{"id":5776,"date":"2026-06-15T13:56:54","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T10:56:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/?p=5776"},"modified":"2026-06-15T13:58:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T10:58:00","slug":"gears-of-war-e-day-pc-system-requirements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/gears-of-war-e-day-pc-system-requirements\/","title":{"rendered":"Gears of War: E-Day PC System Requirements: What You Need to Play"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

The Coalition has revealed the official PC system requirements for Gears of War: E-Day. Built from scratch in Unreal Engine 5, the game launches October 6, 2026 and requires a DirectX 12 Ultimate GPU with 130 GB of SSD storage.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Gears of War: E-Day launches on October 6, 2026 for Xbox Series X\/S and PC, and The Coalition has now published the official PC system requirements via the game’s Steam page. Built entirely from scratch in Unreal Engine 5, E-Day targets 4K resolution at 60 FPS with hardware ray tracing in its campaign and up to 120 FPS in multiplayer. The good news for PC players: the minimum hardware bar is lower than many expected from a next-gen UE5 showcase title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minimum and Recommended PC Specs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Coalition has shared two tiers of system requirements so far. Separate specs for 4K Ultra and ray tracing-heavy configurations have not been revealed yet and are expected closer to launch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Component<\/th>Minimum<\/th>Recommended<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
OS<\/td>Windows 10 64-bit (22H2, build 19045.7291)<\/td>Windows 11 64-bit (25H2) or newer<\/td><\/tr>
CPU<\/td>AMD Ryzen 5 2600X \/ Intel i7-6850K \/ i5-10400<\/td>AMD Ryzen 5 5600 \/ Intel i5-11600K<\/td><\/tr>
RAM<\/td>12 GB<\/td>16 GB<\/td><\/tr>
GPU<\/td>NVIDIA RTX 5050 \/ RTX 2060 \/ AMD RX 6600 \/ RX 9060 \/ Intel Arc A580<\/td>NVIDIA RTX 5060 \/ RTX 3060 Ti \/ AMD RX 6700 XT \/ RX 9060 XT \/ Intel Arc B580<\/td><\/tr>
VRAM<\/td>6 GB<\/td>8 GB<\/td><\/tr>
DirectX<\/td>Version 12<\/td>Version 12<\/td><\/tr>
Storage<\/td>130 GB (SSD required)<\/td>130 GB (SSD required)<\/td><\/tr>
Network<\/td>Broadband internet connection<\/td>Broadband internet connection<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Two things stand out immediately: the mandatory SSD requirement (no HDD support at all) and the 130 GB storage footprint, which places E-Day among the larger modern titles. For context, Gears 5 required roughly 42 GB at launch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why DirectX 12 Ultimate Is a Hard Requirement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Every GPU listed across both tiers supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, which means hardware-accelerated ray tracing cores are non-negotiable. This effectively excludes all NVIDIA GTX-era cards (including the GTX 1080 Ti and GTX 1660 Super), all AMD GPUs older than RDNA 2, and all Intel GPUs older than Arc. Even at minimum settings, you need at least an RTX 2060, RX 6600, or Intel Arc A580.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technical Director Kate Rayner confirmed that the game’s rendering pipeline leans heavily on UE5’s MegaLights system and hardware ray tracing for lighting, reflections, and shadows. This architecture likely makes DX12 Ultimate a foundational dependency rather than an optional toggle, which explains why older hardware without dedicated RT cores simply cannot run the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Unreal Engine 5 Brings to E-Day<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Gears of War: E-Day is the first game in the series built on Unreal Engine 5. The Coalition has described it as a complete ground-up rebuild: every character model, enemy, animation system, weapon, and environment asset was recreated from an “empty hard drive.” The studio claims over 100 times more environment and character detail compared to Gears 5, which shipped on Unreal Engine 4 in 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key technical upgrades include UE5’s MegaLights lighting system (E-Day is among the first games to ship with it), hardware-accelerated Lumen for global illumination, advanced destruction physics with granular chip-damage on cover objects, reworked facial capture (Marcus now has more geometry in his eyelashes than his entire character model had in the original game), and a completely new animation and movement system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The visual fidelity was demonstrated during the Xbox Games Showcase 2026, where analysts noted clean image quality with minimal smearing or noise: a notable achievement for a UE5 title running hardware ray tracing at 60 FPS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PC-Specific Features Worth Knowing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Coalition is offering a robust set of PC-specific features confirmed on the Steam store page:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • 4K Ultra HD<\/strong> with HDR10 support<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Uncapped frame rates<\/strong> on capable hardware<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Ultrawide support:<\/strong> 21:9 and 32:9 aspect ratios for both gameplay and menus<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Display modes:<\/strong> Borderless, exclusive fullscreen, and windowed<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Hardware ray tracing:<\/strong> Lighting, reflections, and shadows<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Full remapping:<\/strong> Both keyboard\/mouse and controller bindings are fully customisable<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Handheld optimisation:<\/strong> Fully optimised for Steam Deck, Xbox Ally, and Xbox Ally X<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    The ultrawide support extending to menus is a small but meaningful detail. Many recent titles revert to 16:9 in menus even when gameplay supports wider aspect ratios. E-Day appears to treat ultrawide as a first-class experience throughout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Platform Availability and Pricing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Gears of War: E-Day is an Xbox and PC console exclusive. It will be available on Xbox Series X\/S, Xbox on PC, and Steam, with no PlayStation 5 or Nintendo Switch 2 release planned. The game is also included with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass from day one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    On Steam, the Standard Edition is priced at $69.99 and the Premium Edition at $99.99. Premium buyers get five days of early access starting October 1, the Bravo Squad Signature Weapon Pack, five seasonal customisation packs, 1,000 Iron in-game currency, and additional cosmetic items. A Collector’s Edition is available at $299.99, including a 15-inch diorama statue, metal replica COG tags, and a SteelBook case. Pre-ordering any edition grants early access to the open beta running August 6-10, 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Can Your Current PC Run It?