Summary

  • Heavy gameplay in Elden Ring can wear down the buttons on controllers, as one player's Circle button was completely smooth after a year of playing.
  • The wear on the dodge/sprint button is a result of the game's challenging combat, which requires precise timing to dodge attacks and avoid losing a significant amount of health.
  • The upcoming expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree, may prompt devoted players to dust off their controllers or buy new ones. It currently does not have a release date.

One year of furiously playing Elden Ring can actually change a controller, as one player showed recently. The highly acclaimed action RPG and many other Soulslike titles require a ton of technical skill to even just get through without constantly dying, so there will be a lot of button-pressing that can wear down the hardware.

It has been more than a year since FromSoftware fan favorite Elden Ring came out, but its most devoted fans still continue to play it. The George R. R. Martin-assisted game still holds a lot of challenges and secrets for any player who has yet to uncover them, and mastering its infamously difficult content is also one of its biggest hooks.

elden ring shadow of the erdtree dev update
Elden Ring Producer Gives Development Update on Shadow of the Erdtree Expansion

Elden Ring producer Yasuhiro Kitao gives a development update on how Shadow of the Erdtree is progressing as well as when fans may expect to play it.

By 

Because Elden Ring takes a lot of repetition for players to develop even the bare minimum of competence that will get them through it, it naturally means there's much more button-pressing involved in its gameplay compared to many modern titles out right now. Redditor Brutalonym showed the result of one year of hardcore Elden Ring grinding: the Circle button on their DualShock 4, which makes the player's character dodge and sprint in the game, is now completely smooth. All PlayStation players will know that it's naturally supposed to be textured for maximum traction in the fingers.

Elden Ring players will know exactly why this particular button is worn down. Soulslike games have a very particular style of gameplay, and it usually requires players to constantly dodge attacks with near-perfect timing, because otherwise, enemies' strong offense can take a big chunk of life off. Too many hits will easily kill the player or at least force them to consume one of a limited amount of their potions, taking away that option from a time when they might need it most.

While Brutalonym's situation wasn't dire, as most controllers will show that kind of wear with owners who spend a lot of time gaming, other Redditors did find humor in it. Some commended the OP for getting good at the game (as internet culture does heavily praise impressive feats in Elden Ring), while others shared their stories of playing similar games so much that some visual elements may have been burned onto their TV screen.

Devoted players who have already explored most, if not all of Elden Ring will soon have to dust off their own controllers (or maybe even buy new ones) as the upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree expansion may be dropping soon. There's no announced release date yet from developer FromSoftware, but some think that its second anniversary in February 2024 may be the perfect time to drop it, as it was also announced last February during the game's first-anniversary celebration. However, recent comments suggest it is still far off.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image
Elden Ring Tag Page Cover Art
10 /10

Elden Ring
Display card tags widget
RPG
Action
Display card system widget
Systems
PC-1 PlayStation-1 Xbox-1
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget
Top Critic Avg: 95 /100 Critics Rec: 98%
Display card main info widget
Released
February 25, 2022
ESRB
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
Developer(s)
From Software
Engine
Proprietary
Multiplayer
Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
Cross-Platform Play
PS4 & PS5 and Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end

WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

ELDEN RING, developed by FromSoftware, Inc. And BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., is a fantasy action-RPG adventure set within a world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin. Danger and discovery lurk around every corner in FromSoftware’s largest game to date. Hidetaka Miyazaki - President and Game Director of FromSoftware Inc. Known for directing critically-acclaimed games in beloved franchises including Armored Core and Dark Souls.

George R.R. Martin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the acclaimed series A Song of Ice and Fire - A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast For Crows, and A Dance with Dragons. As a writer-producer, he has worked on The Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast, and various feature films and pilots that were never made. He lives with the lovely Parris in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Genre(s)
RPG, Action
How Long To Beat
58 Hours
Metascore
96
Platforms That Support Crossplay
PS4 & PS5 and Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
PS Plus Availability
N/A