Stray PC Hardware Guide
Official requirements explained
The official minimum for Stray lists an Intel Core i5-2300 or AMD FX-6350. That is a decade-old quad-core class of processor, which on FrameScope's tier scale sits at the entry end, roughly on par with an Intel Core i3-3220. For the graphics card, the minimum is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti with 2 GB or an AMD Radeon R7 360 with 2 GB. Both are very old entry-level cards, roughly comparable to a GeForce GT 1030, which puts them in integrated or very old entry territory. The minimum asks for 8 GB of RAM and 10 GB of storage, and the publisher does not require an SSD.
The recommended tier raises the bar to an Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 2600. These are six-core chips that sit at the older end of mainstream, close to an AMD Ryzen 3 3100 in FrameScope's tiers. The recommended graphics card is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 with 3 GB or an AMD Radeon R9 290X with 4 GB, which corresponds to an older entry-to-high card in the class of the Radeon HD 7950. RAM and storage figures match the minimum, and no SSD is required at this level either.
For a player, the gap between minimum and recommended is mostly about processor and graphics generation. If your PC meets the recommended tier, you are inside the range the publisher considers comfortable. If you only meet the minimum, expect to play at low settings and a conservative resolution, with some scenes likely to feel heavier.
Recommended builds for three budgets
The entry build suits players who want to enjoy the game on a tighter budget. Pair an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB with an AMD Ryzen 3 3100 and 16 GB of RAM. This clearly clears the official recommended tier and works well at 1080p on medium settings.
The mainstream build is the choice most players should consider. An NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 8GB paired with an AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and 16 GB of RAM gives you more headroom, letting you run higher settings at 1080p and handle future system and driver updates more comfortably.
The high build is for players who want a relaxed experience or who plan to play at higher resolutions. Use an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 or AMD Radeon RX 7600, with an AMD Ryzen 7 5700X or Intel Core i5-14400F, and at least 16 GB of RAM, with 32 GB as a comfortable option. The margin is large, which also helps if you later switch to heavier games. All three builds use parts from FrameScope's candidate list; they are estimates based on requirement tiers, not test results.
Graphics settings with the biggest impact
Stray is an exploration-focused adventure with large atmospheric environments, so the settings that usually cost the most are shadow quality, volumetric lighting and fog, and the density of objects and view distance. Lighting and shadow options tend to be the most expensive in open scenes. If your graphics card is not recent, lower these to medium first; you will usually regain a good amount of headroom with only a modest visual difference.
Ray tracing is one of the most demanding options in many games, and for this title it is worth turning off first unless your card has strong hardware ray tracing support and you care a lot about lighting detail. Texture quality mostly depends on available video memory, so as long as you have enough VRAM you rarely need to sacrifice other options for it.
Upscaling technologies such as NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FSR and Intel XeSS work in general by rendering at a lower internal resolution and then scaling the image up with an algorithm. They usually improve efficiency with limited visual cost. If your card supports one of them, enabling upscaling is worth trying, though the balance between sharpness and speed is a matter of personal taste.
Laptops and handheld PCs
A laptop GPU shares its name with a desktop card but usually performs somewhat lower, because of power limits and cooling constraints. When checking against the official requirements, pick a laptop GPU that is at least one step above the recommended tier, and make sure the power and cooling profile is set to performance. Running on mains power and disabling battery saving modes generally gives more stable results.
Handheld PCs such as the Steam Deck or ROG Ally have limited power and thermal headroom. On these devices, low settings at a lower resolution combined with a frame rate cap help control heat and battery use. FrameScope does not have verification data for Steam Deck, so this is general guidance only and we make no rating.
Laptops and handhelds often have fixed memory, so upgrading later is limited. If you are buying one, choose 16 GB or more from the start.
Storage and memory
The official minimum asks for 8 GB of RAM, but once the operating system and background programs take their share, we recommend at least 16 GB. Running dual-channel memory, with two sticks installed in the correct slots, generally provides better bandwidth and smoother performance, so check your slot placement when you build or upgrade.
The official storage figure is 10 GB, but that covers only the base game. Patches and temporary files add more, so leave extra free space beyond that number.
The publisher does not require an SSD, but an SSD usually shortens loading times noticeably and keeps data streaming smoother in large exploration areas. If your budget allows, install the game on an SSD. An HDD will still run the game, just with longer loads.