The March 20 release date for Sea of Thieves is on the horizon. After numerous tests in closed alpha and the recent closed beta session, Rare is nearly done with its pirate-themed game. In preparation for the release, the studio finally revealed the game’s lengthy list of PC hardware requirements.
As expected, the chart includes the hardware you need to play the game at 1080p and 4K at 30 or 60 frames per second (fps). However, you can even play the game at lower resolutions. Rare provided requirements to play at 720p with 30 fps, and if you’re tight on a budget you can even play at 540p and 30 fps, which uses integrated graphics on the CPU. There are also nicknames for the different graphics settings. The Ultra, or “Mythical” setting is reserved for 4K gaming, the Medium “Rare” (the proper way to cook a steak) option is for 1080p gameplay, and those using 720p will opt for the Low or “Common” tier. Playing at 540p is the “Cursed,” or minimum settings.
| Sea Of Thieves | Minimum (540p, 30fps) | Low (720p, 30fps) | Medium (1080p, 30 fps) | Medium (1080p, 60fps) | Ultra (4K, 30fps) | Ultra (4K, 60fps) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel CPUs with Iris Pro Graphics 6200 Intel CPUs with Iris 540 | Intel Q9450 (Yorkfield, 2.6GHz)AMD Phenom II X6 (3.3GHz) | Intel i3-4170 (Haswell, 3.7GHz)AMD FX-6300 (Vishera, 3.5GHz) | Intel i5-4690 (Haswell, 3.5GHz)AMD FX-8150 (Zambezi, 3.6GHz) | Intel i5-4690 (Haswell, 3.5GHz)AMD FX-8150 (Zambezi, 3.6GHz) | Intel i7-4790 (Haswell, 3.6GHz)AMD Ryzen 5 1600 (Summit Ridge, 3.2GHz) |
| GPU | Integrated graphics | Nvidia GeForce GTX 650Nvidia GeForce GTX 1030AMD Radeon HD 7750AMD Radeon R7 450 | Nvidia GeForce GTX 660Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 TiAMD Radeon R9 270AMD Radeon RX 460 | Nvidia GeForce GTX 770Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060AMD Radeon R9 380XAMD Radeon RX 470 | Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 TiNvidia GeForce GTX 1070AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 TiAMD Radeon RX Vega 64 |
| RAM | 4GB | 4GB | 8GB | 8GB | 16GB | 16GB |
| Storage | 60GB (5,400 rpm HDD) | 60GB (5,400 rpm HDD) | 60GB (7,200 rpm HDD) | 60GB (7,200 rpm HDD) | 60GB SSD | 60GB SSD |
| OS | Windows 10 Anniversary (Version 1607) | Windows 10 Anniversary (Version 1607) | Windows 10 Anniversary (Version 1607) | Windows 10 Anniversary (Version 1607) | Windows 10 Anniversary (Version 1607) | Windows 10 Anniversary (Version 1607) |
| API | DirectX 11 | DirectX 11 | DirectX 11 | DirectX 11 | DirectX 11 | DirectX 11 |
Just like other first-party titles from Microsoft, you will need to have the Windows 10 OS, specifically the Anniversary update, to run the game.
Rare even went out of the way to list the recommended speeds for those using a hard drive as well as accommodating for the current and previous generations of GPUs. According to PC design lead developer Ted Timmins, the in-depth chart was created to meet the expectations of PC gamers. He also noted that fans should see additional features on PC, such as the ability to rebind keys, unlock framerates, and change the field of view. Those options are common to PC games, but it's good to know Sea of Thieves' console iterations didn't restrict the PC version.
A few weeks ago, Rare launched a closed beta version of the game. Despite issues such as the “Too Early” message, “Beard” errors, and server capacity problems, many interested fans sailed the seas in search of treasure and combat. For more information about the game you can check out our impressions of the beta as well as an earlier build from E3.
