Gears of War: E-Day PC Requirements: Final Specs, Ray Tracing, SSD Space and Launch Times

When it unlocks​

Xbox says the prequel opens to every player on October 6, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. PT, which is 15:00 UTC. Xbox Wire's post from The Coalition's studio head sets out the wider schedule. Digital Citizen describes it as a single global unlock rather than a rolling regional rollout.

• Pre-install began September 29 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC and Steam.
• Premium Edition buyers could start playing early on October 1, up to five days ahead of launch.
• Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members join from October 6, so early access is not a Game Pass perk.

Where it runs, and what it costs​

The UNN report says the game is "only" on PC and Xbox Series X|S. That is true as far as PlayStation goes, but it undersells the PC side. Xbox's product page lists Windows 10/11 and says the game ships on PC through both the Microsoft Store and Steam. It is also an Xbox Play Anywhere title, with shared progression and achievements between console and PC.

US pricing on Xbox's page is $69.99 for Standard and $99.99 for Premium, with a $30 upgrade from Standard to Premium. Premium adds:

• Up to five days of early access.
• A Bravo Squad Signature Weapon Pack.
• Five seasonal customization packs.
• 1,000 Iron, the in-game premium currency.

The UNN figure of 2,299 hryvnias is a regional price that I could not corroborate against official sources.

Online play has strings attached. Xbox's fine print says online campaign co-op, Horde Siege, Versus and other multiplayer features need a Game Pass subscription that includes online multiplayer. Two-player split-screen is console only. The campaign supports up to four players online.

The PC requirements, corrected​

The UNN piece listed only minimum and recommended specs and left out the official performance targets and the Ultra tier. It omitted video memory entirely. The final Xbox chart, which Xbox says it revised on September 28, has three presets. PC Gamer's reproduction of the chart shows the following.

All three targets assume an upscaler such as DLSS, FSR, TSR or XeSS. They are not native-resolution promises.

Two points of caution:

• Ultra AMD card: My notes and PC Gamer disagree on the AMD card for Ultra. PC Gamer names the RX 7900 XT. Another account lists the RX 9070 XT. Check the chart on Xbox's own post if you're buying for Ultra.
• Storage figure: Some earlier coverage, such as DSOGaming's report of the Steam listing, gave 130 GB. The final chart says 115 GB.

The hard gates​

The Steam listing says a hardware ray tracing capable GPU is required, and the Xbox chart adds that cards without dedicated ray tracing support are not supported at all. An SSD is also required, so a mechanical drive is not an option.

On operating systems, UNN lists Windows 10 build 19045.7291 as the minimum and Windows 11 25H2 as recommended. The Xbox image I reviewed doesn't show those OS lines. Digital Citizen attributes the OS builds and the DirectX 12 requirement to the Steam listing. Treat them as Steam's numbers rather than something confirmed by the Xbox chart.

PC technology on offer​

Xbox Wire's July post says the game is built on Unreal Engine 5 and DirectX 12. PC Gamer reports launch support for DLSS 4.5, AMD FSR 4 and Intel XeSS 3.0. Xbox names NVIDIA as exclusive PC partner. It also lists Reflex, Unreal's TSR and hardware ray tracing.

Xbox also promises Advanced Shader Delivery on compatible systems. It supplies precompiled shaders with the game to cut load times and remove first-run shader stutter. Xbox said broader hardware and storefront support would expand over time, so don't assume every setup gets it.

Checklist before launch day​

1. Confirm your GPU supports hardware ray tracing and has enough VRAM for your target preset.
2. Make sure the game will install on an SSD with 115 GB free, plus headroom for patches.
3. Pre-install so you're ready at 15:00 UTC.
4. If you plan to play online co-op or multiplayer, check that your Game Pass tier includes online multiplayer.
5. If you play across console and PC, buy through a Play Anywhere-eligible store entry.

What I couldn't verify​

UNN's claims about the game's hardware focus come from Matt Searcy and Arjan Henbeck, with a quote saying "This way, we can ensure high quality." Xbox's materials don't establish that console exclusivity caused the performance results. UNN's early-access Steam player counts and its comparisons with Gears 5 and Gears of War: Reloaded also aren't backed by the primary sources I checked. Its detailed recap of the original game's lore is background rather than news.

The practical takeaway is that you'll need a ray-tracing GPU, an SSD and 115 GB of free space. Everything else is in the tier table above.