Most Demanding PC Games 2023 (Updated February 2023)

After a rather lacking 2022 in terms of new releases, 2023 looks to bring a lot more to the table, including the likes of The Last of Us Part 1, Resident Evil 4 Remake, Hogwarts Legacy, Star Wars Jedi Survivor, and Final Fantasy XVI.

If you got a new PC for Christmas, you probably want to flex its power, so it is a good job you’ve found this guide.

This guide has everything you need to know about the most demanding games on PC as of February 2023, including their specs, so you can get the most performance your cards can provide.

1. Hogwarts Legacy

Hogwarts Legacy brings players into the Harry Potter Wizarding World over a hundred years before the events of the books/films.

The open-world action RPG is set to become a highlight of the year and is a game many fans of the series have been dreaming of for a long time.

Check out the Hogwarts Legacy PC requirements below.

Minimum/Low Specs

• CPU: Intel i5-6600 or AMD Ryzen 5 1400
• RAM: 16 GB
• GPU: Nvidia GTX 960 or AMD RX 470
• Direct X Version: DX 12
• Storage: 85 GB HDD
• Notes: 720p/30 fps low settings, SSD preferred.

Recommended/High Specs

• CPU: Intel i7-8700 or AMD Ryzen 3600
• RAM: 16 GB
• GPU: Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti or AMD RX 5700 XT or Intel Arc A770
• Direct X Version: DX 12
• Storage: 85 GB SSD
• Notes: 1080p/60 fps high settings.

Ultra Specs

• CPU: Intel i7-10700K or AMD Ryzen 5800X
• RAM: 32 GB
• GPU: Nvidia RTX 2080 Ti or AMD RX 6800 XT
• Direct X Version: DX 12
• Storage: 85 GB SSD
• Notes: 1440p/60 fps ultra settings.

Ultra 4K Specs

• CPU: Intel i7-10700K or AMD Ryzen 5800X
• RAM: 32 GB
• GPU: Nvidia RTX 3090 Ti or AMD RX 7900 XT
• Direct X Version: DX 12
• Storage: 85 GB SSD
• Notes: 2160p/60 fps ultra settings.

2. Dead Space Remake

Dead Space Remake is the first major release of 2023, giving us a look at where we are with graphics heading into this year.

Check out the PC requirements for Dead Space Remake below.

Minimum Requirements

• OS: Windows 10 64-bit +
• CPU: Intel i5 8600 or AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
• Ram: 16 GB RAM
• GPU: Nvidia GTX 1070 or AMD RX 5700
• DirectX: Version 12
• Network: Broadband Internet connection
• Storage: 50 GB available space
• Additional Notes: 50GB SATA SSD

Recommended Requirements

• OS: Windows 10 64-bit +
• CPU: Intel i5 11600K or AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
• Ram: 16 GB RAM
• GPU: Nvidia RTX 2070 or AMD RX 6700 XT
• DirectX: Version 12
• Network: Broadband Internet connection
• Storage: 50 GB available space
• Additional Notes: 50GB SSD PCIe compatible

3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II

Call of Duty Modern Warfare II is the newest game on this list at the time of writing. This is the second entry in the series since Call of Duty was rebooted in 2019, and it continues on, and even exceeds, what Modern Warfare brought to the table a few years prior.

Modern Warfare II is perhaps the best-looking game available to play, and if you want to take advantage of its stunning visuals, you will need some top hardware to make it happen.

Here are the PC requirements for Call of Duty Modern Warfare II.