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The minimum specs point to mid-range hardware from the 2018-2020 era. According to Steam’s own hardware surveys, the RTX 2060 and RX 6600 remain among the most popular GPUs among PC gamers, so a large portion of the player base should clear the minimum bar without an upgrade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The recommended tier (RTX 3060 Ti \/ RX 6700 XT) likely targets 1440p at medium-high settings, though The Coalition has not confirmed exact resolution and quality targets for these tiers. Higher-end specs for 4K Ultra with full ray tracing will be published separately before launch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The 12 GB RAM minimum is an unusual number. Most modern titles ask for either 8 GB or 16 GB. If your system has only 8 GB, you will need an upgrade. On the storage front, 130 GB on an SSD is a significant commitment, especially if you are working with a 256 GB or 512 GB drive. Planning your storage ahead of launch is strongly recommended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What the Game Offers Beyond Visuals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Gears of War: E-Day is set 14 years before the original Gears of War, on Emergence Day itself: the day the Locust Horde first erupted from underground to assault the surface of Sera. Players follow a younger Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago through an intense campaign with support for up to four-player online co-op and two-player split-screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For the first time in the series, players can jump and slide, adding verticality and speed to the classic cover-based combat. A new weapon called the Gut Puncher (a grenade launcher with player-controlled detonation timing) joins returning favourites like the Gnasher and Longshot. The destruction system has been overhauled with granular chip damage, allowing cover objects to degrade in realistic, non-predictable patterns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    On the multiplayer side, Horde Siege is a new 12-player PvE mode where three squads defend the city of Kalona across larger maps. Classic 4v4 Versus PvP also returns with all-new maps and the new traversal mechanics. The original voice actors reprise their roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Common Questions Players Are Asking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Will it run on Steam Deck?<\/strong> Yes. The Coalition has confirmed full optimisation for Steam Deck, Xbox Ally, and Xbox Ally X handheld devices. Expect tailored performance profiles for portable play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Can I use a GTX 1080 Ti or GTX 1660?<\/strong> No. DirectX 12 Ultimate is a hard requirement, which excludes all GPUs without hardware ray tracing cores. The absolute minimum GPU is an RTX 2060, RX 6600, or Intel Arc A580.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Is it on Game Pass?<\/strong> Yes. Gears of War: E-Day is included with both Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on day one, with no additional purchase necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What about 4K Ultra specs?<\/strong> Not yet announced. The Coalition has confirmed that higher-tier requirements covering 4K resolution and full ray tracing will be shared before the October 6 launch. Current specs cover only the minimum and recommended tiers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Is an HDD enough?<\/strong> No. An SSD is mandatory at all settings tiers. The game requires 130 GB of available SSD space regardless of whether you are running minimum or recommended hardware.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Will it come to PS5?<\/strong> No. Microsoft and The Coalition have confirmed that Gears of War: E-Day is a platform exclusive for Xbox Series X\/S and PC. There is no PlayStation 5 release planned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Gears of War: E-Day shapes up as one of the most technically ambitious UE5 titles yet, but its system requirements suggest The Coalition has prioritised broad accessibility alongside visual fidelity. With an RTX 2060 clearing the minimum bar and Game Pass offering day-one access, most PC gamers with reasonably modern hardware should be able to experience Emergence Day when it arrives on October 6, 2026. Keep an eye out for the higher-tier spec announcements and start clearing that 130 GB of SSD space now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The Coalition has revealed the official PC system requirements for Gears of War: E-Day. Built from scratch in Unreal Engine 5, the game launches October 6, 2026 and requires a DirectX 12 Ultimate GPU with 130 GB of SSD storage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":5777,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[285],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5776","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gaming-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5776","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5776"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5776\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5778,"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5776\/revisions\/5778"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5777"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5776"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5776"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5776"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}