As the release date for Monster Hunter Wilds on February 28 approaches, Capcom is actively working to lower the game's recommended GPU requirements. This news was confirmed by the official German Monster Hunter X/Twitter account, which also mentioned that Capcom is considering the development of a standalone PC benchmarking tool to help players assess their system's compatibility.
Currently, Capcom suggests using an Nvidia GTX 1660 Super or an AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT to achieve 30 FPS at 1080p. These minimum requirements involve rendering the game at an internal resolution of 720p and then upscaling the graphics to 1080p using DLSS or FSR on the "lowest" graphics setting.
For a smoother experience, the recommended settings for Monster Hunter Wilds aim for 60 FPS at 1080p, also using upscaling and Frame Generation technologies. Recommended GPUs include the RTX 2070 Super, RTX 4060, or AMD RX 6700 XT. Notably, only the RTX 4060 supports Nvidia Frame Generation, while the 2070 Super and 6700 XT would rely on FSR 3, which showed ghosting artifacts during the previous beta test.
It's worth noting that targeting 60 FPS with Frame Generation might not be optimal, as Digital Foundry suggests a baseline of 40 FPS for third-person games. Running the game at less than 60 FPS with upscaling can lead to increased latency, potentially affecting the game's responsiveness and feel.
During the open beta test, players with lower-end hardware, including those with mid-range cards like the RTX 3060, faced challenges. A common issue was a low-LOD bug, where the game failed to load high-detail textures for characters and monsters.
Monster Hunter Wilds is developed on the RE Engine, which was first used in Resident Evil 7 back in 2017. This engine has powered other successful titles like Devil May Cry 5, Monster Hunter Rise, and Street Fighter 6, generally delivering smooth performance across various platforms.
However, the RE Engine has had its challenges with larger, open-world games such as Dragon's Dogma 2, which experienced performance issues on both consoles and PCs. This sets a concerning precedent for Monster Hunter Wilds. With an open beta scheduled for early February and a full launch at the end of the month, Capcom's efforts to reduce GPU requirements could be crucial for the game's success on PC.
