Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: PC System Requirements & Best Hardware to Run It (2026)

Thinking about playing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 on PC and wondering what hardware you actually need? Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a turn-based RPG with real-time mechanics, released on April 24, 2025, and set in a world of wonders inspired by Belle Époque France. Its Unreal Engine 5 art direction looks lavish, but the official requirements are modest by modern standards: the published minimum targets 1080p at 30 FPS on low settings, and the recommended spec targets 1080p at 60 FPS on high settings. That means a great many gaming PCs built over the last several years can already run it. This guide breaks down what the official numbers mean in practice, the best GPU for each resolution, and complete build recommendations to hit your target frame rate.

How Demanding Is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33?

Less demanding than its looks suggest. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a turn-based RPG rather than a twitch shooter or a sprawling simulation, so it leans on the GPU for its painterly Belle Époque environments and effects while asking comparatively little of the CPU. The official minimum — an Intel Core i7-8700K or AMD Ryzen 5 1600X, 8 GB of RAM and a GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB, Radeon RX 5600 XT 6 GB or Intel Arc A380 6 GB — is aimed at 1080p at 30 FPS on low settings. The official recommended spec — a Core i7-12700K or Ryzen 7 5800X, 16 GB of RAM and a GeForce RTX 3060 Ti or Radeon RX 6800 XT — is aimed at 1080p at 60 FPS on high settings. Both call for an SSD and 55 GB of space. In practice, cards from the GTX 1060 era can still get you playing at 1080p with sensible settings, a mid-range card comfortably handles 1080p on high, and 1440p or 4K go beyond what the developers officially target, so those resolutions call for more GPU headroom and upscaling.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Official PC System Requirements

Source: the official Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Steam store listing (app 1903340), checked October 2026. Publishers can update these specs after patches.

Best GPU for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 by Resolution

1080p

1080p is exactly what the official specs are written around, so this is where the game is easiest to run. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 sits right at the official recommended tier for 1080p high settings, and with DLSS enabled it has room to push settings further; current-generation cards such as the GeForce RTX 5060 or Radeon RX 9060 XT land a step above that. If you already own something older, a GTX 1060 6 GB, RX 5600 XT or Arc A380 meets the official minimum for 1080p at 30 FPS on low, while cards like the RTX 2060, RTX 3050 or RX 6600 sit between the minimum and recommended specs. Upscaling (DLSS on NVIDIA, FSR on AMD, XeSS on Intel) is the easiest way to buy extra headroom.

1440p

1440p is above the resolution the official requirements target, so it needs more GPU than the recommended RTX 3060 Ti / RX 6800 XT pairing. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is a comfortable sweet spot for high-refresh 1440p on high settings, and current-generation alternatives such as the GeForce RTX 5070 or Radeon RX 9070 offer similar or better performance with newer features. It’s worth noting that the official recommended Radeon RX 6800 XT is itself a capable 1440p card, which tells you this tier is well within reach rather than something you have to fight for. Upscaling is optional here rather than mandatory, though it helps if you want to chase higher frame rates.

4K

4K is well beyond the officially published targets, and the game’s detailed environments need a genuinely fast card at that resolution. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is a realistic entry point when you lean on upscaling, while high-end options such as the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, RTX 5080 or Radeon RX 9070 XT give you more room to raise settings. Since the official recommended spec tops out at 1080p at 60 FPS on high, treat 4K as an enthusiast target: expect to enable DLSS, FSR or XeSS and accept that maxing every setting may not be practical. That’s normal for a modern Unreal Engine 5 title at 4K, not a sign that the game is unusually heavy.

CPU, RAM and Storage for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Because the game is a turn-based RPG rather than a simulation, strategy or large-scale multiplayer title, it is not especially CPU-hungry, and the official minimum of a Core i7-8700K or Ryzen 5 1600X is a modest bar. A modern six-core chip such as the AMD Ryzen 5 7600 clears that easily and is in the same class as the official recommended Ryzen 7 5800X for gaming, while the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is far more CPU than this game needs — a sensible pick only if you want headroom for heavier titles. Intel fans can opt for the Intel Core i5-14600K, which also sits comfortably above the recommended Core i7-12700K in gaming terms. On memory, 8 GB satisfies the official minimum for 1080p at 30 FPS on low, but 16 GB is the officially recommended amount and the sensible target for a modern build; a Corsair Vengeance DDR5 32GB kit simply gives you extra room for background apps and future upgrades. Storage is the one place the game is strict: 55 GB of space is required and an SSD is required, not merely nice to have. Install the game on a fast NVMe SSD like the Samsung 990 Pro 2TB NVMe SSD to keep loading quick and reduce texture streaming stutter.

