DF Direct Weekly returns for its 95th instalment today and while we do discuss the layoffs at Microsoft, the PSVR2 launch window line-up, and the death of Stadia, our major topic for discussion concerns the rising min-spec requirements for PC games. Forspoken and Returnal are two of the latest titles to reveal their recommended specs and there’s a growing sense that some developers may be failing to deliver the kind of scalability required to ensure good performance across a cross-section of mainstream PC hardware. So what’s the reality of the situation – and are PC min specs truly out of control?
This is a difficult question to definitely answer because game performance is tied to a great many factors – not least of which is the competence of either the codebase or the PC version in particular, but most importantly, the scale of the ambition in the game itself. Take The Callisto Protocol, for example. It runs relatively well on consoles, but the PC CPU requirement is bafflingly intense in relation to its PS5 and Xbox Series counterparts. Gotham Knights on the other hand just runs poorly on all systems, so the only route forward for PC is more powerful hardware in an attempt to mitigate issues. When it comes to the PC versions, there’s the sense that they should be running better.
However, it’s more the scale of ambition that we need to consider, particularly as we begin to move beyond the confines of the cross-gen transition. In accommodating both eighth and ninth-gen consoles, developers have had to accommodate console hardware with poor CPU performance paired with a minimum of 1.4TF/1.84TF of GPU compute up to 10.3/12TF monsters from Microsoft and Sony, with both machines delivering reasonable amounts of CPU performance to boot. As developers emerge from cross-gen and target modern consoles more directly, the baseline shifts – and inevitably, PC requirements must change too.
00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:58 News 01: Forspoken and Returnal PC requirements detailed 00:21:55 News 02: Layoffs at Microsoft: 343 and Bethesda affected 00:29:20 News 03: PSVR2 launch titles announced 00:38:16 News 04: Stadia dead, RTX 4080 Geforce Now launches 00:49:11 News 05: Suicide Squad leak reveals games as a service components00:56:24 News 06: The Callisto Protocol falls short of sales expectations01:01:08 DF Supporter Q1: Why did Unreal Engine 3 games have that ‘wet’ look? 01:05:57 DF Supporter Q2: What are your CPU recommendations for demanding games? 01:09:05 DF Supporter Q3: How do your computers and consoles affect your home heating and cooling? 01:12:23 DF Supporter Q4: If you have a 120Hz screen running 60fps content, what is the best way to get a good experience? 01:15:29 DF Supporter Q5: What is the most memorable show you’ve attended?
If we consider how the current consoles compare to existing PC hardware, we’re effectively looking at a Ryzen 5 3600 paired with something akin to an Nvidia RTX 2070 Super/RTX 2080. While the CPU side of that equation sits comfortably in the mainstream, the GPU factor remains considerably expensive. Meanwhile, the developers of titles like A Plague Tale: Requiem, Forspoke and Returnal are putting those elevated GPU resources available to the test. Of the three, only Asobo’s Plague Tale offers a good degree of scalability based on its console profile: a 1440p native resolution (with TAA upscaling to 4K) paired with tweaked medium settings opens the door to less capable hardware achieving equivalent performance at lower resolutions. Even so, with a 30-40fps target on consoles, it’s still a challenge.