bld4me Grade
6
Score/10
The Verdict

Actually, the system requirements are exactly the same as the sequel, Horizon Forbidden West. It's an older title, but the hardware demands are definitely not low.

Current-gen mid-range GPUs can handle it smoothly at Medium to High settings. However, dense NPC counts and environmental details create a heavy CPU load, so a current-gen mid-range CPU or better is highly recommended.
With frame generation and upscaler support, even a mid-range GPU can maintain a stable 1080p locked at 60fps+.
If you are targeting 4K, a high-end GPU is a non-negotiable minimum, even with frame generation turned on.
Recommendation
Ryzen 5 9600X
Arc B570 10GB
16GB
1024GB SSD
Ryzen 5 5600
Radeon RX 5700
16GB
1024GB SSD

Since the CPU load is heavy, don't over-invest in just the GPU; balancing it with CPU performance is key. It also quietly demands a lot from your storage, so don't forget to allocate some budget there.A mid-range RTX 30-series or newer is recommended for a stable experience. If your budget allows, you'll want to bump up your CPU to the next tier.

bld4me
Writing & Verification

bld4me PC Technical Team

How We Validate

Verifier Comment

This title gets massive praise online, but there's a major trap: most benchmark videos out there are for the delisted "Complete Edition." The "Remastered" version runs on a completely different game engine, meaning the hardware requirements aren't even in the same ballpark. Don't get baited by old performance data. I've been exclusively testing the Remastered build, and make no mistake—it's a heavy lift. That said, there's an interesting quirk. Despite sharing an engine, this remaster is actually "Steam Deck Verified," whereas the sequel, Horizon Forbidden West, is completely unsupported. The actual performance footprint sits right in the middle: way more demanding than the original Complete Edition, but not quite as punishing as Forbidden West.

Changelog

Article published.
Popular GPU Ranking

User-popular GPUs for Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered

Period: 2026.04.05 - 2026.05.03
1
GeForce GTX 1070
Heavy
2
GeForce RTX 5070 Ti
Extreme
3
GeForce RTX 5080
Extreme
4
6950 XT
5
5050
6
5070
On the Go

UMPC, Handheld & Laptop Performance

Valve

Steam Deck (LCD)

Grade3/10

64GB eMMC Model / 256GB NVMe SSD Model / 512GB NVMe SSD Model

Valve

Steam Deck OLED

Grade3/10

512GB NVMe SSD / 1TB NVMe SSD

ROG

ASUS ROG Ally (Ryzen Z1 Extreme)

Grade5/10

Standard 512GB Edition

Legion

Legion Go

Grade5/10

512GB PCIe Gen4 SSD / 1TB PCIe Gen4 SSD

MSI

MSI Claw 8 AI+

Grade5/10

Claw 8 AI+ Standard (1TB) / Claw 8 AI+ Polar Tempest Edition

MSI

MSI Claw 8 AI+ (AMD Ryzen AI)

Grade5/10

Claw 8 AI+ (Ryzen AI 9 HX 370) / Claw 8 AI+ (Ryzen AI 9 365)

MSI

MSI Claw A1M (Intel Core Ultra 5)

Grade4/10

Claw A1M-004JP (512GB) / Claw A1M i5 (1TB Custom)

MSI

MSI Claw A1M (Intel Core Ultra 7)

Grade5/10

Claw A1M-002JP (1TB) / Claw A1M i7 High-End (32GB/2TB)

Lenovo

LOQ 15AHP10

Grade8/10

RTX 5060 / 1TB SSD / RTX 5050 / 512GB SSD

Surprisingly 'Steam Deck Verified' considering the heavy system requirements. 1080p is pushing it, but drop the resolution down to 720p and it's highly playable across most handhelds. If you're on a gaming laptop with a 1440p or higher display, you'll need to bump your CPU and GPU specs up a full tier.

The verdict is estimated based on hardware specifications, assuming a game resolution of 720p and settings at Medium or lower. A 'PLAYABLE' status does not guarantee actual gameplay performance.

