As the eagerly anticipated release date of February 28 for Monster Hunter Wilds approaches, developer Capcom has announced intentions to potentially lower the game's recommended GPU requirements. This news was confirmed via the official German Monster Hunter X/Twitter account, which also mentioned that Capcom is considering the development of a standalone PC benchmarking tool to assist players in optimizing their systems for the game.
Currently, Capcom recommends a minimum GPU of an Nvidia GTX 1660 Super or an AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT to achieve 30 FPS at 1080p. These settings necessitate an internal resolution of 720p, with upscaling technologies like DLSS or FSR set to the "lowest" graphics setting to enhance performance.
For those aiming for smoother gameplay, the recommended settings for Monster Hunter Wilds target 1080p at 60 FPS, utilizing upscaling and Frame Generation technologies. The suggested GPUs for these settings include the RTX 2070 Super, RTX 4060, or AMD RX 6700 XT. Notably, only the RTX 4060 supports Nvidia Frame Generation, whereas the RTX 2070 Super and RX 6700 XT depend on FSR 3, which encountered ghosting artifacts during the previous Monster Hunter Wilds beta.
Digital Foundry advises that for third-person games like Monster Hunter Wilds, a baseline of 40 FPS should be maintained when using Frame Generation to ensure responsiveness and tactile feedback. Running the game below 60 FPS with upscaling enabled can lead to increased latency, impacting the player experience.
The open beta test of Monster Hunter Wilds highlighted performance issues for players with lower-end hardware, including struggles with mid-range GPUs like the RTX 3060. A notable problem was a low-LOD bug that prevented the game from loading fully detailed textures for characters and monsters, affecting visual quality.
Monster Hunter Wilds is developed using Capcom's RE Engine, which made its debut with Resident Evil 7 in 2017. The engine has powered several successful titles across various platforms, including Devil May Cry 5, Monster Hunter Rise, and Street Fighter 6, known for their smooth performance.
However, the RE Engine has faced challenges with larger, open-world games like Dragon's Dogma 2, which experienced performance issues on both consoles and PC. This raises concerns about Monster Hunter Wilds' performance as its release date looms. 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 ensuring the game's success on PC.
