Techland has finally published the PC system requirements for Dying Light: The Beast, and the numbers make one thing clear: this spin-off is aiming higher than Dying Light 2 in memory and resolution ambition, while leaning heavily on modern upscaling and frame‑generation toolchains to keep the experience playable for mainstream hardware.
Background / Overview
Dying Light: The Beast re-centers the series on Kyle Crane and introduces a more visceral, mutated power fantasy built on Techland’s modern rendering stack. The studio published a four‑tier desktop spec sheet (Minimum, Recommended, High, Ultra) along with a laptop chart, and it explicitly pairs each tier with a performance target — 1080p/30 for Minimum, 1440p/60 for Recommended, and 4K/60 for High and Ultra — plus a consistent install footprint of roughly 70 GB on an SSD. These tiers are intended to communicate practical “performance envelopes” rather than iron‑clad hardware exclusions.What’s notable in the table Techland circulated is the baseline RAM requirement moving up to 16 GB (from 8 GB in Dying Light 2’s non‑ray‑traced minimum), and the explicit targeting of 1440p and 4K as realistic targets for Recommended/High players rather than the 1080p focus Techland used for the last mainline entry. That shift signals both a graphical step forward and an expectation that upscalers/frame generation will be part of many players’ workflows.
The official PC system requirements — verified
Below is a condensed, verified breakdown of Techland’s published desktop tiers as shown on the official Steam store and Techland press materials. These numbers were cross‑checked with multiple industry outlets and the storefront page to ensure accuracy.Minimum (Playable — 1080p @ 30 FPS, Low)
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 / AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT / Intel Arc A750 (6 GB VRAM)
- CPU: Intel Core i5‑13400F / AMD Ryzen 7 5800F
- RAM: 16 GB
- Storage: 70 GB SSD (installer requires SSD)
- OS: Windows 10 or newer. (store.steampowered.com, insider-gaming.com)
Recommended (Smooth — 1440p @ 60 FPS, Medium)
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti / AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT / Intel Arc B580 (8 GB VRAM)
- CPU: Intel Core i5‑13400F / AMD Ryzen 7 7700
- RAM: 16 GB
- Storage: 70 GB SSD
- OS: Windows 10 or newer. (store.steampowered.com, mp1st.com)
High (Elevated — 4K @ 60 FPS, High)
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti / AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE (12 GB VRAM)
- CPU: Intel Core i7‑13700K / AMD Ryzen 9 7800X3D
- RAM: 32 GB
- Storage: 70 GB SSD
- OS: Windows 10 or newer. (mp1st.com, insider-gaming.com)
Ultra (Max fidelity — 4K @ 60 FPS with Ray Tracing + Frame Generation)
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 / AMD Radeon RX 9070 / Intel Arc B580 (12 GB VRAM listed)
- CPU: Intel Core i9‑14900K / AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D
- RAM: 32 GB
- Storage: 70 GB SSD
- OS: Windows 10 or newer.
Note: the Ultra tier is explicitly paired with ray‑traced global illumination/reflections and hardware vendor upscalers + frame‑generation (DLSS 4 frame generation, FSR 3.1/4 on selected devices, XeSS 2). (gamespress.com, insider-gaming.com)
What changed from Dying Light 2 and why it matters
RAM, resolution and practical expectations
The clearest change compared with Dying Light 2 is RAM. Dying Light 2’s base minimum for non‑ray‑traced builds was commonly published as 8 GB, with 16 GB recommended for 1080p/60 and ray‑traced targets raising the bar to 16 GB minimum for RT modes. Dying Light: The Beast, by contrast, sets 16 GB as the baseline minimum across the board, and recommends 32 GB for higher tiers. That’s a deliberate choice: modern assets, higher target resolutions, and more complex real‑time systems (RTGI, larger streaming worlds, AI upscaling metadata) increase working memory footprints. (pcgamer.com, gamespot.com)This shift means:
- Entry‑level players who haven’t upgraded RAM since the DDR3/early DDR4 era may need a simple 16 GB kit before launch.
