Little Nightmares II PC Hardware Guide
Official requirements explained
The official minimum for Little Nightmares II lists an Intel Core i5-2300 or AMD FX-4350 processor, a GPU of either an Nvidia GeForce GTX 570 (1 GB) or an AMD Radeon HD 7850 (2 GB), and 4 GB of RAM. In our tier comparison, the minimum CPU sits roughly at the level of an Intel Core i3-3220, which is very old entry-level silicon. The minimum GPU lands near the GeForce GT 1030 band, which is also a very old entry-level class.
The official recommended tier rises to an Intel Core i7-3770 or AMD FX-8350, a GeForce GTX 760 (2 GB) or Radeon HD 7870 (2 GB), and again 4 GB of RAM. The CPU is roughly an Intel Core i3-4130 class part, and the GPU is near the Radeon HD 7850 level. The main gap between the two tiers is in processor thread capability, while the GPU difference is smaller. In practice, the recommended tier aims for a steadier experience rather than demanding top hardware.
The publisher does not list a storage size or state whether an SSD is needed, so we cannot give an exact install figure. For RAM, both official tiers say 4 GB, but in real use we would suggest at least 8 GB to leave room for the operating system and background software.
Recommended builds for three budgets
The entry build suits players who want to keep spending low but still play smoothly. Our pick is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB paired with an AMD Ryzen 3 3100 and 16 GB of RAM. This combination sits well above the official minimum and should run the game comfortably at moderate settings.
The mainstream build is the choice most players will find sensible. It keeps the same GTX 1650 4GB class graphics card but moves to an Intel Core i5-10400F, with 16 GB of RAM. The extra processor headroom helps if you also run a streaming tool or have a browser open alongside the game.
The high build is for players who want more margin, or who plan to play other demanding titles. You could choose an AMD Radeon RX 7600 or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, paired with an AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and 32 GB of RAM. Against this game's official requirements, the setup is far beyond the recommended tier, mainly offering room for higher settings and comfortable multitasking.
Graphics settings with the biggest impact
In an atmospheric adventure game like this, the settings that usually cost the most are shadow quality, volumetric lighting and fog, and the density of scene objects and simulation. Shadows and volumetrics tend to be the heaviest, so a sensible starting point is to set them to medium and check whether the dim, unsettling mood the game is built around still comes through.
View distance and level of detail usually come next, especially in larger scenes with many distant objects. If your GPU is an entry-level or older model, lowering these moderately rarely damages the art style in a noticeable way. Ray tracing, where offered, adds relatively modest visual benefit for a title like this, so it is not a priority unless your card has plenty of spare capacity.
On upscaling, DLSS, FSR and XeSS all render at a lower internal resolution and use an algorithm to scale the image up to your target resolution. In general, enabling upscaling reduces the load on the GPU, with a small trade-off in fine detail. Whether to use it depends on your hardware and preference. We have not run per-setting performance testing, so treat these as general guidance.
Laptops and handheld PCs
Laptop GPUs often share names with desktop parts, such as a GeForce RTX 4060, but laptop versions are limited by power caps and cooling, so their real performance is usually below the desktop equivalent. When comparing laptops, look at the specific model's power settings and thermal design rather than just the GPU name. The official requirements are written around desktop parts, so whether a laptop reaches the recommended tier depends on its actual specifications.
Handheld PCs such as the Steam Deck or ROG Ally are self-contained devices with fixed limits on performance and cooling. In general, they do best at lower resolutions and moderate settings, and frame-rate caps can help keep play stable. We have no Steam Deck verification data, so we cannot give a compatibility rating for that platform; use the general principles above to judge it yourself.
If you plan to play on a handheld, keep an eye on battery life and heat, since sustained heavy load shortens battery runtime noticeably.
Storage and memory
For memory, the official 4 GB figure is the floor for the game to launch. Modern operating systems and background apps already use a good chunk of that, so we recommend at least 8 GB, and 16 GB if you want more breathing room. Dual-channel configuration matters too: make sure your modules sit in the correct slots so the processor and integrated graphics get the full memory bandwidth.
The publisher does not specify a storage size, so we cannot give an exact install figure. As a general rule, leave enough space for the game plus some extra for updates. An SSD shortens loading times and helps when scenes change often, but it is not officially required, so a hard drive will still run the game with slower loads.
Finally, clear out drive space regularly so a full disk does not get in the way of updates or save files.