Assassin’s Creed Shadows: PC System Requirements & Best Hardware to Run It (2026)

Thinking about playing Assassin’s Creed Shadows on PC and wondering what hardware you actually need? Assassin’s Creed Shadows is an open-world action-adventure RPG set in feudal Japan, released on March 19, 2025, and it asks more of your system than an older or smaller title — but the published requirements are more forgiving than the “next-gen only” reputation of some modern releases. The official minimum is a GeForce GTX 1650 4GB-class graphics card with 16 GB of RAM, while the recommended tier steps up to a GeForce RTX 3060 Ti / Radeon RX 6700 XT / Arc B580-class GPU. This guide breaks down what those numbers mean in practice, the best GPU for each resolution, and complete build recommendations for hitting your target.

How Demanding Is Assassin’s Creed Shadows?

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a modern open-world game, so it is more demanding than an older or lighter title — but it is not a hardware monster, and the official numbers make that clear. The minimum calls for a GeForce GTX 1650 4GB, Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB or Arc A380 6GB (with Resizable BAR enabled), a Ryzen 5 3600 or Core i7-8700K, 16 GB of RAM and an SSD. That is essentially a 2019-era desktop, so plenty of older gaming PCs can still run the game at reduced settings.

The recommended tier — RTX 3060 Ti 8GB, RX 6700 XT 12GB or Arc B580 12GB — is solidly mid-range, which tells you the game scales well on modern mainstream hardware rather than demanding a flagship. The world is large and detailed, with a lot of geometry, foliage and weather to draw, so the graphics card does most of the heavy lifting here. This is an open-world action RPG rather than a simulation, strategy or large-scale multiplayer game, so it does not pile on CPU load the way those genres do. Both tiers list 16 GB of RAM, DirectX 12 and 115 GB of storage, and the game must be installed on an SSD. Check the official store page for the full published spec sheet.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Official PC System Requirements

Source: the official Assassin’s Creed Shadows Steam store listing (app 3159330), checked October 2026. Publishers can update these specs after patches.

Both the minimum and recommended tiers ask for 16 GB of RAM, DirectX 12 and 115 GB of free space, and the game must be installed on an SSD rather than a mechanical hard drive. If you are running an Intel Arc card, Resizable BAR needs to be enabled in your motherboard’s BIOS to match the listed requirement.

Best GPU for Assassin’s Creed Shadows by Resolution

1080p

At 1080p the official minimum is your entry point: a GeForce GTX 1650 4GB, Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB or Arc A380 6GB will get the game running at lower settings, ideally with upscaling switched on. For high settings and more comfortable performance, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is a solid pick, and its current-generation counterpart, the GeForce RTX 5060, sits in the same bracket. Older cards such as the GTX 1660 Super or Radeon RX 6600 also clear the official minimum comfortably at this resolution.

1440p

1440p is where the official recommended tier points: a GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, Radeon RX 6700 XT or Arc B580 12GB is the class of card listed for the game, so anything at or above that level is a sensible target. Step up to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER and you have real headroom at high settings, while current-generation options such as the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti or Radeon RX 9060 XT slot into the same range. This is the resolution most PC gamers target, and the mid-range tier is exactly what the game is built to run on.

4K

4K goes beyond what the official recommended tier is aimed at, so you want a card well above an RTX 3060 Ti / RX 6700 XT and upscaling enabled. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is a realistic entry point, while current-generation cards like the GeForce RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti, or the Radeon RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT, give you more room to raise settings at 3840×2160. Upscaling makes the biggest difference at this resolution.

CPU, RAM and Storage for Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Both official tiers ask for 16 GB of RAM, and the processor requirements are modest by modern standards: a Core i7-8700K or Ryzen 5 3600 as the minimum, and a Core i5-11600K or Ryzen 5 5600X as recommended. Any recent six-core chip clears that bar, so the AMD Ryzen 5 7600 is more than enough for this game, while the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D gives you extra headroom for other demanding titles. Intel builders can pair the same GPUs with the Intel Core i5-14600K. Because the minimum CPUs are DDR4-era parts, the 16 GB figure is what matters rather than the memory generation; a 32 GB DDR5 kit such as the Corsair Vengeance DDR5 32GB simply leaves room to spare. Storage is not optional: the game needs 115 GB of free space on an SSD, and a fast NVMe drive like the Samsung 990 Pro 2TB NVMe SSD keeps load times and texture streaming in check.

