This "Elden Ring" Player might have just figured out how to fix one of the game's biggest drawbacks: the lack of an official pause screen.
elden ring steam
According to GamesRadar, this workaround will allow you to completely pause FromSoftware's open-world "Soulsborne" without needing to use a mod. As such, this works for both the PC and console versions of the game.
Twitter user Iron Pineapple shared a quick video on how to perform the pause workaround:
guess what, Elden Ring DOES have a pause button
— Iron Pineapple (@IronPineapple_) March 8, 2022
just open "Menu Explanation" while on the inventory screen
this isn't a meme, it actually works lmao pic.twitter.com/0tNLFaWwC7
If you can't watch the video for some reason, here's how you pause "Elden Ring:"
- Go to the inventory screen by pressing the corresponding button/key (Start on consoles, ESC on PC)
- Select Help
- Cycle to the "Menu Explanation" option
And there you have it! The game gets paused for some reason, which could be an absolute godsend in this kind of game. FromSoftware games have earned a reputation for being punishingly difficult, and all Tarnished deserve some kind of break from all of the brutality.
This is kind of a weird workaround due to the Menu Explanation option's main purpose. According to PCGamer, the option was intended to explain the game's different menus. But since it does put the entire action on hold, it is a rather clever trick if you're the kind of player who's big on pausing games to take a quick breather.
However, be sure to only try doing this if you're not in combat, as recommended by GameSpot. If you're in the middle of a fight, navigating to the Menu Explanation option can be a tricky and downright unwieldy thing to do. If you try to "pause" mid-fight, the enemy can still get to you, and you won't be able to perform a lifesaving move. Bye-bye, runes.
Read also: A PS5-Level Gaming PC Build Cheaper Than Sony's Console: Is It Possible?
How 'Elden Ring' Players Dealt With The Lack Of A Pause Menu
Before this trick was revealed, "Elden Ring" players on all platforms didn't have a way to pause the game. Console players are especially unlucky because PC players can use mods.
One such mod made the headlines shortly after the game's release. Aptly named "Pause the Game," the mod (hosted on Nexus Mods) gives players the ability to put the game on hold by pressing P or any other desired key. However, the only drawback is that you can only use the mod in offline mode, just like all other "Elden Ring" mods currently out there.
But this isn't really something new to a FromSoftware game, which tends to want to keep players on their toes the entire time. FromSoft games have always lacked a pause screen even in the inventory menus, as per GameRant. As a result, many "Soulsborne" players have taken it upon themselves to find clever ways to pause the games.
Photo taken from Dark Souls III Steam Page
Whether FromSoftware does desire to add a pause screen in a future update, however, is never mentioned. So you'll have to stick with this workaround if you're on console or install the aforementioned pause mod if you're on PC.
Related: 'Elden Ring' Speedrunner Beats The Game In Under 3 Hours WITHOUT DYING
Story posted on GameNGuide
Written by RJ Pierce
