FromSoftware fans understand that PC versions of the developer's games are often rife with technical issues, and Elden Ring's launch delivered as expected. Now comes the wait as patches and improvements trickle out for Elden Ring on PC addressing each bug, and often introducing new issues. The latest Elden Ring update has now arrived in the form of patch 1.02.3, which is specifically for the PC and only contains one fix. It's intended to address issues preventing Elden Ring PC players from using controllers.The 1.02.3 patch has a single patch note included. It says that the patch fixes a problem in Elden Ring that is leading the game to be unable to connect controllers under certain circumstances. It doesn't clarify what the circumstances are, nor does it say if there are other related issues, but hopefully Elden Ring players on PC will be able to use whatever controller they want going forward.Controller issues in Elden Ring were widely reported the day of the RPG's release. It simply wouldn't recognize a controller was being used, nor would it accept any inputs from controllers. While there were some unreliable reports that wireless controllers worked and wired controllers didn't, evidence that PlayStation and Xbox controllers, wired and wireless, were all having problems had been shared online. The Elden Ring community had a list of potential fixes, including going so far as unplugging both mouse and keyboard before starting the game, though none were reliable for every player.
Without more specific information from Bandai Namco regarding the causes of the issue, it's impossible to say which members of the Elden Ring community were right about the problem. But being right likely matters less to them than having working access to their controller.
Bandai Namco does have one other warning that it issued alongside the 1.02.3 patch note. It tells players that if they have equipment or other items that aren't correctly appearing in-game, they should verify their game files through Steam. It isn't clear whether this is related to the patch or not, but PC Elden Ring players should still be aware.
The PC version of Elden Ring still has plenty of optimizations remaining for FromSoftware to polish, including issues with crashing, frame drops, and stuttering. But the patches are rolling out as FromSoftware finishes them, at least. Most Elden Ring players will likely finish the game before the PC port's biggest issues are solved, but it's good to know that such a great game will continue to get the post-launch attention it deserves due to its success.
Elden Ring is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.