Dead Island 2 system requirements revealed

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The long-awaited zombie survival game will have a three-player co-op mode, but will not support crossplay.

A first-person battle with a group of zombies at night in Dead Island 2.
(Image credit: Dambuster Studios)

With just 10 days remaining until the open-world zombie brawler Dead Island 2 goes live, Deep Silver has unveiled the detailed system requirements and a technical FAQ that digs a little deeper into what players can expect.

First things first, the numbers:

Minimum (1080p, 30 fps):

  • CPU: AMD FX-9590 or Intel Core i7 7700HQ
  • RAM: 10GB
  • GPU: AMD Radeon RX 480 or GeForce GTX 1060
  • Storage: 70GB
  • CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X or Intel Core i9 9900K
  • RAM: 16GB
  • GPU: AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT or GeForce RTX 2080 Super
  • Storage: 70GB

High (1440p, 60 fps):

  • CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7700X or Intel Core i5 12600KF
  • RAM: 16GB
  • GPU: AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT or GeForce RTX 3070
  • Storage: 70GB

Ultra (4K, 60 fps):

  • CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7900X or Intel Core i7 13700K
  • RAM: 16GB
  • GPU: AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT or GeForce RTX 3090
  • Storage: 70GB

(Image credit: Deep Silver)

Dead Island 2 will support AMD's FSR2 and FidelityFX Contrast Adaptive Sharpening, but its FAQ includes the odd claim that it "does not support performance-boosting software." Deep Silver didn't specify what exactly that means, but the best guess is that it refers to Nvidia's DLSS, which is not mentioned in the specs or FAQ. It doesn't make much sense to only call Nvidia's upscaling technology "performance-boosting software" when AMD's FSR is much the same. Regardless, it seems like the takeaway here is no DLSS support. Bummer.

A "streamer mode" that blocks licensed music is included (although it won't block the music in the opening cinematic, so you'll still have to watch for that) and there's a 3-player co-op mode, but crossplay is not supported.

Some Dead Island fans on Twitter felt that the listed specs are a little steep, but our bigger concern lies with the game itself, which has struggled through a messy, decade-long development. After an extensive hands-on session with the first third of the game in March, senior editor Robin Valentine said it felt "uninspired and too quick to wear out its welcome." That's far from a full review, but it's not a great start.

After years of waiting, Dead Island 2 will finally come out on April 21 and will be available on PC on the Epic Games Store.

Andy Chalk
Andy Chalk
US News Lead

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.