Recommended PC Builds for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

1080p budget build: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 + AMD Ryzen 5 7600 + 16 GB DDR5 — meets and slightly exceeds the official recommended spec, for high-settings 1080p.

1440p sweet-spot build: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER + AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D + 32 GB DDR5 + 2TB NVMe SSD — a step above the official targets for high-refresh 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, well beyond the official 1080p spec.

Is It Worth Upgrading Your PC for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33?

Honestly, probably not. The official minimum of a GTX 1060 6 GB-class GPU, 8 GB of RAM and a six-core CPU from the Ryzen 5 1600X era means a lot of existing systems can already run this game at 1080p, and if your PC meets the recommended spec — RTX 3060 Ti or RX 6800 XT, 16 GB of RAM and a Ryzen 7 5800X-class CPU — you have no hardware reason to upgrade for this title at all. If you do want to upgrade, do it for your own reasons: a higher-resolution monitor, other, heavier games, or general longevity. The graphics card still delivers the biggest jump in gaming performance, so upgrade the GPU first if you have to choose, and a mid-range CPU from the last few years will not hold a modern GPU back in this game. Since the official requirements list an SSD as required, moving the game off a hard drive is the cheapest meaningful change you can make.

Can You Play Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 on a Laptop or Handheld?

Yes — the modest official requirements make this one of the friendlier modern Unreal Engine 5 games for portable hardware. A gaming laptop with an RTX 3060-class mobile GPU or better should handle 1080p on settings comparable to the recommended spec, though expect more heat and shorter battery life than a desktop. On handhelds such as the Steam Deck or ROG Ally you are working just below the official minimum GPU tier, so plan on low settings, a reduced resolution and upscaling; the turn-based pacing makes that far easier to live with than it would be in a fast action game. Whatever device you choose, keep the game on internal storage rather than a slow card, since the game requires an SSD and 55 GB of available space.

How to Boost FPS in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

If frame rates are lower than you’d like, upscaling is the single biggest lever: enable DLSS on NVIDIA, FSR on AMD or XeSS on Intel if your card supports it, and turn on frame generation if your GPU offers it and the game supports it. Next, lower the settings that cost the most performance — shadows, volumetric effects and post-processing are usually the first candidates — before reducing overall resolution, which softens the game’s detailed art the most. Keep your GPU drivers up to date, close background apps, and make sure the game is installed on the SSD it requires. On hardware near the minimum spec, lowering a few settings to reach a steady frame rate will feel far better than pushing for maximum visual quality.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my PC run Clair Obscur: Expedition 33?

If your PC meets the official minimum — an Intel Core i7-8700K or AMD Ryzen 5 1600X, 8 GB of RAM and a GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB, Radeon RX 5600 XT 6 GB or Intel Arc A380 6 GB, plus an SSD and 55 GB of free space — it can run the game at 1080p and 30 FPS on low settings. For the officially recommended 1080p at 60 FPS on high settings, aim for a Core i7-12700K or Ryzen 7 5800X, 16 GB of RAM and an RTX 3060 Ti or RX 6800 XT.

Is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 demanding on PC?

Not particularly. It’s a turn-based RPG with real-time mechanics, and its official requirements are modest: the minimum asks for a GTX 1060 6 GB-class card and 8 GB of RAM at 1080p and 30 FPS on low, while the recommended spec reaches 1080p at 60 FPS on high with an RTX 3060 Ti or RX 6800 XT. It is a modern Unreal Engine 5 title, so 1440p and 4K still want a stronger GPU and upscaling, but the game is easier to run than its art style might suggest.

What GPU do I need for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 at 1440p 60fps?

The official specs only cover 1080p, so 1440p means going beyond them. A NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER-class graphics card is a comfortable choice for high-settings 1440p, and current-generation options like the GeForce RTX 5070 or Radeon RX 9070 offer similar or better performance. The officially recommended Radeon RX 6800 XT is also a capable 1440p card, so this tier is well within reach.

How much RAM does Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 need?

8 GB is the official minimum, paired with the rest of the minimum spec, and 16 GB is officially recommended for the 1080p at 60 FPS high-settings target. 16 GB is the practical amount for a modern gaming PC and gives you room for background apps, while 32 GB is optional headroom rather than a requirement.

Do I need an SSD for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33?

Yes — the official requirements list an SSD as required, along with 55 GB of available space, so an SSD is a genuine requirement rather than a nice-to-have. An NVMe drive like the Samsung 990 Pro is ideal for modern games, but any solid-state drive will satisfy the requirement.