In Elden Ring, the lands between are far from a welcoming place. One of the toughest bosses you encounter is just at the start, and unless you’re a veteran souls like player, you will die to it while under a certain level. The bright side of all this is that unlike previous FromSoftware games, you can sprint.
But how do you sprint in Elden Ring? Well, it mostly depends on the medium, whether you are using a controller or keyboard, that you are playing Elden Ring on. It’s also impacted by some in game factors too, as too much equipment will take away the ability to sprint all together.
Read on as we look at how to use this key feature.
Elden Ring Controls
Most of the controls in the game may be familiar to you if you’ve played previous fromSoftware games. However, if this is your first time, be warned that inputs are not standard. On Xbox and Playstation, you will want to avoid clicking the left control stick to sprint, as it is crouch in Elden Ring.
How to Sprint in Elden Ring: Xbox Controls
To sprint on an Xbox series controller, you need to press and hold the B button while using your left control stick to tell you where to go. It is important that you remember to hold the B button, otherwise, you will end up dodging instead.
How to Sprint in Elden Ring: PS4 & PS5
On PlayStation consoles, you need to press and hold the circle button while moving in the direction that you want to sprint. You need to make sure you press and hold the button, as a single press is the same button for a dodge roll.
How to Sprint in Elden Ring: PC Controls
PC players using a keyboard and mouse will find that sprint is bound to the space bar. Again, you need to press and hold it to actually sprint while moving as well as using your directional input. If you prefer to use a different key, you can re bind sprint in the options menu, as it is also the dodge roll button.
Sprinting on Torrent
As the first FromSoftware game with a mount, you will be pleased to know that you can also sprint while on your spectral steed, Torrent. To do so, you simply have to use the same input you would use to run on foot.
How to Know You are Able to Sprint
As well as pressing the correct button, whether you are actually able to sprint or not is also tied to how you manage your equipment. Everything you wear and equip has a weight, which will impact your sprinting.
If you find that your character will not run no matter how hard you press the circle button, you should check that your equip load is not marked as overloaded, otherwise, you will find yourself doomed to moving at normal walking speed. You can find this under Character Status:
The quickest way to remedy this is to remove some of your equipment and replace it with lighter options. It is also worth checking that you don’t have any weapons equipped that you aren’t currently using. The other way to fix this is to put levels into endurance, as this will increase your carry load, or you can also equip talismans to help increase the amount you can equip.
It is always worth bearing your equipment load in mind. While there is no way to sprint faster, your load affects the rate at which your stamina is restored. A slow recovery can be just as bad as not being able to run in the first place.
How to Sprint Longer
If you have mastered getting the sprint button to work and are not overloaded but still find the sprint duration to be too short, then you should start to increase the amount of stamina your character has. This can be done with items or by gaining endurance levels.
Watch out if you are using dodge rolls a lot too, as this also uses up your stamina bar (the green bar), which will cause you to stop running once it’s depleted.
Items That Boost Stamina:
Pickled Turtle Neck
Green Turtle Talisman
Greenspill Crystal Tear
Greenburst Crystal Tear
Erdtree’s Favor
Viridian Amber Medallion
Items to Boost Endurance
Imp Head (Wolf)
Hierodas Glintstone Crown
Radagon’s Scarseal
Radagon’s Soreseal
Final Thoughts
Although Elden Ring is a combat heavy game, sprinting is not something you should avoid. It is a key yet simple mechanic in Elden Ring, and not sprinting can cause the game to be a lot harder than it needs to be.
If you want to get away at full speed, just be sure to remember that it is a press and hold control whether you are on Xbox, Playstation, or PC, so you can leave some of those tough open world bosses in the dust.
Dane started off gaming at the tender age of 3 with the first Atari console. His favorite video game genres are turn-based RPGs (can I get a shout out for Tactics Ogre?) and fighting games. Read more...