Minimum Requirements

• CPU: Intel i3-6100/i5-2500K or AMD Ryzen 1200
• Ram: 8GB
• GPU: Nvidia GTX 960 or AMD RX 470
• Storage Space: 72 GB at launch
• Hi-Rez Assets Cache: 32 GB

Recommended Requirements

CPU: Intel i5-6600K/i7-4770 or AMD Ryzen 1400
Ram: 12GB
GPU: Nvidia GTX 1060 or AMD RX 580
Storage Space: 72 GB at launch
Hi-Rez Assets Cache: 32 GB

Competitive Requirements

CPU: Intel i7-8700K or AMD Ryzen 1800X
Ram: 16GB
GPU: Nvidia RTX 3060TI or AMD RX 5700 XT
Storage Space: 72 GB at launch
Hi-Rez Assets Cache: 32 GB

Ultra 4K Requirements

CPU: Intel i9-9900K or AMD Ryzen 3900X
Ram: 16GB
GPU: Nvidia RTX 3080 or AMD RX 6800 XT
Storage Space: 72 GB at launch
Hi-Rez Assets Cache: 64 GB

Like the second entry on this list, Call of Duty Modern Warfare II is one of the first games to really push PC gaming into the next generation. For the past two years since the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S were released, as well as the RTX 30 and RX 6000 series GPUs, games have often been released on the previous-gen PS4 and Xbox One too.

This has held back gaming as the graphics need to be dumbed down for the older tech to run it, which means that the newer versions aren’t reaching their full potential.

Now, we’re finally seeing the previous gen hardware be phased out, and games are looking more beautiful for it. Modern Warfare II is perhaps the best-looking video game on the market today, from Mexico’s desert landscape to Amsterdam’s incredible-looking streets. If this is what next-gen looks like, we can’t wait to see what developers are working on next.

READ MORE: Call of Duty Modern Warfare II Wiki Guide

4. Uncharted: The Legacy of Thieves Collection

Minimum Requirements

• CPU: Intel i5-4430 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200
• GPU: Nvidia GTX 960 or AMD R9 290X
• RAM: 8GB
• Storage: 126GB HDD

Recommended Requirements

• CPU: Intel i7-4770 or AMD Ryzen 1500X
• GPU: Nvidia GTX 1060 or AMD RX 570
• RAM: 16GB
• Storage: 126GB SSD

Performance Requirements

CPU: Intel i7-7700K or AMD Ryzen 3700X
GPU: Nvidia RTX 2070 or AMD RX 5700 XT
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 126GB SSD

Ultra Requirements

CPU: Intel i9-9900K or AMD Ryzen 3950X
GPU: Nvidia RTX 3080 or AMD RX 6800 XT
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 126GB SSD

Like Modern Warfare II, Uncharted Legacy of Thieves Collection is incredibly demanding, with 4K Ultra settings requiring the RTX 3080 or RX 6800 XT.

Uncharted Legacy of Thieves Collection also marks the first time the Intel 3rd gen series of CPUs will not be enough to run the game due to it needing AVX2.

Despite being more than a decade old, the higher-end 3rd gen Intel CPUs have still been great for budget builds when paired with a good GPU, but now that isn’t the case.

5. Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered

Minimum Requirements – 720p @ 30 FPS:

• Graphics Preset: Very Low
• GPU: Nvidia GTX 950 or AMD equivalent
• CPU: Intel i3-4160 or AMD equivalent
• RAM: 8 GB
• OS: Windows 10
• Storage: 75 GB HDD

Recommended Requirements – 1080p @ 60 FPS:

• Graphics Preset: Medium
• GPU: Nvidia GTX 1060 6 GB or AMD RX 580
• CPU: Intel i5-4670 or AMD Ryzen 3600
• RAM: 16 GB
• OS: Windows 10
• Storage: 75 GB SSD

Very High Requirements – 4K @ 60 FPS:

• Graphics Preset: Very High
• GPU: Nvidia RTX 3070 or AMD RX 6800 XT
• CPU: Intel i5-11400 or AMD Ryzen 3600
• RAM: 16 GB
• OS: Windows 10
• Storage: 75 GB SSD

Amazing Ray Tracing Requirements – 1440p @ 60 FPS (4K @ 30 FPS):

• Graphics Preset: High/Ray Tracing High
• GPU: Nvidia RTX 3070 or AMD RX 6900 XT
• CPU: Intel i5-11600K or AMD Ryzen 3700X
• RAM: 16 GB
• OS: Windows 10
• Storage: 75 GB SSD

