Go Home

Assassin's Creed Shadows PC requirements are here, and it sure seems like forced ray tracing is a no

Published on January 01, 0001

When I at Quebec last week, I knew it would be the only time I saw it looking this good. Global illumination, ray traced everything, super high framerate—I was test driving a Ferrari knowing I'd eventually have to climb back into my Nissan Versa and go home.

All I hoped is that Shadows' official system requirements wouldn't box out my aging RTX 2080 Super, and now that Ubisoft has finally , it sounds like I'll be OK. Here's what we're working with:

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

SELECTIVE RAY TRACING
MINIMUM

  • Resolution/FPS Using Dynamic Resolution and Upscaling: 1080P at 30 FPS
  • Visual Settings: Low
  • CPU: Intel® Core™ i7 8700k/ AMD Ryzen™ 5 3600
  • GPU: Nvidia® GeForce GTX™ 1070 8GB/ AMD Radeon™ RX 5700 8GB/ Intel® Arc™ A580 8GB (REBAR ON)

RECOMMENDED

  • Resolution/FPS Using Dynamic Resolution and Upscaling: 1080P at 60 FPS
  • Visual Settings: High
  • CPU: Intel® Core™ i5 11600k/ AMD Ryzen™ 5 5600x
  • GPU: Nvidia® GeForce RTX™ 3060Ti 8GB/ AMD Radeon™ RX 6700 XT 12GB/ Intel® Arc™ B580 12GB (REBAR ON)

ENTHUSIAST

  • Resolution/FPS Using Dynamic Resolution and Upscaling: 1440P at 60 FPS
  • Visual Settings: High
  • CPU: Intel® Core™ i5 11600k/ AMD Ryzen™ 5 5600x
  • GPU: Nvidia® GeForce RTX™ 2070 8GB/ AMD Radeon™ RX 6700 XT 12GB/ Intel® Arc™ B580 12GB (REBAR ON)
  • Resolution/FPS Using Dynamic Resolution and Upscaling: 4K at 60 FPS
  • Visual Settings: High
  • CPU: Intel® Core™ i7 12700k/ AMD Ryzen™ 7 5800x3D
  • GPU: Nvidia® GeForce RTX™ 4070 Ti Super 16GB/ AMD Radeon™ RX 7900 [[link]] XT 20GB

STANDARD RAY TRACING
MINIMUM

  • Resolution/FPS Using Dynamic Resolution and Upscaling: 1080P [[link]] at 30 FPS
  • Visual Settings: High
  • CPU: Intel® Core™ i7 8700k/ AMD Ryzen™ 5 3600
  • GPU: Nvidia® GeForce RTX™ 2070 8GB/ Nvidia® GeForce RTX™ 2070 8GB/ Intel® Arc™ B580 12GB (REBAR ON)

RECOMMENDED

  • Resolution/FPS Using Dynamic Resolution and Upscaling: 1440P at 60 FPS
  • Visual Settings: High
  • CPU: Intel® Core™ i5 11600k/ AMD Ryzen™ 5 5600x
  • GPU: Nvidia® GeForce RTX™ 4070 Super 12GB/ AMD Radeon ™ Yono all app RX 7800 XT 16GB

EXTENDED RAY TRACING
ENTHUSIAST

  • Resolution/FPS Using Dynamic Resolution and Upscaling: 1440p at 60 FPS
  • Visual Settings: Ultra
  • CPU: Intel® Core™ Intel i7 13700k/ AMD Ryzen™ 7 7800x3D
  • GPU: Nvidia® GeForce RTX™ 4080 16GB

EXTREME

  • Resolution/FPS Using Dynamic Resolution and Upscaling: 4K at 60 FPS
  • Visual Settings: Ultra
  • CPU: Intel® Core™ Intel i7 13700k/ AMD Ryzen™ 7 7800x3D
  • GPU: Nvidia® GeForce RTX™ 4090 24GB

A lot to absorb, but unless you have one of the most expensive graphics cards on the market, let's assume you can pretty much ignore the "Extended Ray Tracing" suggestions. What Yono all app sticks out to me is that Shadows is the latest game to not make ray tracing an option—sounds like the Yono all app feature is fundamental to how the game is lit, similar to Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which is good news for our eyeballs but potentially bad news for the majority of Steam users on older hardware.

It's not as bad as it could be: Those "Selective Ray Tracing" specs are pretty reasonable if, like me, you're still gaming at 1080p. I'm betting that by "selective," that means yes to global illumination, but no to reflections. Whatever keeps [[link]] the framerate around a smooth 60.

Curiously, one of these specs include Shadows' install size, just that an SSD will be required (another mandate that's only getting more common). PC Gamer asked Ubisoft about Shadows' install size and we'll update this story if we hear back.

Reader Comments

GameTiger431

The bonuses are nice and offer great value, although they could be a bit more frequent. I love being part of the VIP program, which gives me extra rewards and makes me feel appreciated as a loyal player.

JackpotQueen774

I wish there were more free spins available, but even with the current promotions, I have a lot of fun. The themed slot games are creative and engaging, keeping the gameplay fresh and entertaining every day.

GameTiger908

The deposit process is smooth and fast. I was able to fund my account instantly and start playing without any hassle. Plus, the multiple payment options make it convenient for everyone regardless of location.

Recommended Reading

Look What’s In My Living Room! Samurai Armor!!

To: Crecente From: Bashcraft Sure, it is a miniaturized suit of armor (about 2.5 ft tall), but it’s still a suit of samurai armor. Since tomorrow is Children’s Day in Japan, families with [[link]] male childre...

Keep Reading

Madden 10 Screens Go West, Life Is Peaceful There

EA Sports today released a ton of new Madden 10 screenshots, focusing on the teams [[link]] from the NFC West. And here they are. Fun fact: despite my antipodean residence, I’m actually a big Niners fan. Tragi...

Keep Reading

Making Of Killzone 2 Could Be More Exciting Than Killzone 2

What could be more fun that shooting your way across an alien planet in [[link]] Killzone 2? How about standing in front of a green screen talking about making Killzone 2? Check out the team from Guerrilla Gam...

Keep Reading