- Enthusiasts chasing high fidelity and modding will benefit from 32 GB to reduce paging and background app interference.
- Laptop owners will face thermal and power constraints that make hitting the Recommended/High envelopes a design problem, not just a SKU problem.
Upscaling and frame generation as first‑class performance levers
Techland’s requirements explicitly call out support for DLSS 4 (including frame generation), AMD FSR 3.1/FSR 4 on selected devices, and Intel XeSS 2. That makes upscaling/frame generation not optional niceties but core ways to achieve the advertised targets — particularly 1440p/60 on mainstream GPUs and 4K/60 with ray tracing on flagship hardware. Expect many players to choose Quality or Balanced upscaling presets to balance fidelity and the heavy cost of RTGI. (gamespress.com, insider-gaming.com)The Ultra‑SKU naming caveat — treat as a performance envelope
Techland’s Ultra tier lists GPUs like RTX 5070 and RX 9070, names that map to very recent or upcoming silicon families. Multiple outlets and Techland’s own language frame these as developer performance targets rather than a statement that you must own a specific unreleased SKU to play. In short, treat the Ultra table as the studio telling you which class of card they expect will hit native 4K/RT at Ultra settings — not a definitive shopping list with guaranteed benchmarks. This nuance has been flagged in pre‑launch coverage and should be treated with caution until independent benchmarks are available.Practical performance takeaways for different user groups
If you’re running an older 1080p rig (GTX 10/16/20 series)
- The Minimum tier lists GTX 1060 / RX 5500 XT / Arc A750 and 16 GB RAM for 1080p/30 on Low. That means older 3–4 year‑old midrange cards can still run the game at playable settings, but you’ll rely on lowered settings and upscaling where possible. Verify that your GPU drivers are up to date before launch.
If you want solid 1440p/60 without buying flagship silicon
- The Recommended tier targets 1440p/60 at Medium and names the RTX 3070 Ti / RX 6750 XT. Users with RTX 3060‑class or AMD equivalent can likely get similar results with Quality frame‑generation/upscaling enabled, but expect some visual trade‑offs. Upscalers dramatically change the cost equation here.
If you chase native 4K with ray tracing
- The High and Ultra tiers place native RT targets squarely in high‑end GPU territory (RTX 4070 Ti, RTX 5070 class, RDNA next‑gen). For native 4K/60 with RTGI + reflections, budget for flagship silicon, a high core‑count CPU to avoid CPU bottlenecks in heavy scenes, and 32 GB RAM to reduce stutters. Expect to lean on DLSS 4/FG or FSR 4 to make rates smooth with reasonable latency tradeoffs. (mp1st.com, gamespress.com)
Upgrade and tuning checklist — step‑by‑step
- Verify you have 70 GB free on an SSD (NVMe preferred) and enough headroom for day‑one patches and future DLC. Install on the NVMe slot if possible to reduce streaming hitching.
- If you have <16 GB RAM, plan to upgrade to a 16 GB dual‑channel kit as the minimum — that’s the new baseline for this title. If you run heavy background tasks, streaming, or aim for High/Ultra tiers, move to 32 GB.
- Check your GPU VRAM: 6 GB listed at Minimum, 8 GB at Recommended, and 12 GB at High/Ultra tiers. If your card is VRAM‑limited, expect texture streaming or resolution scaling to be necessary.
- Update GPU drivers to the latest Game Ready/Adrenalin release within 48 hours of launch; major feature sets (like DLSS 4 frame generation) frequently ship with driver hotfixes that materially affect stability and performance.
