The Elder Scrolls® Online PC Hardware Guide
Official requirements explained
The official minimum and recommended CPU are both listed as an Intel Core i5-2300 or AMD FX-4350. In our comparison, these correspond to an older entry-level processor, roughly in the Core i3-3220 range. The CPU demands are therefore modest, and the real gap between the two tiers is in the graphics card and memory.
For the GPU, the minimum is a DirectX 11 compliant card with 1GB of VRAM, such as an NVIDIA GeForce 560 or AMD Radeon 6870, which is roughly equivalent to the very old AMD Radeon HD 7750 tier. The recommended level calls for a card with 4GB of VRAM, such as a GeForce GTX 970 or Radeon RX 570 or higher, which sits around the GTX 1650 4GB class. Meeting the minimum means the game will launch, but image quality and smoothness will be tight. Reaching the recommended tier gives you much more room to choose higher settings.
The official minimum RAM is 4GB and the recommended is 8GB. The publisher lists 150GB of storage and does not require an SSD. An SSD is not mandatory, but it noticeably shortens loading and smooths out area transitions. The publisher does not list any higher memory tier, so 8GB is the official floor. In practice, most players on a modern system will find 16GB more comfortable.
Recommended builds for three budgets
The entry build suits players upgrading an older machine on a limited budget. Pair a GTX 1650 4GB with a Ryzen 3 3100 or Core i3-10100F, and you should reliably clear the official recommended tier. The goal at this level is a stable game rather than maximum visuals.
The mainstream build suits most players who want a comfortable experience at 1080p. Choose a GTX 1660 Super, RTX 3050 8GB or Radeon RX 5600 XT, paired with a Ryzen 5 3600 or Core i5-10400. This leaves plenty of room above the recommended requirements for adjusting graphics.
The high-end build is for players who want higher resolutions, more effects, or simply extra headroom. An RTX 3060 Ti, RX 7600 or RTX 4060 with a Ryzen 5 5600 or Core i5-12400 sits well above the official recommended tier, which helps with long sessions and future-proofing. All three builds should have at least 16GB of memory.
Graphics settings with the biggest impact
In large open-world online RPGs like this one, the settings that usually cost the most are shadow quality, volumetric lighting and fog, depth of field range, and the density of crowds and simulation effects. Shadows and volumetric effects are often the first things to lower, since they shape the mood of a scene less than resolution or texture quality does.
Texture detail and anti-aliasing are worth keeping where possible. Textures mainly consume VRAM, so as long as your card has enough memory, lowering texture quality rarely gains much and makes the image look noticeably soft. View distance can be adjusted case by case; in crowded towns and large battles, reducing it is one of the more effective choices.
If your graphics card supports DLSS, FSR or XeSS, these upscalers render at a lower internal resolution and scale the result up to your target resolution. In general terms, enabling one can buy performance headroom with a modest loss in image quality, which makes it a practical option on weaker cards. Results depend on the technology version and settings you use, so compare them in the game before deciding.
Laptops and handheld PCs
Laptop GPUs often share names with desktop cards, but they are not the same. An RTX 3050 Laptop GPU, for example, typically runs at a lower power limit and has a more restricted cooling design than a desktop RTX 3050, so it performs noticeably weaker. When buying a laptop, check the listed TGP and cooling design rather than relying on the model name alone.
Handheld PCs such as the Steam Deck or ROG Ally are designed around low power. For a large open world with many players on screen, you will usually need to reduce resolution and graphics settings, and consider upscaling or a frame limit to keep performance steady. We do not have Steam Deck verification data, so we cannot give a specific compatibility rating; treat the general guidance above as a starting point and test on the device yourself.
On battery power, most laptops and handhelds limit performance automatically. Plugging in usually gives noticeably better results, so keep that in mind during play.
Storage and memory
The official storage requirement is 150GB. Leave extra room beyond that, since updates, cache files and screenshots all take up space. If the drive runs short, installation and patching will suffer, so check free space before you install.
For memory, the official minimum is 4GB and the recommended is 8GB, but we suggest at least 16GB. Use a dual-channel configuration (two matching sticks) where possible, which gives the CPU and GPU a smoother data path. A single stick combined with background software can easily cause stutter in large towns and battles.
The publisher does not require an SSD, but this game moves a lot of data during area changes, and an SSD cuts loading times considerably. It also keeps asset streaming smooth while you travel. You can play from a hard disk drive, but installing the game on an SSD will give a better experience.