Recommended PC Builds for Assassin’s Creed Shadows

1080p budget build: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 + AMD Ryzen 5 7600 + 16 GB DDR5 — comfortably above the official minimum and a good fit for high-settings 1080p.

1440p sweet-spot build: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER + AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D + 32 GB DDR5 + 2TB NVMe SSD — well past the official recommended tier, so it leaves room to push settings at 1440p.

4K high-end build: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER + AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D + 32 GB DDR5 + fast NVMe SSD — for 4K with upscaling, since the official recommended tier targets lower resolutions.

Is It Worth Upgrading Your PC for Assassin’s Creed Shadows?

Because the official minimum is a GeForce GTX 1650-class card, you may not need to upgrade at all simply to play — but if you want high settings at 1440p or any serious 4K play, an upgrade makes sense. Be strategic: the graphics card delivers by far the biggest jump in gaming performance, so upgrade the GPU first if you have to choose, aiming for the recommended RTX 3060 Ti / RX 6700 XT / Arc B580 class or above. A modern six-core CPU will not hold you back in this game, since it is an open-world action RPG rather than a CPU-heavy simulation or strategy title. Make sure you have 16 GB of RAM and 115 GB of free space on an SSD, because the game must run from solid-state storage. Rather than replacing everything at once, target the weakest link in your build.

Can You Play Assassin’s Creed Shadows on a Laptop or Handheld?

Yes, with sensible expectations. A gaming laptop with an RTX 4060-class mobile GPU sits at or above the official recommended desktop tier, so it can handle the game at 1080p with sensible settings, though expect more heat and shorter battery life than a desktop. Handhelds such as the Steam Deck and ROG Ally use integrated graphics that fall below the official minimum GPU, so this is not a game they run effortlessly: plan on low settings, heavy use of upscaling, and a steady, modest frame rate as the realistic goal rather than high refresh rates. Whichever portable you pick, you need 115 GB of free SSD space, so a large internal drive or a fast expansion card matters more here than in most games.

How to Boost FPS in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

If frame rates are low, start with upscaling — DLSS on NVIDIA, FSR on AMD or XeSS on Intel, whichever your card supports — which usually delivers the single biggest performance gain, and turn on frame generation if your GPU supports it. Next, lower the most expensive graphics settings, such as shadows, volumetric effects and ray tracing, before dropping overall resolution, since resolution affects image quality the most. Keep your GPU drivers up to date, close background apps, and make sure the game is installed on an SSD, as the official requirements demand. Lowering a few settings to hold a steadier frame rate almost always feels better than chasing maxed-out visuals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my PC run Assassin’s Creed Shadows?

Compare your hardware against the official minimum: a GeForce GTX 1650 4GB, Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB or Arc A380 6GB (with Resizable BAR on), a Core i7-8700K or Ryzen 5 3600, 16 GB of RAM and 115 GB of free space on an SSD. If you meet that, you can run the game at reduced settings. For a smooth high-settings experience at 1080p or 1440p, aim for the recommended tier — RTX 3060 Ti, RX 6700 XT or Arc B580 — or above.

Is Assassin’s Creed Shadows demanding on PC?

It is a modern open-world game, so it is more demanding than an older or lighter title, but it is not extreme. The official minimum is a GeForce GTX 1650-class card and the recommended tier is mid-range, so mainstream hardware from the last few years handles it well with sensible settings and upscaling.

What GPU do I need for Assassin’s Creed Shadows at 1440p 60fps?

The official recommended tier — GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, Radeon RX 6700 XT or Arc B580 12GB — is the class listed for the game and a sensible 1440p target, especially with upscaling enabled. A NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER-class graphics card gives you comfortable headroom above that.

How much RAM does Assassin’s Creed Shadows need?

16 GB of RAM is the official figure for both the minimum and recommended tiers, so 16 GB is the practical target. More than that, such as a 32 GB kit, adds headroom but is not required. Faster memory does not change the published requirement.

Do I need an SSD for Assassin’s Creed Shadows?

Yes. The official notes state that the game must be installed on an SSD, and it needs 115 GB of available space. An NVMe drive like the Samsung 990 Pro is a good fit, though any SSD satisfies the requirement.