PC Parts Selection Guide

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered PC Component Selection & Build Strategy

This game demands a perfectly balanced budget across your GPU, CPU, RAM, and SSD. If you build with the typical AAA mindset of 'just dump all the money into the GPU,' you're going to get hit with micro-stutters from a lack of RAM or straight-up OS hangs from storage bottlenecks. Don't sleep on this just because the original came out in 2020—make sure you allocate enough budget for solid memory and storage.
Pro Advice

BUILD
BALANCE

The 'Remastered' version heavily upgrades the graphics from the PS4 original for PS5 and PC. The hardware demands are drastically different from the 'Complete Edition,' so be careful not to mix them up. A mid-range GPU with 12GB+ of VRAM paired with a current-gen mid-range CPU is the safe bet here. If you opt for an 8GB VRAM GPU, expect to compromise on your texture settings.
More from Series

horizon - Specs & Benchmarks for Other Titles

Horizon Forbidden West™ Complete Edition
Grade
7
EVALUATED March 18, 2026
Open World Action

Horizon Forbidden West™ Complete Edition

Heavier than the Zero Dawn Remastered due to the 'Burning Shores' DLC. Treat the official specs as the bare minimum and aim a tier higher.

CPU
GPU
Technical Specifications

Specs: Official System Requirements

Source: Steam Store Official
On paper, the CPU and GPU requirements might not look too intimidating, but make no mistake: a solid mid-range system is a hard requirement. The demands on memory and storage are also unusually heavy. Pay close attention to the fact that 16GB of RAM is the *absolute minimum*, not the recommended spec.

The number of ● dots quantifies the performance level required from PC components on a scale of 1 to 10.

Minimum

Recommended

CPU
Core i3-8100
Ryzen 3 1300X
CPU
Core i5-8600
Ryzen 5 3600
GPU
GeForce GTX 1650
Radeon RX 5500 XT 4GB
GPU
Radeon RX 5700
GeForce RTX 3060 12GB
RAM
16 GB
RAM
16 GB
Storage
135 GB HDD
Storage
135 GB SSD
Supported Tech (Upscaling & Frame Gen)
Upscaler:DLSSFSRXeSS
Frame Gen:DLSS FGFSR FG
GPU Selection & FPS Analysis

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered GPU Benchmark & FPS Guide

When you factor in the overall build budget, picking the right GPU for this title is actually pretty tricky. By locking in a GPU that supports modern upscaling and frame generation, you free up cash to funnel into your CPU, RAM, and storage. Your GPU choice dictates the balance of the entire rig.

Target Mapping

If your target is 1080p / 60fps / Medium settings, the GPU requirements aren't insane—just 'high for an older title.' However, if you're chasing 4K, a current-gen, top-tier GPU is an absolute must, and careful CPU and RAM selection becomes critical to avoid severe bottlenecks.
GeForce GTX 1650 OFFICIAL
Radeon RX 5500 XT 4GB OFFICIAL
Radeon R9 290X 4GB
Radeon R9 390
Radeon RX 5700 OFFICIAL
GeForce RTX 3060 12GB OFFICIAL
GeForce RTX 2060 12GB USED
GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER USED
GeForce RTX 2080 Ti USED
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti USED
GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB NEW
GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB NEW
GeForce RTX 3080 10GB USED
GeForce RTX 4070 USED
GeForce RTX 3080 12GB USED
Radeon RX 6800 XT USED
Radeon RX 7900 XT USED
GeForce RTX 4080 USED
GeForce RTX 5070 Ti NEW
GeForce RTX 5080 NEW
Arc Graphics 140V (8 Xe2) NEW
Radeon RX 5500M USED
Radeon RX 6500 XT USED
Radeon RX 7600S USED
GeForce RTX 2070 (Laptop) USED
GeForce RTX 3060 (Laptop) USED
GeForce RTX 2070 USED
Radeon RX 7900M USED
GeForce RTX 4080 (Laptop) USED
GeForce RTX 4090 (Laptop) USED

Technical Evidence

Even if you're sticking entirely to 1080p, you'll want to spring for a current-gen CPU to dodge the classic 'open world with dense NPCs' CPU bottleneck. Pair a beefier CPU with a mid-range GPU that supports frame generation, and you'll hit the sweet spot for overall cost-to-performance.

