Monster Hunter Wilds Dev Capcom Is Trying to Tame Beastly PC Requirements

As the eagerly anticipated release date of February 28 for Monster Hunter Wilds approaches, Capcom has announced plans to potentially lower the game's recommended GPU requirements. This news comes directly from the official German Monster Hunter X/Twitter account, which also disclosed that Capcom is considering the development of a standalone PC benchmarking tool.

Currently, Capcom suggests that players should have at least an Nvidia GTX 1660 Super or an AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT to achieve 30 FPS at 1080p. This minimum setup requires an internal resolution of 720p and utilizes upscaling technologies such as DLSS or FSR, set to the "lowest" graphics setting.

For those aiming for a smoother experience, Monster Hunter Wilds' recommended settings target 1080p at 60 FPS, also using upscaling and Frame Generation technologies. Suggested GPUs include the RTX 2070 Super, RTX 4060, or AMD RX 6700 XT. Notably, only the RTX 4060 supports Nvidia Frame Generation, while the RTX 2070 Super and RX 6700 XT depend on FSR 3, which experienced ghosting artifacts during the previous Monster Hunter Wilds beta.

It's worth noting that Digital Foundry advises a minimum of 40 FPS for third-person titles when using Frame Generation technology. Running the game at under 60 FPS with upscaling can lead to increased latency, making the gameplay feel less responsive.

The open beta test of Monster Hunter Wilds highlighted performance issues, particularly for players using lower-end hardware, including mid-range cards like the RTX 3060. A notable problem was a low-LOD bug that prevented the full detail textures of characters and monsters from loading.

Monster Hunter Wilds is developed using the RE Engine, which made its debut with Resident Evil 7 in 2017. This engine has powered several successful titles such as Devil May Cry 5, Monster Hunter Rise, and Street Fighter 6, generally delivering smooth performance across various platforms.

However, the RE Engine has faced challenges with larger, open-world games that feature numerous NPCs and enemies, such as Dragon’s Dogma 2, which experienced performance issues on both consoles and PC. This history raises concerns for Monster Hunter Wilds. With an early February open beta and a late February launch on the horizon, Capcom's efforts to reduce GPU requirements could be crucial for the game's success on PC.