Thinking about playing God of War on PC and wondering what hardware you actually need? The 2022 action-adventure — Kratos’ Norse-era journey with his son Atreus — is a well-optimised, single-player port whose official requirements are modest by modern standards: a GTX 960 or R9 290X on the minimum side, and a GTX 1060 6 GB or RX 570 4 GB if you want the recommended experience. This guide breaks down the official PC system requirements for God of War, the best GPU for each resolution, and complete build recommendations for 1080p, 1440p and 4K.
How Demanding Is God of War?
God of War is not a heavy game by today’s standards. It’s a cinematic, story-driven action-adventure, and it arrived on PC in January 2022 with a recommended spec of just a GTX 1060 6 GB or RX 570 4 GB and 8 GB of RAM. In practical terms, that means cards from the official minimum tier — a GTX 960 4 GB or R9 290X 4 GB — can still run the game at 1080p with settings dialled back, while the recommended tier handles 1080p comfortably and gives you a sensible base for 1440p. Only at 1440p with high-refresh displays, or at 4K, does God of War start to ask for a genuinely modern GPU.
It is also not a CPU-heavy title. This is a single-player game with no large-scale simulation or multiplayer load, so most quad-core processors from the last several years clear the official CPU requirement without trouble, and performance at higher resolutions is mostly GPU-bound.
God of War Official PC System Requirements
| Component | Minimum (official) | Recommended (official) |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 | Windows 10 |
| Processor | Intel i5-2500k (4 core 3.3 GHz) or AMD Ryzen 3 1200 (4 core 3.1 GHz) | Intel i5-6600k (4 core 3.5 GHz) or AMD Ryzen 5 2400 G (4 core 3.6 GHz) |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM | 8 GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GTX 960 (4 GB) or AMD R9 290X (4 GB) | NVIDIA GTX 1060 (6 GB) or AMD RX 570 (4 GB) |
| DirectX | Version 11 | Version 11 |
| Storage | 70 GB available space | 70 GB available space |
Source: the official God of War Steam store listing (app 1593500), checked October 2026. Publishers can update these specs after patches.
The official spec also notes that DirectX feature level 11_1 is required, so a DirectX 11-class GPU is enough on the software side, and the game needs 70 GB of free space on your drive.
Best GPU for God of War by Resolution
1080p
The official recommended tier — a GTX 1060 6 GB or RX 570 4 GB — is essentially a 1080p card for this game, and plenty of older GPUs still meet that bar. If you’re buying something current, the AMD Radeon RX 7600 sits well above the recommended spec and leaves plenty of headroom for high settings at 1080p, with upscaling such as DLSS or FSR available if you want more. A current-generation RTX 5060 or RX 9060 XT falls into the same comfortable bracket.
1440p
For 1440p you want a step up from the recommended tier. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER handles high-settings 1440p comfortably and suits high-refresh displays, and cards of a similar class such as the RTX 5070 or RX 9070 do the same. This is the resolution most PC gamers target, and God of War is light enough that this class of card gives you plenty of headroom.
4K
4K is the one resolution where God of War asks for a genuinely strong card. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is a realistic entry point, and a current-generation RTX 5070 Ti or RX 9070 XT fits the same slot, ideally paired with upscaling to keep frame rates high. Nothing in the official spec points at 4K, so treat this tier as headroom rather than a requirement.
CPU, RAM and Storage for God of War
The official CPU requirements top out at an Intel i5-6600K or AMD Ryzen 5 2400G, so this is not a game that punishes older processors, and any modern quad-core or better clears that bar easily — which means you can spend on the GPU first. If you’re building fresh, the AMD Ryzen 5 7600 is excellent value for gaming, while the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is one of the fastest mainstream gaming CPUs. Intel fans can opt for the Intel Core i5-14600K. All three are well beyond what God of War needs, but they’ll serve you across the rest of your library.
On memory, the official requirement is 8 GB for both minimum and recommended, and that really is enough for God of War itself. 16 GB is the sensible comfort target if you keep a browser or other apps open, and a 32 GB kit such as the Corsair Vengeance DDR5 32GB gives you plenty of headroom for other games — but it isn’t necessary for this one.
