The First Descendant PC Hardware Guide
Official requirements explained
The First Descendant lists an Intel Core i5-3570 or AMD FX-8350 as its minimum processor, a GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, Radeon RX 570 or Intel Arc A380 as its minimum graphics card, 8 GB of memory and 100 GB of storage. In today's terms, the minimum CPU sits around the level of an entry-level Core i3-4130, and the minimum GPU falls into the legacy-to-entry range. That means the game should launch on this hardware, but you will probably need to run lower graphics settings to keep it playable.
The recommended tier is an Intel Core i7-7700K or AMD Ryzen 5 2600X, a GeForce RTX 2060, Radeon RX 5600 XT or Intel Arc A750, with memory raised to 16 GB. The CPU is roughly an older mainstream chip and the GPU is an entry-level gaming card. The gap between minimum and recommended is noticeable in both the processor and the graphics card, and it shows up mainly as the ability to hold higher detail levels in busy scenes and combat.
The publisher explicitly requires an SSD, which is stricter than many games that only recommend one. Both tiers list 100 GB of storage, so it is wise to leave some extra room for later updates.
No other tiers are listed by the publisher.
Recommended builds for three budgets
The entry build suits players who want to get into the game for the lowest cost. The Intel Arc A380 meets the minimum requirement only, so it will run the game but you should expect to lower settings. The AMD Ryzen 5 4500 meets the recommended tier, so the graphics card will be the main bottleneck. We recommend 16 GB of memory here, since the 8 GB minimum tends to be tight during real play.
The mainstream build is the sweet spot for most players. The AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6GB both meet the recommended tier, enough for medium-to-high settings. Pair either with the AMD Ryzen 5 3600, which also meets the recommended tier and handles multithreaded combat loads well. This combination offers the best value for players who want steady play without overspending.
The high-end build is for players who want higher detail and headroom. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB or AMD Radeon RX 6800 class cards sit well above the recommended tier, leaving room for higher resolutions and settings. Pair them with the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X or Intel Core i5-13400F, both well above the recommended tier. 32 GB of memory makes multitasking and large scenes more comfortable.
Graphics settings with the biggest impact
In a large-scale action shooter like this, shadows, volumetric fog and lighting, ray tracing and the number of enemies and particles on screen usually cost the most performance. Shadows and volumetric effects are expensive and scale up with resolution, so they are the first settings to lower. If your graphics card lacks solid ray tracing support, it is best to turn it off and keep frame pacing steady.
View distance and simulation density control how far objects are drawn and how many enemies are active at once. Lowering them can noticeably ease the load on the processor, and the visual difference is often small. Anti-aliasing and texture detail are comparatively cheap, so keep them up if your graphics memory allows.
Upscaling technologies such as NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FSR and Intel XeSS render at a lower internal resolution and scale the image up. They can improve smoothness with only a modest loss in image quality. If your card supports one, it is worth enabling, and you can pick a quality mode that suits your hardware.
Laptops and handheld PCs
A laptop graphics chip with the same name as a desktop card is usually slower, because power limits and cooling constrain how much it can sustain. When buying a laptop for this game, check the actual power and cooling specifications of the model rather than relying on the name alone. Choose a machine with a clearly specified dedicated GPU and good thermals, and set the power mode to performance while gaming.
Handheld PCs such as the Steam Deck or ROG Ally use x86 or similar architectures and generally land between entry-level desktops and laptops in overall capability. Plan for lower resolutions and conservative settings, and consider using a frame cap. Battery life and heat can limit sustained performance, so play plugged in when you can. We have no verified handheld data for this game, so these are general recommendations only.
Storage and memory
The publisher lists 8 GB of memory as the minimum and 16 GB as the recommended amount. 16 GB gives comfortable room for the game, background apps and system caching, and installing two sticks to run in dual-channel mode improves memory bandwidth. If you multitask or stream, 32 GB is a worthwhile upgrade.
For storage, the publisher requires an SSD, and the game itself needs 100 GB. An SSD dramatically shortens loading and reduces stutter when moving between areas. A traditional hard drive does not meet the official requirement and should be avoided. Keep an extra 10 to 20 GB free on the drive for updates and cache files.