- Decide in advance whether you prefer native fidelity (invest in GPU) or higher framerate with upscalers/frame generation (tune DLSS/XeSS/FSR settings). Frame generation trades a small amount of input latency for significant framerate boosts; character and parkour action in Dying Light benefits from smooth frame pacing, so the tradeoff is important to test. (gamespress.com, insider-gaming.com)
Laptops and thermals — the real world constraint
Techland published a laptop chart with Minimum, Recommended, and High tiers that map to laptop GPU classes (RTX 3050 → RTX 4070 Laptop class etc.) and mobile CPU families. The practical reality for laptop players is thermal headroom and power budget: many laptops with the same GPU SKU perform differently because of TDP and cooling. If you’re targeting the laptop Recommended/High tier, look for HX‑class chips and sustained 80W+ GPU power in reviews rather than SKU alone. Always consult independent laptop reviews that measure sustained clocks and thermal throttling. (gamespress.com, mp1st.com)Feature set and PC‑only advantages
Dying Light: The Beast ships with an extensive PC feature set that matters to performance and visuals:- Ray‑traced global illumination and reflections (heavy but visually meaningful).
- DLSS 4 with Frame Generation, AMD FSR 3.1/4 on selected devices, and Intel XeSS 2 for upscaling and frame generation options.
- NVIDIA Reflex 2, AMD AntiLag 2, and Intel Xe Low Latency for latency optimizations.
- Ultra‑wide and HDR support, plus dynamic resolution and deep graphics customization.
These features are baked into the developer’s targets and change how players should interpret GPU/CPU pairings — performance targets assume some combination of these modern tools may be used. (gamespress.com, insider-gaming.com)
Risks, early adopter realities and what to watch for at launch
- Driver and patch volatility: Titles that rely on cutting‑edge frame generation or fresh DLSS/FSR/XeSS updates tend to see driver patches and small game hotfixes in the first weeks after launch. Expect iterative fixes.
- SKU naming ambiguity: Ultra tier hardware names (e.g., RTX 5070) may reflect unreleased or vendor‑next families; treat them as class guidance, not strict shopping instructions. Expect real‑world benchmarks to refine the envelope.
- Memory pressure and background apps: With 16 GB as a new minimum, systems with heavy background loads (browsers, recording, streaming) will need more RAM to avoid paging and frame stutters. Plan accordingly.
- Laptop thermal throttling: Laptop buyers should be scrupulous about sustained performance tests; two laptops with the same GPU SKU can show very different in‑game results.
How reviewers and early benchmarks will clarify things
The developer‑published table is a target; the real story will be in independent benchmarking — how the engine scales with RT toggled, how much benefit DLSS 4 frame generation provides in high‑motion scenes (parkour, combat), and whether certain GPU models deviate from expectations under sustained load. Plan to consult multiple review benches — both synthetic and long‑play session tests — during the first two weeks after release before making major upgrade decisions. There’s historical precedent for performance swings after driver updates in similarly demanding titles, so early adopters should be patient and watch for hotfix notes.Final verdict — who should care and what to do
Dying Light: The Beast strikes a pragmatic middle ground: it raises the baseline memory and fidelity expectations to match modern AAA practices while using modern upscalers and frame‑generation tech to keep the game accessible to a broad installed base. For most PC players the Recommended tier (1440p/60 on RTX 3070 Ti / RX 6750 XT with 16 GB RAM) is the practical sweet spot — offering much better visuals than a 1080p minimum while avoiding the high financial cost of native 4K/RT Ultra. Enthusiasts chasing the ultimate Ultra experience should budget for flagship GPUs, a high‑end CPU, and 32 GB RAM. (insider-gaming.com, mp1st.com)Actionable summary:
- Ensure 70 GB free on an SSD and update drivers.
- Move to 16 GB RAM if you’re below that; consider 32 GB for high fidelity or streaming.
- Use DLSS 4 / FSR / XeSS options to trade slight fidelity/latency for large framerate gains—this will be the practical path to 1440p/60 for many users. (gamespress.com, insider-gaming.com)
The game’s release will be the true test of the spec table’s realism; until then, the best course for Windows PC players is to verify storage and RAM, plan upgrades around the Recommended tier rather than Ultra bravado, and prepare to lean on vendor upscalers and frame‑generation tech to get the smoothest, most playable experience.
Source: KitGuru Dying Light: The Beast PC system requirements announced - KitGuru
