Capcom Tackles High PC Specs for Monster Hunter Wilds

As the release date for Monster Hunter Wilds on February 28 approaches, Capcom has announced efforts to potentially lower the game's recommended GPU requirements. This news was confirmed by the official German Monster Hunter X/Twitter account, which also hinted at the development of a standalone PC benchmarking tool to help players gauge their system's performance.

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 include running the game at an internal resolution of 720p and using upscaling technologies like DLSS or FSR on the lowest graphics settings.

For those aiming for a smoother experience, the recommended settings for Monster Hunter Wilds target 1080p at 60 FPS, utilizing upscaling and Frame Generation technologies. Recommended GPUs include the RTX 2070 Super, RTX 4060, or AMD RX 6700 XT. However, it's worth noting that only the RTX 4060 supports Nvidia Frame Generation. The RTX 2070 Super and RX 6700 XT would need to use FSR 3, which experienced ghosting issues during the previous Monster Hunter Wilds beta.

Digital Foundry advises that for third-person games, a baseline of 40 FPS is ideal when using Frame Generation technology. Running the game at under 60 FPS with upscaling can lead to increased latency, making gameplay feel less responsive.

The open beta test for Monster Hunter Wilds revealed challenges for players with lower-end hardware, including those with mid-range cards like the RTX 3060. A notable issue was a low-LOD bug, where the game failed to load fully detailed textures for characters and monsters.

Built on the RE Engine, which debuted with Resident Evil 7 in 2017, Monster Hunter Wilds follows in the footsteps of games like Devil May Cry 5, Monster Hunter Rise, and Street Fighter 6, known for their smooth performance across various platforms. However, the RE Engine has faced criticism with larger open-world games such as Dragon’s Dogma 2, which encountered performance issues on both consoles and PC. This sets a concerning precedent for Monster Hunter Wilds.

With an early February open beta and a late February launch looming, Capcom's efforts to reduce GPU requirements could be crucial for ensuring a successful PC release of Monster Hunter Wilds.