Ultimate Ray Tracing Requirements – 4K @ 60 FPS:

• Graphics Preset: High/Ray Tracing Very High
• GPU: Nvidia RTX 3090 or AMD RX 6950 XT
• CPU: Intel i7-12700K or AMD Ryzen 5900X
• RAM: 32 GB
• OS: Windows 10
• Storage: 75 GB SSD

When it comes to running Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered, it is very reasonable at lower resolution and frame rates. Still, as soon as you crank things up to 1440p or 4K, especially with Ray Tracing, you better have a higher-end build to run it, requiring an RTX 3080 or RX 6950 XT to run 4K/60fps with Ray Tracing.

6. The Callisto Protocol

Minimum Requirements

• CPU: Intel i5-4800 or AMD Ryzen 5 2600
• GPU: Nvidia GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon RX 580
• RAM: 8GB
• Storage: 75GB HDD

Recommended Requirements

• CPU: Intel i7-8700 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600
• GPU: Nvidia GTX 1070 or AMD Radeon RX 5700
• RAM: 16GB
• Storage: 75GB SSD

Max Requirements

• CPU: Intel i7-9700K or AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
• GPU: Nvidia RTX 2070 or AMD Readeon RX 6700XT
• RAM: 16GB
• Storage: 75GB SSD

Ultra Requirements

• CPU: Intel i9-9900K or AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
• GPU: Nvidia RTX 3080 or AMD Radeon RX 6900XT
• RAM: 16GB
• Storage: 75GB SSD

7. Dying Light 2

Ray Tracing Off

Minimum System Requirements (for 1080p resolution/30 frames per second)

• CPU: Intel Core i3-9100 or AMD Ryzen 3 2300X 
• RAM: 8GB
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti / AMD Radeon RX 560 4GB
• OS: Windows 7
• Available storage space: 60GB HDD

 Recommended System Specifications (for 1080p resolution at 60 frames per second)

• CPU: Intel Core i5-8600K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
• RAM: 16GB
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6GB or AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 8GB
• OS: Windows 10 
• Available storage space: 60GB SSD

Ray Tracing On 

Minimum System Requirements (for 1080p resolution/30 frames per second)

• CPU: Intel Core i5-8600K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
• RAM: 16GB
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 8GB
• OS: Windows 10 
• Available storage space: 60GB SSD

Recommended System Requirements (for 1080p resolution/60 frames per second)

• CPU: Intel Core i5-8600K / AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
• RAM: 16GB
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 10GB
• OS: Windows 10 
• Available storage space: 60GB SSD

Dying Light 2 looks to become one of the most demanding games on PC, especially when taking ray tracing into account, with the game requiring an RTX 3080 just to hit 60fps at 1080p with ray tracing turned on.

If ray tracing isn’t something you are bothered about, things get more reasonable, with the game just requiring an i5 8600K or Ryzen 3600X along with an RTX 2060 for 1080p/60fps.

8. God of War

God of War PC requirements: Minimum (720p/ 30fps)

• Graphics settings: Low
• GPU: Nvidia GTX 960 (4GB) or AMD R9 290X (4GB)
• CPU: Intel Core i5 2500k (quad-core/ 3.3GHz) or AMD Ryzen 3 1200 (quad-core/3.1GHz)
• RAM: 8GB
• Storage: 70GB HDD (SSD recommended)

God of War PC requirements: Recommended (1080p/ 30fps)

• Graphics settings: Original
• GPU: Nvidia GTX 1060 (6GB) or AMD RX 570 (4GB)
• CPU: Intel Core i5 6600k (quad-core/ 3.5GHz) or AMD Ryzen 5 2400G (quad-core/ 3.6GHz)
• RAM: 8GB
• Storage: 70GB SSD

God of War PC requirements: High (1080p/ 60fps)

