How to pause Elden Ring: Players find simple trick to pause the game

Brad Norton

Although Elden Ring doesn’t come with a traditional pause function, players have discovered a simple method of freezing the game with ease.

With Elden Ring’s lively open world always in motion, FromSoftware’s latest title doesn’t give players an option to pause. At least in the traditional sense, there’s no way to stop the action for even a brief moment.

Even if you’re casually strolling through your single-player journey without any invaders present, pausing hasn’t been an option. Until now that is, as a few crafty gamers have found a unique method of actually pausing Elden Ring.

While it’s not quite as simple as hitting a dedicated pause button on your controller or keyboard, it is still possible to pause Elden Ring with a few nifty tricks. Here’s how it’s done.

How to pause Elden Ring

Elden Ring player looking over map.
You can pause Elden Ring anywhere, even in boss fights, with this simple trick.

Whether you’re in the midst of combat or just want to take a breather while tracking down the next Site of Grace, pausing Elden Ring can obviously come in handy. Thankfully, a simple method of freezing the game has already been found.

Your first step involves opening your Inventory screen. For a brief moment, you may still be in danger. The trick from here on out is to quickly open the ‘Menu Explanation’ feature as fast as possible. Triggering this option immediately pauses Elden Ring.

For as long as you need, Elden Ring will remain frozen while the Menu Explanation screen is in focus. If you’re unsure how to trigger this in your Inventory, below is a step-by-step breakdown.

  1. Access your Inventory.
  2. Quickly tap your Start/Help button.
  3. Navigate down and select the ‘Menu Explanation’ feature.
  4. Congratulations, you’ve just paused Elden Ring.
Elden Ring character holding the Moonveil Katana
Pausing Elden Ring might just save your run if you’re nowhere close to a Site of Grace.

This manual pause trick can be used anytime, anywhere in Elden Ring, so long as you’re not in an active multiplayer session.

If you have allies on your side or there’s an invader hot on your heels, this method will no longer work. So be mindful of that if you’re banking Runes and trying to play it safe.


If you’re searching for more tips, guides, and Elden Ring walkthroughs, we’ve got plenty to help along your journey in The Lands Between. You can find all right here or by checking individual guides below.

Ash of War: Bloodhound’s Step | Mimic Tear | Gold Scarab | Elden Ring Stonedigger Troll | Elden Ring Margit the Fell Omen | Elden Ring Flying Dragon Agheel | Elden Ring Tree Sentinel | Elden Ring Grave Warden | Elden Ring Pumpkin Head | Elden Ring Soldier of Godrick

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