Thinking about playing Far Cry 6 on PC and wondering what hardware you actually need? Far Cry 6 is a large open-world first-person shooter set in Yara, and it arrived on Steam on May 11, 2023 with a published spec sheet that is refreshingly modest: a 4 GB GTX 960 or RX 460 with 8 GB of RAM on the minimum side, and a GTX 1080 or RX Vega 64 with 16 GB of RAM recommended. The two details that catch people out are storage and VRAM — the install is a hefty 170 GB, and the optional HD Texture Pack asks for 12 GB of VRAM, or 16 GB if you want to run it at 4K. This guide breaks down the official requirements for Far Cry 6, the best GPU for each resolution, and complete build recommendations to hit your target frame rate.
- How Demanding Is Far Cry 6?
- Far Cry 6 Official PC System Requirements
- Best GPU for Far Cry 6 by Resolution
- CPU, RAM and Storage for Far Cry 6
- Recommended PC Builds for Far Cry 6
- Is It Worth Upgrading Your PC for Far Cry 6?
- Can You Play Far Cry 6 on a Laptop or Handheld?
- How to Boost FPS in Far Cry 6
- Frequently Asked Questions
How Demanding Is Far Cry 6?
Far Cry 6 is not a demanding game by current standards. It is a large open-world shooter with long draw distances and plenty of vegetation, but its recommended GPU is a GeForce GTX 1080 or Radeon RX Vega 64 — cards that launched in 2016 and 2017 — and its minimum is a 4 GB GTX 960 or RX 460. Any reasonably modern entry-level or mid-range graphics card from the last few generations clears the recommended bar at 1080p, and mid-range cards handle 1440p comfortably. 4K is the one place where hardware genuinely matters, and mostly because of memory: the HD Texture Pack needs at least 12 GB of VRAM, and the official notes put 4K configurations at 16 GB. There is also one non-negotiable on the CPU side — the game requires a processor with AVX, AVX2 and SSE 4.2 support, which rules out some very old chips that otherwise look fast enough. This is an open-world shooter rather than a simulation or strategy game, so it does not hammer the processor the way those genres do: a modest quad-core that meets the minimum is enough, and the recommended Ryzen 5 3600X or Core i7-7700 is plenty. The figures in this guide follow the published requirements, so always check the game’s official store page for the exact wording.
Far Cry 6 Official PC System Requirements
| Component | Minimum (official) | Recommended (official) |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 (20H1 version or newer, 64-bit versions) | Windows 10 (20H1 version or newer, 64-bit versions) |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 3 1200 @ 3. GHz or Intel Core i5-4460 @ 3.1 GHz (AVX, AVX2 and SSE 4.2 support required) | AMD Ryzen 5 3600X @ 3.8 GHz or Intel Core i7-7700 @ 3.6 GHz (AVX, AVX2 and SSE 4.2 support required) |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
| Graphics | AMD RX 460 (4 GB) or NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 (4 GB) | AMD RX Vega 64 (8 GB) or NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (8 GB) |
| DirectX | Version 12 | Version 12 |
| Storage | 170 GB available space | 170 GB available space |
Source: the official Far Cry® 6 Steam store listing (app 2369390), checked October 2026. Publishers can update these specs after patches.
Best GPU for Far Cry 6 by Resolution
1080p
At 1080p you are comfortably above the official recommended spec with a modern entry-level card. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 and cards in that class — a current-generation RTX 5060 or Radeon RX 9060 XT, for example — sit well above the GTX 1080 / RX Vega 64 recommendation, so you can run high settings with room to spare and upscaling is optional rather than essential. If you are still on a 4 GB card like the GTX 960 or RX 460 from the minimum spec, expect to drop settings and leave the HD Texture Pack switched off.
1440p
Step up to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER for high-refresh 1440p at high or ultra settings. This is the resolution most PC gamers target, and this class of card — along with newer options such as the RTX 5070 or Radeon RX 9070 — gives Far Cry 6 plenty of headroom, since the game’s own recommendation tops out at GTX 1080 / Vega 64 level. 8 GB of VRAM is workable here, though the HD Texture Pack still wants 12 GB.
4K
For 4K, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is a sensible entry point, and its 16 GB of VRAM is exactly what the official notes call for when you run the HD Texture Pack at 4K. Cards like the RTX 5070 Ti or Radeon RX 9070 XT are the current-generation equivalents. If you are working with 8 GB, 4K is best played with the HD Texture Pack disabled; the base game at 4K still benefits from upscaling.
