Deathloop system requirements demands an RTX 2060 for 60 fps

News
By published

Bethesda suggests playing Arkane's new immersive sim with a relatively beefy PC.

Antagonist Julianna winds a punch while staring angrily
(Image credit: Arkane Lyon)

Does it seem weird to anyone else that Deathloop is less than a week away? I'm really looking forward to it—finally, an Arkane game that gives me super-murder-powers and doesn't make me feel guilty for using them!—but it still feels very distant, somehow. Or maybe I'm just subconsciously pushing back against the looming end of yet another summer, as the days grow shorter and the nights turn cooler, and the memories of my lost youth fade a little fainter than they were the year before? All things are possible in this wispy, ephemeral journey of consciousness.

Anyway, Deathloop is in fact just six days away from release, arriving on digital storefronts on September 14, and today Bethesda delivered an in-depth breakdown of what sort of hardware you'll need to run it, what sort of settings you'll be able to change, and when exactly you'll be able to start playing.

First things first, the official hardware requirements, which come in three tiers:

Minimum (1080p, 30 fps, low settings):

  • OS : 64 bit Windows 10 version 1909 or higher
  • Processor : Intel Core i5-8400 @ 2.80GHz or AMD Ryzen 5 1600
  • Memory : 12 GB
  • Graphics : Nvidia GTX 1060 (6GB) or AMD Radeon RX 580 (8GB)
  • DirectX : Version 12
  • Storage : 30 GB available space (HDD)

Recommended (1080p. 60 fps, high settings):

  • OS : 64 bit Windows 10 version 1909 or higher
  • Processor : Intel Core i7-9700K @ 3.60GHz or AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
  • Memory : 16 GB
  • Graphics : Nvidia RTX 2060 (6GB) or AMD Radeon RX 5700 (8GB)
  • DirectX : Version 12
  • Storage : 30 GB available space (SSD)

Ultra (4K, 60 fps, ultra settings)

  • OS: 64 bit Windows 10 version 1909 or higher
  • Processor : Intel Core i9-10900K @ 3.70GHz or AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT
  • Memory : 16 GB system RAM
  • Graphics : Nvidia RTX 3080 (10GB) or AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT (16GB)
  • DirectX : Version 12
  • Storage : 30 GB available space (SSD)

Even the minimum specification is fairly demanding, particularly when compared to the 1080p/30 fps minimum requirement for Far Cry 6, which calls for a relatively paltry Core i5-2240, GTX 960, and 8GB RAM. I suppose it's reasonable to set the bar a little higher and avoid potential complaints about poor performance on lower-end PCs.

Deathloop will also support ultrawide displays, AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution, mixed-language subtitles (if you want French audio with English subtitles, for instance), and adjustable FOV and headbob. Advanced visual settings will include:

  • Texture Details    
  • Model Details    
  • Shadow Details    
  • Water Details    
  • Terrain Details    
  • Decal Details    
  • Ambient Occlusion    
  • Sun Shadows   
  • Post-Process Anti-Aliasing    
  • TWAA Sharpness    
  • Sharpness Post Process    
  • Camera Motion Blur    
  • Bloom (yes/no)    
  • Depth of Field (yes/no)    
  • Lens Flare (yes/no)    
  • Light Shafts (yes/no)
YouTube YouTube
Watch On

Preloading of the PC version of Deathloop will begin at 10 am PT/1 pm ET/6 pm BST or your local equivalent on September 12. The game will actually unlock at different times across three separate regions, however:

  • North/ South America: Unlocks at 9:01pm Pacific Time on September 13 (12:01am ET, September 14)    
  • Australia/New Zealand/Asia: Unlocks at 8:01am Pacific Time on September 13 (12:01am JST, September 14)    
  • Europe/Rest-of-world: Unlocks at 4:01pm Pacific Time on September 13 (12:01am BST, September 14)

We took a closer look at Deathloop in August and found it very promising, even for people who didn't quite click with Dishonored. "Deathloop never tells me off for messing up, and it pushes for experimentation," Mollie wrote after a few hours of hands-on time. "Stealth does still seem to be the preferred strategy, which is annoying—as somebody who likes to bull-charge into every encounter—but Arkane has done a fantastic job of making the confrontational gunfights so much fun regardless."

The optional PvP multiplayer sounds pretty cool too.

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.