Minimum vs recommended specs: what PC game requirements really mean

How to read a requirements list

Most lists have two tiers. Minimum describes the weakest hardware the publisher expects to run the game at all, usually at 1080p, Low settings and 30 frames per second. Recommended describes hardware for a smoother, better-looking experience, usually 1080p and 60 FPS at High or Medium, although some publishers target 1440p. Read the footnotes: they state the resolution, frame rate and whether upscaling such as DLSS or FSR is assumed.

Two points catch people out. First, the graphics cards listed are usually alternatives from different brands that the publisher considers equivalent, so any one of them is enough. Second, the lists describe tested configurations, not hard limits: a card slightly below the minimum may run the game, and a card at the minimum may not run it well if the processor or memory is also weak.

The requirements that are not about speed

• Ray tracing hardware. Some games will not start without a ray-tracing-capable card, whatever its raw speed.
• TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot. Some anti-cheat systems require both to be enabled in Windows and the BIOS.
• Storage type and size. Many large 2026 games require an SSD and 100 GB or more of free space. A hard drive may be unsupported.
• Operating system. Some games need Windows 11 even when Windows 10 is listed for the minimum tier.
• Memory. 16 GB is now the typical recommendation, with 8 GB at the minimum for lighter games.

Five October 2026 releases compared

These are the published requirements as reported at the time of writing. Check the publisher's page for the latest figures.

Notice how different these are. Final Fantasy Resonance runs on a GTX 1650, because it is a stylised game, while Gears of War: E-Day will not launch on that card at all. The graphics card name matters less than what each game asks for.

What 'recommended' actually delivers

Recommended hardware does not mean maximum settings. A GPU named in the recommended list typically delivers the publisher's target (often 60 FPS at 1080p High) in typical scenes, not in the heaviest. In our FPS checker, an RTX 3060 Ti with a Ryzen 5 5600 lands around 57 FPS on High and 70 on Medium in Gears of War: E-Day, which fits that reading: playable and smooth enough on Medium, a little short of 60 on High.

The minimum tier is closer to a launch threshold. For Modern Warfare 4, a GTX 1060 is listed as minimum. Our estimate for a GTX 1060 with an older quad-core processor is around 54 FPS on Low and about 35 on High, which is playable but not comfortable, and it still requires TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot.

How to check your own PC

• Find your processor, graphics card and memory in Windows Settings under System, then About, and the Task Manager Performance tab.
• Compare against the recommended tier, not the minimum, if you want a smooth experience.
• Check the extra requirements: ray tracing, TPM and Secure Boot, storage type, operating system.
• Use an estimator such as the GamerKit FPS checker for the frame rate at your resolution and settings, then confirm with benchmark videos of the same game and a similar card.

Why different publishers' lists look so different

There is no standard for how requirements are written. Some publishers list the weakest hardware they tested, others the weakest that reaches a target frame rate, and some list several cards from each vendor as equivalent. A few state the exact resolution and settings; many do not. Some assume upscaling is on. That is why a list that names an RTX 2060 for one game can mean something quite different from the same name in another.

Storage, memory and video memory

Storage matters more than it used to. Modern games routinely need 100 GB or more, and a game may specify an SSD because its engine streams data constantly. A hard drive can lead to long load times or stutter, and some games refuse to run from one. Memory is simpler: 16 GB is the usual recommendation, with 8 GB as a minimum for lighter titles. Video memory is the one that is often left unstated. If textures look blurry or the game stutters when you turn quickly, the graphics card may be running out of video memory, and lowering the texture setting is the fix.

Windows 11, TPM and Secure Boot

Some 2026 games ask for Windows 11, and some anti-cheat systems need TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot switched on. These are security features of the motherboard and the operating system, not of the graphics card, and they are often turned off by default. Check them before launch day rather than on it. Our guide on checking TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot for Modern Warfare 4 shows the ten-second check and how to enable both in the BIOS.

A pre-purchase checklist

• Find your processor, graphics card, memory and free disk space.
• Compare each against the recommended tier, not just the minimum.
• Check the special requirements: ray tracing, TPM and Secure Boot, SSD, operating system.
• Estimate your frame rate at your resolution with a tool, then look for a benchmark of the same game.
• Decide your settings target: a locked 60 FPS at Medium is a better experience than 45 at High.
• Leave room for drivers and patches: launch-week performance often improves.

Case study: reading the Modern Warfare 4 list

Modern Warfare 4 lists a GTX 970, GTX 1060, RX 470 or Arc A580 as the minimum graphics card, a Ryzen 5 1400 or Core i5-6600 as the minimum processor and 8 GB of memory. The recommended tier is an RTX 3060 Ti, RX 6600 XT or Arc B580 with a Ryzen 5 3600 or Core i7-8700K and 16 GB. Our model puts an RTX 3060 at about 70 FPS on High with a Ryzen 5 5600, a GTX 1060 at about 54 FPS on Low and 35 on High, and an RTX 5060 at around 80 FPS on High. Read in that light, the recommended list is a sensible target for a smooth 1080p experience, and the minimum list is a genuine floor where you should expect Low settings. Whatever your card, the game also needs TPM 2.0, Secure Boot and 115 GB of SSD space before it will start.

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