Storage is simple: 70 GB of available space is the official requirement, and an SSD is not mandatory. That said, installing the game on a fast NVMe drive like the Samsung 990 Pro 2TB NVMe SSD cuts load times and reduces texture-streaming hitches.
Recommended PC Builds for God of War
1080p budget build: AMD Radeon RX 7600 + AMD Ryzen 5 7600 + 16 GB DDR5 — comfortably above the official recommended spec, for high-settings 1080p with room to spare.
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 — for 4K with upscaling.
Is It Worth Upgrading Your PC for God of War?
Because God of War’s official requirements are modest, it’s rarely the reason to rebuild a whole system. If your current graphics card is several generations old, the GPU is still the part that delivers by far the biggest jump in performance, so upgrade that first if you have to choose. A mid-range CPU from the last several years will not hold back a modern GPU in this game, and 8 GB of RAM already meets the official spec — moving to 16 GB is a cheap comfort upgrade if you multitask. Installing the game on an SSD is optional but noticeably improves load times. Rather than replacing everything at once, target the weakest link in your build for the best value.
Can You Play God of War on a Laptop or Handheld?
Gaming laptops with a mobile GPU in the GTX 1060 class or better can run God of War well at 1080p, since the official recommended spec is a desktop GTX 1060 or RX 570. Expect shorter battery life and more heat than a desktop, and plan to lower settings on thinner machines. On handhelds like the Steam Deck or ROG Ally, the game does run, but you’ll want reduced settings and upscaling enabled to keep things steady — it’s a far better fit for these devices than most modern AAA releases. If portability matters, prioritise a device with a capable GPU and pair it with a fast microSD or SSD for storage.
How to Boost FPS in God of War
If frame rates are lower than you’d like, enable upscaling first — DLSS on NVIDIA hardware or FSR on AMD — which is the single biggest performance gain available and doesn’t require a new GPU. Next, drop the most expensive settings: shadow quality, volumetric effects and other post-processing options are usually the heaviest, and lowering them costs far less visually than cutting resolution. Keep your GPU drivers up to date, close background apps, and make sure the game is installed on an SSD. Lowering settings to hit a steady frame rate almost always feels better than chasing maxed-out visuals with stutter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my PC run God of War?
The official minimum is an Intel i5-2500K or AMD Ryzen 3 1200, 8 GB of RAM, and a GTX 960 4 GB or R9 290X 4 GB with DirectX feature level 11_1, plus 70 GB of storage. If your PC meets that, it can run God of War at 1080p with settings adjusted. For a smoother high-settings experience at 1080p, aim for the official recommended tier — a GTX 1060 6 GB or RX 570 4 GB paired with an i5-6600K or Ryzen 5 2400G.
Is God of War demanding on PC?
No, not by modern standards. God of War is a well-optimised single-player action-adventure, and its recommended GPU is a GTX 1060 6 GB or RX 570 4 GB with 8 GB of RAM. Mid-range and even older hardware handles it comfortably at 1080p, and only high-refresh 1440p or 4K play calls for a more modern card.
What GPU do I need for God of War at 1440p 60fps?
A NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER-class graphics card is a comfortable pick for high-settings 1440p, especially with upscaling enabled, and it sits well above the official recommended spec. Cards of a similar class, such as the RTX 5070 or RX 9070, give you the same kind of headroom.
How much RAM does God of War need?
The official requirement is 8 GB of RAM for both minimum and recommended, and that is enough to run the game. 16 GB is the practical comfort target for a modern gaming PC if you keep other apps open, and faster DDR5 memory helps in CPU-limited scenes, but 16 GB is not required for God of War.
Do I need an SSD for God of War?
No — the official requirement is 70 GB of available space, and the game will run from a mechanical drive. An SSD is still worth it for much faster load times, and an NVMe drive like the Samsung 990 Pro is a good pick if you’re buying new storage.