CPU, RAM and Storage for Far Cry 6
The official recommended processors are a Ryzen 5 3600X or Core i7-7700, both several generations old, so almost any current gaming CPU clears them without effort — just make sure it supports AVX2, which the game requires. The AMD Ryzen 5 7600 is excellent value for gaming, while the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the fastest mainstream gaming CPU if you want maximum frame rates — though bear in mind that Far Cry 6 is not CPU-bound, so you will not see the kind of gains from an X3D chip that you would in a simulation or strategy title. Intel fans can opt for the Intel Core i5-14600K. For memory, 8 GB is the official minimum and 16 GB is the recommended figure, so a 32 GB DDR5 kit such as the Corsair Vengeance DDR5 32GB leaves comfortable headroom for background apps. Storage is the one place this game is genuinely heavy: the install is 170 GB, so a 2 TB drive is a sensible floor. Install the game on a fast NVMe SSD like the Samsung 990 Pro 2TB NVMe SSD to cut load times and reduce texture streaming stutter.
Recommended PC Builds for Far Cry 6
1080p budget build: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 + AMD Ryzen 5 7600 + 16 GB DDR5 — comfortably above the GTX 1080-class recommendation, great for high-settings 1080p.
1440p sweet-spot build: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER + AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D + 32 GB DDR5 + 2TB NVMe SSD — the setup most players should aim for.
4K high-end build: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER + AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D + 32 GB DDR5 + fast NVMe SSD — its 16 GB of VRAM matches what the HD Texture Pack wants at 4K.
Is It Worth Upgrading Your PC for Far Cry 6?
Far Cry 6’s requirements are old enough that plenty of PCs already exceed them, so upgrade only if you are below the minimum — a 4 GB GTX 960 / RX 460, 8 GB of RAM and a quad-core with AVX2 support — or if you want to push to 1440p, 4K, or the HD Texture Pack. If you do upgrade, the graphics card delivers by far the biggest jump in gaming performance, so start there, and make sure you are targeting at least 12 GB of VRAM if the HD Texture Pack matters to you. A mid-range CPU from the last several years will not bottleneck a modern GPU in this game, so you can usually keep it. Moving the game to an NVMe SSD is a cheap upgrade that noticeably smooths out texture streaming, and the 170 GB install may itself force a storage upgrade. Rather than replacing everything at once, target the weakest link in your build for the best value.
Can You Play Far Cry 6 on a Laptop or Handheld?
Gaming laptops with an RTX 4060 or better mobile GPU can run Far Cry 6 well at 1080p, since that class of chip already sits at or above the desktop GTX 1080 the game recommends, though expect shorter battery life and more heat than a desktop. Watch the VRAM figure on laptops in particular: 8 GB mobile cards meet the recommended spec but fall below the 12 GB the HD Texture Pack wants. On handhelds like the Steam Deck or ROG Ally, Far Cry 6 is one of the heavier games these devices can attempt — the official minimum calls for 4 GB of VRAM and the install is 170 GB — so expect low settings with upscaling enabled, and plan on a large microSD or SSD for storage. If portability matters, prioritise a device with a capable GPU.
How to Boost FPS in Far Cry 6
If frame rates are low, enable upscaling if your hardware supports it, which offers the single biggest performance gain. The next thing to check is the HD Texture Pack: it is an optional download that needs at least 12 GB of VRAM, and running it on a card with less will cause the performance issues the official notes warn about, so disable it if your GPU falls short. Beyond that, drop the most expensive quality settings first — shadow quality and effects are usually the heaviest — before lowering overall resolution. Keep your GPU drivers up to date, close background apps, and make sure the game is installed on an SSD, since a 170 GB install benefits from fast storage. Lowering settings to hit a stable frame rate almost always feels better than chasing maxed-out visuals with stutter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my PC run Far Cry 6?
If your PC has at least a 4 GB GTX 960 or RX 460-class GPU, a quad-core CPU that supports AVX2, 8 GB of RAM and 170 GB of free space, it meets the official minimum and can run Far Cry 6 at 1080p with adjusted settings. For a smooth high-settings experience at 1080p or 1440p, aim for a GTX 1080 / RX Vega 64-class card or better, the recommended CPU, and 16 GB of RAM.
Is Far Cry 6 demanding on PC?
Not by today’s standards. Its recommended hardware is a GTX 1080 or RX Vega 64 with 16 GB of RAM, so mid-range hardware handles it well at 1080p and 1440p. The exceptions are the 170 GB install size and the optional HD Texture Pack, which needs 12 GB of VRAM — or 16 GB at 4K.
What GPU do I need for Far Cry 6 at 1440p 60fps?
A NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER-class graphics card is comfortably above the official recommendation and a good target for high-settings 1440p, especially with upscaling enabled. Cards in this tier give you comfortable headroom for future titles too.
How much RAM does Far Cry 6 need?
8 GB is the official minimum and 16 GB is recommended for Far Cry 6. 16 GB is the practical target for modern gaming, and it leaves headroom for background apps; going beyond 16 GB will not do much for this game specifically.
Do I need an SSD for Far Cry 6?
Yes, an SSD is strongly recommended for Far Cry 6 to reduce load times, especially given the 170 GB install. An NVMe drive like the Samsung 990 Pro is ideal for modern games.
