In a nutshell: Since the available footage of Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl exhibits impressive Unreal Engine 5 graphics, many might have feared the game would have demanding PC system requirements. However, the specs on its Steam page should offer some relief, even though the game couldn't escape a triple-digit storage requirement.
Following several delays and the outbreak of war, perhaps the biggest sign that Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl will make its November 20 release date is the reveal of its official system requirements. Although the game joins the ranks of major releases with triple-digit storage requirements, it might be lighter on graphics cards than some Unreal Engine 5 titles.
The upcoming first-person shooter from GSC Game World only requires an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 or an AMD Radeon RX 580. The recommended spec is also quite reasonable, listing a GeForce RTX 2070 Super, GTX 1080 Ti, or RX 5700 XT. However, the developers don't indicate the expected resolution and performance targets.
| Minimum requirements | Recommended requirements | |
|---|---|---|
| OS: | Windows 10 / Windows 11 | Windows 10 / Windows 11 |
| Processor: | AMD Ryzen 5 1600X / Intel Core i5-7600K | AMD Ryzen 7 3700X / Intel Core i7-9700K |
| Memory: | 8 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
| Graphics: | AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB | AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 8GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB |
| Storage: | 150 GB SSD | 150 GB SSD |
Screenshots of Stalker 2 reveal extensive use of UE5's Lumen and Nanite systems, but the developers expressed surprise at their success in optimizing the game on PC and Xbox. GSC Game World initially assumed running Stalker 2 on Xbox Series S would be impossible, but achieving a stable 30fps on the RAM-limited console also improved performance for the PC build.
The company also recently confirmed that Stalker 2 will support mods on PC and Xbox. Players might be able to begin modding the title at launch, but an extensive toolkit will emerge later to enable everything from small changes to total conversions. The previous Stalker games hosted a wide spectrum of mods, many of which fundamentally altered the gameplay.
Stalker 2's release follows several years of repeated delays. Although one of GSC Game World's studios is located in Czechia, the game is mostly being developed in Ukraine, where Russia has waged a full-scale invasion for two years. The company recently released a 90-minute documentary film (above) chronicling Stalker 2's development amidst these challenges.
Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl will be available on Steam, GOG, the Epic Games Store, and Xbox Game Pass on November 20. A free post-launch update will add multiplayer.
Stalker 2 requires 150GB of storage, but runs on relatively modest GPUs