• Graphics settings: Original
• GPU: Nvidia GTX 1070 (8GB) or AMD RX 5600XT (6GB)
• CPU: Intel Core i7 4770k (quad-core/ 3.5GHz) or AMD Ryzen 7 2700 (octa-core 3.2GHz)
• RAM: 8GB
• Storage: 70GB SSD

God of War PC requirements: Performance (1440p/ 60fps)

• Graphics settings: High
• GPU: Nvidia GTX 2070 (8GB) or AMD RX 5700XT (8GB)
• CPU: Intel Core i7 7700K (quad-core 4.2GHz) or AMD Ryzen 7 3700X (octa-core/3.6Ghz)
• RAM: 16GB
• Storage: 70GB SSD

God of War PC requirements: Ultra (4K/ 60fps)

• Graphics settings: Ultra
• GPU: Nvidia GTX 3080 (10GB) or AMD RX 6800XT (16GB)
• CPU: Intel Core i9 9900K (octa-core 3.6GHz) or AMD Ryzen 9 3950X (16-core/3.5GHz)
• RAM: 16GB
• Storage: 70GB SSD

God of War runs at just 30 fps on PS4 and 60 fps on PS5, making this new PC port the first time gamers can go beyond 60 fps in the game and allowing for improved graphics and resolution too. But, if you want to go for high frames and resolution, you will need a high-end PC to make it happen.

To play God of War at 4K/60fps, you will need an i9 9900K/Ryzen 3950X and an Nvidia RTX 3080. If you want to play the game at around the same performance as the PS5, things get more reasonable as it requires an Nvidia GTX 1070.

9. Forza Horizon 5

Minimum requirements

• OS: Windows 10 version 15063.0 or higher
• Processor: Intel i5-4460 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVidia GTX 970 OR AMD RX 470
• DirectX: Version 12
• Network: Broadband Internet connection
• Storage: 110 GB available space

Recommended requirements

• OS: Windows 10 version 15063.0 or higher
• Processor: Intel i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 1500X
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVidia GTX 1070 OR AMD RX 590
• DirectX: Version 12
• Network: Broadband Internet connection
• Storage: 110 GB available space

If you want to measure how far graphics have come at any given point, then a racing game is the perfect way to find out. Forza Horizon 5 is one of the best-looking games available today. That also means that it is very demanding, especially when looking to get high frame rates alongside Extreme graphics settings, with the game requiring an RTX 3080 or RX 6800 XT to meet the game’s ideal specification.

10. Halo Infinite

Minimum requirements

• OS: Windows 10 RS5 x64
• Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 1600 or Intel i5-4440
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Graphics: AMD RX 570 or Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti
• DirectX: Version 12
• Storage: 50 GB available space

Recommended requirements

• OS: Windows 10 19H2 x64
• Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X or Intel i7-9700k
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: Radeon RX 5700 XT or Nvidia RTX 2070
• DirectX: Version 12
• Storage: 50 GB available space

Like many online and competitive games, Halo Infinite has a low entry cost, requiring older and lower-end parts. But, if you want to enjoy the game in all of its glory with high graphics settings and frame rates, then you will require much better components, with the game requiring an RTX 3080 or RX 6800 XT to meet its Ultra requirements.

With a 3700X and RTX 3070, I average approximately 110-120fps on Ultra at 1080p, which should give you an insight as to how demanding the game can be.

READ MORE: Halo Infinite Review (PC) – A perfect end to 2021

11. Red Dead Redemption 2

Minimum Requirements

• Operating System: Windows 7
• CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K / AMD FX-6300
• RAM: 8 GB
• Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce GTX 770 2GB / AMD Radeon R9 280
• Disk Space: 150 GB

Recommended Requirements

• Operating System: Windows 10
• CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K / AMD Ryzen 5 1500X
• RAM: 12 GB
• Graphics card: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 6GB / AMD Radeon RX 480 4GB
• Storage Space Required: 150 GB

Red Dead Redemption 2 was released on PC in late 2019 and is still seen as one of the benchmark titles to measure performance.

Despite being over two years old at this point, it is still one of the most demanding games on PC, much like GTA V too, which still requires a powerful PC to play at a high graphics setting and frame rate.

