War Thunder is a free-to-play, cross-platform vehicle combat game from Gaijin Entertainment that has grown substantially since launch — its official storage requirement alone is now much larger than many players expect. Here is exactly what the developer's own store listing asks for, and what those numbers mean for a real PC.
Official minimum requirements
| Component | Minimum |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 (64-bit) |
| Processor | Dual-core, 2.2 GHz |
| Memory | 4 GB RAM |
| Graphics | DirectX 11-level GPU: AMD Radeon 77XX or NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 |
| DirectX | Version 11 |
| Network | Broadband internet connection |
| Storage | 70 GB available space |
Official recommended requirements
| Component | Recommended |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10/11 (64-bit) |
| Processor | Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600, or better |
| Memory | 16 GB RAM |
| Graphics | DirectX 11-level GPU or higher: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 or better, AMD Radeon RX 570 or better |
| DirectX | Version 12 |
| Network | Broadband internet connection |
| Storage | 95 GB available space |
These figures come directly from War Thunder's official Steam store page (retrieved September 2026). Gaijin Entertainment updates its listed requirements over time as the game's content and engine evolve, so treat this as a current snapshot rather than a permanent spec sheet — always check the live Steam page before buying hardware around it.
War Thunder is also playable online, so a broadband connection is part of the official requirement, not an optional extra.
What these numbers mean in practice
CPU. The minimum only asks for a dual-core 2.2 GHz chip, but the recommended tier jumps to a Core i5 or Ryzen 5 3600 class part. War Thunder's battles can involve dozens of vehicles, destructible terrain, and — in ground and naval modes especially — a lot of simultaneous physics and AI calculation, which leans on single- and multi-core CPU performance more than the bare minimum spec suggests.
GPU. The jump from a GTX 660-class card at minimum to a GTX 1060 / RX 570-class card at recommended reflects both higher expected resolutions and the game's more demanding graphics presets (dynamic weather, foliage, and higher-resolution vehicle and terrain textures). Official requirements describe a baseline for running the game, not a guarantee of any particular frame rate.
RAM. 16 GB recommended (against 4 GB minimum) is a meaningful gap, and it lines up with where most current games have settled — see Game Rig Lab's balanced 1440p PC build guide for why 16 GB has become a practical baseline rather than an overshoot.
Storage. The 95 GB recommended figure is easy to underestimate when planning a build or a drive upgrade. War Thunder's vehicle roster, map library, and audio/texture assets have grown considerably since its original release, and it continues to receive regular content updates.
Resolution and settings considerations
War Thunder exposes standard graphics-quality presets and separate controls for texture quality, view distance, and effects. The official requirements above are tied to running the game at all, not to a specific resolution or frame rate target — the developer's listing does not publish frame-rate figures for either tier, and Game Rig Lab has not independently benchmarked War Thunder on specific hardware configurations for this guide. Actual performance on your system will vary with resolution, chosen graphics settings, game mode (naval and ground battles tend to load more geometry and physics than air-only matches), and current driver version.
If you want a concrete answer for your own hardware rather than a general guideline, that is exactly what a requirements-matching tool is for.
Check your own PC against these requirements
Rather than comparing your specs to the table above by hand, open the War Thunder game page for its official requirements and game-specific check against a saved rig. You can also use Game Rig Lab's Can I Run It tool to check another supported title, or save your configuration to My Rig so future checks are one click instead of a fresh lookup each time.
If you're planning an upgrade
If your system falls short of the recommended tier, Upgrade Advisor can help identify which specific component is the limiting one for your target performance tier, rather than guessing whether it's the CPU, GPU, or RAM holding you back.
Conclusion
War Thunder's official minimum and recommended specifications are modest by current standards for the CPU and GPU, but its storage footprint is the number most players underestimate. Meeting the recommended tier is a reasonable target for a smooth experience, but the developer's own listing makes no frame-rate promises at either tier — your actual results depend on your specific hardware, settings, and game mode.
Sources
- War Thunder on Steam — official system requirements (Windows), directly verified and re-verified word-for-word during editorial review, September 2026.
