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DARK SOULS™ IIIVSELDEN RING

Which game gives you more value right now? Every metric, head to head.

DARK SOULS™ III

DARK SOULS™ III

Quality
93Popularity
46Value
40
SteamBest price· Steam
$59.99
Buy
VS
ELDEN RING

ELDEN RING

Quality
95Popularity
58Value
61
Green Man GamingBest price· Green Man Gaming · Authorized reseller
Historical low
−43% $34.31
Buy

Winner

ELDEN RING wins 12 of 15 head-to-head metrics.

This one's in a good spot right now, delivering on quality with a price that makes sense.

Buy on Green Man Gaming
3
DARK SOULS™ III
3 of 15 metrics
ELDEN RING
12 of 15 metrics
12

Head-to-head metrics

Direct metric-by-metric comparison: winner determined by count, no weighting

Value
Pricing & deals
Current Best Price (USD)
$59.99 -
$38.99 Wins
Historical Low Price (USD)
$59.99 -
$38.99 Wins
Best Current Discount
No discount -
-35% Wins
Sales Frequency
1 price change -
38 price changes Wins
Quality
Critical & user reception
Metacritic
89/100 -
94/100 Wins
Steam Review Score
94.4% positive Wins
93.2% positive -
Total Steam Reviews
279.2K -
833.4K Wins
Positive Steam Reviews
263.5K -
776.5K Wins
Negative Steam Reviews
15.6K Wins
56.9K -
Popularity
Community & activity
Average Concurrent Players (14 days)
5.7K -
27.1K Wins
Steam Recommendations
278.1K -
833.2K Wins
Features
Features & content
Achievements
43 Wins
42 -
Supported Languages
12 languages -
15 languages Wins
Release Date
Apr 2016 -
Feb 2022 Wins
GameValio recommendation
MaybeDARK SOULS™ III

A fair option right now, though it's not quite compelling enough to jump on immediately.

Worth ItELDEN RING

This one's in a good spot right now, delivering on quality with a price that makes sense.

Statistics over time

Side-by-side historical trends: same time range, same scale

Time range:
DARK SOULS™ III
ELDEN RING

Player count trends

· Concurrent players over time

Review score trends

· Positive review ratio over time

Review volume trends

— Total reviews accumulated over time

Price comparison

Current deals and best prices side by side

DARK SOULS™ III

DARK SOULS™ III

1 Store
Steam
Steam$59.99Buy
ELDEN RING

ELDEN RING

5 Stores
Green Man Gaming
Green Man Gaming −43% $34.31Buy
Steam
Steam +14% $38.99View
Kinguin
Kinguin +72% $58.96View
GamersGate
GamersGate +75% $59.99View
GAMIVO
GAMIVO$158.28View

DARK SOULS™ III

Quality

Consistent high ratings show real quality, not just hype.

94% positive (279,149 reviews): very positive reception
Metacritic 89/100: high marks from professional reviewers
279,149 reviews: very large sample

Value

Unfavorable value right now: better ways to spend your money.

$59.99: premium price

Popularity

Past its peak but still active: niche experience.

Players down 17% in recent days
4,607 concurrent players: solid base
231 new reviews: still being discovered
279,149 total reviews: among the most reviewed on Steam

ELDEN RING

Quality

Consistent high ratings show real quality, not just hype.

93% positive (833,395 reviews): very positive reception
Metacritic 94/100: critics unanimous, one of the best
833,395 reviews: very large sample

Value

Average price: a good time if there's an active discount.

$34.31: mid-range price
43% off: decent discount
All-time low price: rare opportunity

Popularity

Moderate but consistent activity: found its audience.

Players down 15% in recent days
23,230 concurrent players: very healthy
381 new reviews: still being discovered
833,395 total reviews: among the most reviewed on Steam
Game detailsDARK SOULS™ IIIELDEN RING
Release date
April 11, 2016
February 24, 2022
Developers
FromSoftware, Inc.
FromSoftware, Inc.
Publishers
Bandai Namco Entertainment, FromSoftware, Inc.
Bandai Namco Entertainment, FromSoftware, Inc.
Platforms
Windows
Windows
Achievements
43
42

DARK SOULS™ III

Recommended

Recommended:
  • OS *: Windows 7 SP1 64bit, Windows 8.1 64bit Windows 10 64bit
  • Processor: Intel Core i7-3770 / AMD® FX-8350
  • Memory: 8 GB RAM
  • Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce GTX 970 / ATI Radeon R9 series
  • DirectX: Version 11
  • Network: Broadband Internet connection
  • Storage: 25 GB available space
  • Sound Card: DirectX 11 sound device
  • Additional Notes: Internet connection required for online play and product activation

ELDEN RING

Recommended

Recommended:
  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
  • OS: Windows 10/11
  • Processor: INTEL CORE I7-8700K or AMD RYZEN 5 3600X
  • Memory: 16 GB RAM
  • Graphics: NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1070 8 GB or AMD RADEON RX VEGA 56 8 GB
  • DirectX: Version 12
  • Storage: 60 GB available space
  • Sound Card: Windows Compatible Audio Device
  • Additional Notes:
Which is better: DARK SOULS™ III or ELDEN RING?

ELDEN RING won the comparison against DARK SOULS™ III based on the head-to-head metric breakdown. Check the metrics table above for a full side-by-side analysis.

How is the comparison calculated?

The comparison winner is determined objectively by counting which game wins more individual metrics in the head-to-head table. No weighting is applied. The GameValio Recommendation shown separately is our own suggestion for each game, based on a weighted score that combines quality (reviews), popularity (player counts), and affordability (price vs value) into a score out of 100. These are two different things: the comparison is objective, the recommendation is GameValio's opinion.

Is DARK SOULS™ III worth buying over ELDEN RING?

Based on the metrics, ELDEN RING won the direct comparison. However, also check the GameValio Recommendation for each game and the price comparison table to make the most informed purchase decision.

Which game has better player reviews?

Review score trends and volume over time are shown in the charts section above. The game with consistently higher positive ratios has stronger community reception.

Which game offers better value for money?

The affordability score and price comparison table above highlight the best deals. ELDEN RING currently scores better on value relative to its quality and price.

Analysis updated: Oct 13, 2026, 07:50 AM UTC

Data sourced from Steam, Metacritic, and various stores. Not affiliated with Valve Corporation. Scores updated daily to keep recommendations fresh.

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