Due to its age, it does have a lower cost of entry, but be prepared to sink some money into your PC if you want to go beyond 1080p.

BUY RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2 HERE

12. Microsoft Flight Simulator

Minimum Requirements

• CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200
• RAM: 8 GB
• OS: Windows 10 64-bit
• VIDEO CARD: Radeon RX 570 or GeForce GTX 770 
• PIXEL SHADER: 5.0
• VERTEX SHADER: 5.0
• FREE DISK SPACE: 150 GB
• DEDICATED VIDEO RAM: 2048 MB

Recommended Requirements 

• CPU: Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 1500X or better
• RAM: 16 GB
• OS: Windows 10 64-bit
• VIDEO CARD: Radeon RX 590 or GeForce GTX 970
• PIXEL SHADER: 5.1
• VERTEX SHADER: 5.1
• FREE DISK SPACE: 150 GB
• DEDICATED VIDEO RAM: 4096 MB

Microsoft Flight Simulator lets players fly across the entire Earth on a 1:1 scale, and it is very demanding, too, with an RTX 3090 only able to push the game to 60fps.

But Flight Simulator benefits more from a consistent frame rate rather than a high frame rate, which should make it easier for players to at least get started playing the game.

BUY MICROSOFT’S FLIGHT SIMULATOR 2020 HERE

13. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

Minimum Configuration – Low preset 1080p 30 FPS

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 3 1200 – 3.1 GHz / INTEL i5-4460 – 3.2 GHz
• RAM: 8 GB (Dual-channel mode)
• Video Card: AMD R9 380 – 4GB / GeForce GTX 960 4GB
• Storage: 50 GB HDD (SSD Recommended)
• Operating system: Windows 10 (64-bit only)
• DirectX Version: DirectX 12
• Additional note: Requires GPU with DirectX 12 (Feature Level 12_0) support

Recommended Configuration – High preset 1080p 30 FPS

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 1600 – 3.2 Ghz / INTEL i7-4790 – 3.6 Ghz
• RAM: 8 GB (Dual-channel mode)
• Video Card: AMD RX 570 – 8GB / GeForce GTX 1060 – 6GB
• Storage: SSD (50 GB)
• Operating system: Windows 10 (64-bit only)
• DirectX Version: DirectX 12
• Additional note: Requires GPU with DirectX 12 (Feature Level 12_0) support

Recommended Configuration – High preset 1080p 60 FPS

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 1700 – 3.0 GHz / INTEL i7-6700 – 3.4 GHz
• RAM: 8 GB (Dual-channel mode)
• Video Card: AMD Vega 64 – 8GB / GeForce GTX 1080- 8GB
• Storage: SSD (50 GB)
• Operating system: Windows 10 (64-bit only)
• DirectX Version: DirectX 12
• Additional note: Requires GPU with DirectX 12 (Feature Level 12_0) support

2K Configuration – Very High preset 1440p 30 FPS

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 2700X – 3.7 GHz / INTEL i7 – 7700 – 3.6 GHz
• RAM: 16 GB (Dual-channel mode)
• Video Card: AMD Vega 56 – 8GB / GeForce GTX 1070 – 8GB
• Storage: SSD (50 GB)
• Operating system: Windows 10 (64-bit only)
• DirectX Version: DirectX 12
• Additional note: Requires GPU with DirectX 12 (Feature Level 12_0) support

2K Configuration – Very High preset 1440p 60 FPS

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X – 3.8 GHz / INTEL i7 – 8700K – 3.7 GHz
• RAM: 16 GB (Dual-channel mode)
• Video Card: AMD RX 5700XT – 8GB / GeForce RTX 2080 S – 8GB
• Storage: SSD (50 GB)
• Operating system: Windows 10 (64-bit only)
• DirectX Version: DirectX 12
• Additional note: Requires GPU with DirectX 12 (Feature Level 12_0) support

