder by the fact you can't pause it, so the brutality never lets up. Typically, if you want to stop the action for a moment to catch your breath, you either have to exit to the title screen or make absolutely sure that you've parked your character somewhere well out of harm's way, which is easier said than done in a From Software title.
But now, one clever Elden Ring player has discovered how you can easily pause the game. As demonstrated in the video, the game stops running in the background when viewing the 'menu explanation', effectively halting the action.
guess what, Elden Ring DOES have a pause buttonjust open "Menu Explanation" while on the inventory screenthis isn't a meme, it actually works lmao pic.twitter.com/0tNLFaWwC7March 8, 2022
This makeshift pause feature is relatively quick to do. Simply hit the start button and navigate to the inventory menu. From here, if you select help and cycle to the menu explanation option, the game will immediately be put on hold.
Getting to this screen does take a few seconds of navigating through various options, so you might not want to do it right in the middle of a heated battle. But it does mean that you can now pop out for a cup of tea and a biscuit, secure in the knowledge that your Tarnished is safe and sound among the temporarily frozen inhabitants of the Lands Between. Previously, Elden Ring's PC players could pause the game with the aid of mods.
According to early data, players have been assuming the role of Tarnished in record numbers, making Elden Ring the fastest-selling Souls game yet.
If you're wondering just how much time you're likely to be spending in the Lands Between, check out our guide on how long it takes to beat Elden Ring.