GPU Benchmarks

Official Minimum
Official Recommended
bld4me Choice
Arc B570 10GB bld4me NEW
Radeon RX 5700 Official Recommended
Radeon RX 5700 bld4me USED
GeForce GTX 1650 Official Minimum

CPU Benchmarks

Official Minimum
Official Recommended
bld4me Choice
Ryzen 5 9600X bld4me NEW
Core i5-8600 Official Recommended
Ryzen 5 5600 bld4me USED
Core i3-8100 Official Minimum

This is a comparison graph of the manufacturer's minimum required specs, recommended specs, and bld4me-recommended parts (new and used). Higher values indicate smoother performance. bld4me's recommended parts are selected based on independent research, balancing comfortable gameplay with cost-performance for the game title.

GPU Matrix

For 1080p, the officially recommended RX 5700 sits at a perfect baseline. But make no mistake: 4K is brutal even with frame generation carrying the load. If you want high resolutions and maxed-out settings, you need a GPU built to handle modern AAA heavyweights.
GPU720p1080p1440p4K
bld4me NEW
Arc B570 10GB
Official Recommendedbld4me USED
Radeon RX 5700
Official Minimum
GeForce GTX 1650

The FPS values above are estimated based purely on the GPU's native performance without any upscaler. These are merely estimates and do not guarantee actual performance.

Estimated FPS Database

Horizon Zero Dawn Remasteredseo_benchmark_table_suffix

Estimated FPS on this site is calculated based on the official recommended requirements of each game, assuming only the GPU is changed. Actual frame rates may vary depending on the environment, such as the combined CPU, memory, and storage.

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered

104 SKUS
Share Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered benchmarks for
GPUShare720PHD1080PFHD1440PQHD4KUHD
Grade S
SUPREME"For those who refuse to compromise"

The ultimate GPU. Delivers premium 4K gaming at max settings.

GeForce RTX 5090
GeForce RTX 4090
Radeon RX 9070 XT
Radeon RX 7900 XTX
Radeon RX 9070 GRE
Radeon RX 9070
GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER
GeForce RTX 5070 Ti
GeForce RTX 5080
Radeon RX 7900 XT
GeForce RTX 4080
GeForce RTX 5070
GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER
GeForce RTX 4070 Ti
Radeon RX 6950 XT
GeForce RTX 3090 Ti
Radeon RX 7900 GRE
GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER
Radeon RX 6900 XT
GeForce RTX 3090
GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB
Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB
Radeon RX 6800 XT
Radeon RX 7800 XT
GeForce RTX 3080 12GB
GeForce RTX 3080 10GB
GeForce RTX 4070

Non-Recommended Models (Grade E)

Performance Insufficient / Risk of Crash

Ranking Criteria Explained

S
SUPREME"For those who refuse to compromise"

The ultimate GPU. Delivers premium 4K gaming at max settings.

A
ADVANCED"If you crave that next level of smoothness"

A step-up GPU for chasing high refresh rates and stunning visuals.

B
BALANCED"bld4me's recommendation. The smart, well-balanced choice"

The smart pick—perfect balance of power and efficiency.

C
COMPETENT"Play at 1080p/Medium"

Ensures standard playability, delivering 30 to just under 60 FPS at 1080p/Medium settings.

E
EXCLUDED"Not recommended. Time to upgrade"

GPU below official supported performance.

The Bottom Line

The Game's Verdict: Recommended Specs & Grade

The original PS4 masterpiece cleared 10 million copies for a reason—its world, visuals, and story are top-tier. Back when the PC port was the "Complete Edition" (now delisted on Steam), it was a massive hit even with casual players because it was famously lightweight and well-optimized.

But make no mistake: this "Remastered" upgrade cranks the hardware demands way up. Rule number one is avoiding the YouTube benchmark trap. Don't watch an old video of the Complete Edition and think, "Sweet, my GTX 1660 will run this perfectly." It won't.

The second trap is the massive memory and storage footprint. A hard cutoff at 16GB of RAM just to meet the minimum spec, alongside a 135GB install size, puts this squarely in modern, heavyweight AAA territory. These are not your typical mid-range requirements.

As we've hammered home throughout this guide, getting a smooth, playable experience in this remaster dictates a perfectly balanced build. Don't cheap out on one component just to bottleneck the rest.