Capcom Tackles High PC Specs for Monster Hunter Wilds

As the release date of Monster Hunter Wilds on February 28 approaches, Capcom has announced that they are actively working on lowering the recommended GPU requirements. This news comes directly from the official German Monster Hunter X/Twitter account, which also mentioned that Capcom is considering the release of a standalone PC benchmarking tool to help players gauge their system's performance.

Currently, Capcom recommends using an Nvidia GTX 1660 Super or an AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT to achieve 30 FPS at 1080p. This minimum setup is designed to run at an internal resolution of 720p, with the graphics upscaled using technologies like DLSS or FSR, set to the "lowest" graphics setting.

For those aiming for smoother gameplay, the recommended settings for Monster Hunter Wilds target 1080p at 60 FPS, again utilizing upscaling and Frame Generation technologies. Suggested GPUs include the RTX 2070 Super, RTX 4060, or AMD RX 6700 XT. It's worth noting that only the RTX 4060 supports Nvidia Frame Generation, while the RTX 2070 Super and RX 6700 XT would use FSR 3, which unfortunately showed ghosting artifacts during the previous Monster Hunter Wilds beta.

Using Frame Generation to target 60 FPS might not be the optimal use of the technology, as Digital Foundry suggests a 40 FPS baseline for third-person games. Running the game at under 60 FPS with upscaling can lead to increased latency, potentially affecting the game's responsiveness and tactile feel.

During the open beta test, players with lower-end hardware, including those with mid-range GPUs like the RTX 3060, faced challenges. A notable issue was a low-LOD bug that prevented the game from loading fully detailed textures for characters and monsters.

Monster Hunter Wilds is developed on the RE Engine, which has powered games such as Resident Evil 7, Devil May Cry 5, Monster Hunter Rise, and Street Fighter 6, generally delivering smooth performance across platforms. However, the engine has struggled with larger open-world titles like Dragon’s Dogma 2, experiencing performance issues on both consoles and PC. This history raises concerns about Monster Hunter Wilds' performance as it nears its early February open beta and late February launch. Capcom's efforts to reduce GPU requirements could be crucial for the game's success on the PC platform.