4K Configuration – Ultra High preset 2160p (4K) 30 FPS

• Processor : AMD Ryzen 7 3700X – 3.6 GHz / INTEL i7 – 9700K – 3.6 GHz
• RAM: 16 GB (Dual-channel mode)
• Video Card: AMD RX 5700XT – 8GB / GeForce RTX 2080 – 8GB
• Storage: SSD (50 GB)
• Operating system: Windows 10 (64-bit only)
• DirectX Version: DirectX 12
• Additional note: Requires GPU with DirectX 12 (Feature Level 12_0) support

Released in late 2020, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is fairly reasonable when it comes to components to play the game, even just requiring an RTX 2080 to play in 4K.

But, playing beyond 60fps is where the game will get demanding, and with good reason, because this game is one of the best-looking and realistic games we’ve ever seen.

BUY ASSASSIN’S CREED VALHALLA HERE

14. Cyberpunk 2077

Minimum Requirements: 1080p Low

• CPU: Core i5-3570K or FX-8310
• GPU: GTX 780 3GB (or RX 470 4GB)
• RAM: 8GB RAM
• Storage: 70GB storage
• OS: Windows 7 or Windows 10 64-bit
• Target: 1080p Low

Recommended Requirements: 1080p High

• CPU: Core i7-4790 or Ryzen 3 3200G
• GPU: GTX 1060 6GB, GTX 1660 Super (or R9 Fury)
• RAM: 12GB RAM
• Storage: 70GB SSD storage
• OS: Windows 10 64-bit
• Target: 1080p High

Recommended Requirements: 1440p Ultra

• CPU: Core i7-4790 or Ryzen 5 3600
• GPU: RTX 2060 (or RX 5600 XT)
• RAM: 12GB RAM
• Storage: 70GB SSD storage
• OS: Windows 10 64-bit
• Target: 1440p Ultra

Recommended Requirements: 4K Ultra

• CPU: Core i7-4790 or Ryzen 5 3600
• GPU: RTX 2080 Super, RTX 3070 (or RX 6800)
• RAM: 16GB RAM
• Storage: 70GB SSD storage
• OS: Windows 10 64-bit
• Target: 4K Ultra

Recommended Requirements: 1080p Medium Ray Tracing

• CPU: Core i7-4790 or Ryzen 3 3200G
• GPU: RTX 2060 (or RX 6800)
• RAM: 16GB RAM
• Storage: 70GB SSD storage
• OS: Windows 10 64-bit
• Target: 1080p RT Medium

Recommended Requirements: 1440p Ultra Ray Tracing

• CPU: Core i7-6700 or Ryzen 5 3600
• GPU: RTX 3070 (or RX 6800 XT)
• RAM: 16GB RAM
• Storage: 70GB SSD storage
• OS: Windows 10 64-bit
• Target: 1440p RT Ultra

Recommended Requirements: 4K Ultra Ray Tracing

• CPU: Core i7-6700 or Ryzen 5 3600
• GPU: RTX 3080 (or RTX 3090)
• RAM: 16GB RAM
• Storage: 70GB SSD storage
• OS: Windows 10 64-bit
• Target: 4K Ultra

It is hard to tell whether Cyberpunk 2077 is demanding due to how good the game looks or how broken it is.

But the game has been available for over a year now and has seen plenty of performance updates, although it could still do with some work.

It is a shame that CD Projekt Red’s newest IP didn’t live up to expectations, but hopefully, over time, it will become the game we hoped it would be at launch.

READ MORE: Cyberpunk 2077: A Broken Game and A Broken Promise

BUY CYBERPUNK 2077 HERE

Plenty of great games are slightly older but still look fantastic for those with mid-range PCs or lower-spec computers who don’t want to play the most demanding games.

Some of these include;

• Final Fantasy 7 Remake
• Far Cry 6
• Shadow of the Tomb Raider
• Metro Exodus
• Grand Theft Auto V
• The Witcher 3
• Crysis Remastered
• Deus Ex Mankind Divided
• Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)
• Ark: Survival Evolved