The Path of Exile 2 system requirements start at an Intel Core i7-7700 or Ryzen 5 2500X, 8GB of RAM, a 3GB GTX 960 class card and 100GB of storage. Grinding Gear recommends a Core i5-10500 or Ryzen 7 3700X, 16GB of RAM, an RTX 2060 class card and an SSD. The free-to-play 1.0 launch is December 11, 2026.
Path of Exile 2 has been in paid early access since December 2024, and 1.0 is the point where it opens up to everyone. Grinding Gear is making the full game free-to-play at launch, adding Acts 5 and 6 to complete the campaign and bringing in the Duelist, a new sword class. That's going to put a lot of new players in front of the same question at once. Grinding Gear hasn't posted separate requirements for 1.0, so the numbers below are the ones on the game's Steam page as of November 2, 2026, and we'll update this page if they change before launch.
Path of Exile 2 PC Requirements
Grinding Gear lists these Windows specs on Steam.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 | Windows 10 |
| CPU | Intel Core i7-7700 or AMD Ryzen 5 2500X | Intel Core i5-10500 or AMD Ryzen 7 3700X |
| RAM | 8GB | 16GB |
| GPU | GeForce GTX 960 (3GB), Intel Arc A380 or Radeon RX 470 | GeForce RTX 2060, Intel Arc A770 or Radeon RX 5600 XT |
| DirectX | Version 12 | Version 12 |
| Storage | 100GB | 100GB, SSD recommended |
| Network | Broadband connection | Broadband connection |
Two details are worth knowing. Grinding Gear says a graphics card with at least 3GB of video memory is required, so older 2GB cards are out. And Steam lists the recommended AMD chip as a "Ryzen 5 3700X," which doesn't exist. AMD's 3700X is a Ryzen 7, and that's the chip we've used in the table.
Neither column is demanding by 2026 standards, and a PC that clears the recommended spec shouldn't have much trouble with the campaign. The endgame is where that changes.
What Changes at 1.0
The biggest change is the price. Early access needed a Supporter Pack, and from December 11 the game is free for everyone on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The campaign also grows to its full six acts with Acts 5 and 6, and the Duelist arrives with swords as a new weapon type, bringing the class count to nine.
If you played during early access, Grinding Gear is moving those characters into a permanent Early Access league, and nothing from it carries over into the 1.0 economy. Everyone starts fresh on launch day. Microtransactions bought for Path of Exile 1 or 2 are shared between the two games where they apply.
None of that has changed the system requirements yet. Content updates tend to grow the install size, so leave more free space than the 100GB on the spec sheet.
Why the Endgame Is Harder on Your PC Than the Campaign
Path of Exile 2 starts out looking like a fairly light game, and then the endgame fills the screen. Packs of monsters, layered spell effects, minions and loot all land at once, and in the shop we see that kind of chaos lean on the CPU at least as much as the graphics card. A PC that cruises through the campaign can still dip in late-game maps, and a faster CPU is what holds the frame rate steady there.
The game also has an engine multithreading option in its settings. PCGamesN recommends leaving it on, and that's what we'd do too, especially on a 6-core or 8-core chip.
The Settings That Cost the Most Frames
When PCGamesN tested Path of Exile 2's settings at the early access launch, two settings stood out. Dropping Shadow and GI Quality from Ultra to Low raised their 1080p result from 117 to 135fps, and switching the lighting mode from Shadows and Global Illumination to Shadows only took it to 137fps. Most other settings made little difference. If you're close to the minimum spec, those are the first two to lower.
The game supports NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FSR and Intel XeSS for upscaling, and PCGamesN recommends DLSS where your card supports it. There's no official frame generation support. The Windows and driver tweaks in our free FPS boost guide apply here too, and they cost nothing.
RAM, VRAM and Storage
Grinding Gear's 16GB recommendation is enough for the game by itself. If you run Discord, a browser with a build guide or a trade site open, and maybe a stream, our RAM guide explains when 32GB starts to make sense.
For video memory, 3GB is the hard floor, and our VRAM guide puts 8GB as the amount that holds up at 1080p in lighter and older games, which is where Path of Exile 2 sits. Storage is the bigger ask at 100GB, and Grinding Gear recommends an SSD. Our storage guide shows how many games of this size a 1TB drive holds.
To check your own parts against the table, our guide to checking if your PC can run a game walks through it in a few minutes. If you're also eyeing the other big PC launch this season, our WoW Forever requirements guide covers that one.
What We'd Build for Path of Exile 2
Prices below were checked on November 2, 2026. Check each product page for current pricing and availability.
For a free-to-play game, a budget build makes a lot of sense. The CYCLONE ($1,249) is the budget pick, with a Ryzen 5 5500, an RTX 5050 and 16GB of DDR4, and its 1TB drive has room for the 100GB install. It clears the recommended spec on both CPU and graphics. One step up, the SHADEv3 ($1,999) moves to a Zen 5 Ryzen 5 9600X and a 16GB RX 9060 XT on AM5, which gives the endgame more CPU headroom and leaves a CPU upgrade path open.
If you want the smoothest late-game maps at 1440p, the IRONREIGN ($3,899) runs a Ryzen 7 7800X3D with an RTX 5070 Ti and 32GB of DDR5-6000. The 7800X3D's large cache is the reason we'd pick it for a game that throws this much at the CPU.
FAQ
When does Path of Exile 2 1.0 come out?
Path of Exile 2 leaves early access and launches as 1.0 on December 11, 2026 (Pacific time). The launch adds Acts 5 and 6 to complete the campaign, along with the new Duelist class.
Is Path of Exile 2 free to play?
Path of Exile 2 becomes free-to-play when 1.0 launches on December 11, 2026. During early access, playing required buying a Supporter Pack.
What are the Path of Exile 2 system requirements?
The minimum is an Intel Core i7-7700 or Ryzen 5 2500X, 8GB of RAM, a GTX 960 (3GB), Arc A380 or RX 470, and 100GB of storage. The recommended spec is a Core i5-10500 or Ryzen 7 3700X, 16GB of RAM, an RTX 2060, Arc A770 or RX 5600 XT, and an SSD.
Can a GTX 1060 run Path of Exile 2?
Both versions of the GTX 1060 clear the minimum spec, since Grinding Gear lists a 3GB GTX 960 as the floor. The 6GB model gives you more room, and with either one, expect to lower settings in crowded endgame maps.
Does Path of Exile 2 support DLSS?
Path of Exile 2 supports NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FSR and Intel XeSS upscaling. It doesn't officially support frame generation.
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