by The required specs for Saints Row were revealed days before launch and fans aren’t thrilled about it.
While console players have the luxury of downloading a game and running it without any issues, PC players have to constantly worry about how a game performs on their particular system. In the case of the Saints Row reboot, developer Deep Silver Volition expects their fans to pack some serious PC hardware hit.
The required and recommended specs for the new Saints Row were revealed on August 18, just five days ahead of its target August 23 release date. The social media post outlined four different levels of performance, ranging from the bare minimum playability to going all out at 4K resolution. The numbers are dramatic.
Deep Silver Volition recommends the following minimum specs for Saints Row 2022.
- Intel Core i3-3240/AMD Ryzen 3 1200
- 8 GB RAM memory
- Geforce GTX 970/AMD Radeon RX 480
- 50 GB storage
The striking thing about these specs is that this is only enough to run the game at 30 frames per second. A 970 is still a reasonable card for many gamers, although the CPU requirements are reasonable. Players will also need Windows 10, as no Mac version of the game has been announced.
To run Saints Row consistently at 4K, players need an absolutely top-notch gaming system.
Why are the system requirements for Saints Row so high?
The system requirements for Saints Row are high for two main reasons.
Saints Row’s graphics look pretty good, but it doesn’t blow other AAA titles out of the water. However, the game underwent a heavy visual overhaul relatively just before launch. The lighting in more recent trailers is completely different, even for the same scenes. That means less time to optimize, and less optimization means greater system and hardware requirements for players.
It’s easy to forget that Saints Row has a complex physics engine that affects players, NPCs, vehicles, weapons, and more. This puts a lot of strain on PCs, especially during the bombastic gunfights the series is known for. The physics engine may also play a role in why the game’s frame rate appears to be capped at 60. It may be possible to increase it further, but even the highest recommended settings won’t show 144 FPS or higher for the new Saints Row game.
Deep Silver Volition could further fine-tune the game post-release, as a launch-ready season pass confirms there’s even more development in store. Still, Saints Row fans with weaker computers may have to miss the reboot.
