Today’s gaming technology is more complex than ever – even high-end PCs can struggle to handle the latest AAA games. To make the most of the latest technology, gamers are forced to upgrade their PCs, especially ram memory. Whether it’s RAM or video memory, new games put a lot of strain on it. The following games are among the most challenging, requiring a higher level of RAM upgrades. It remains to be seen whether DDR5 RAM will be recommended in the future.
We’re not going to start with a game, but with the mods that enhance not only the visual experience but also the gameplay of a game.
Mods
Mods can considerably increase the RAM demand of a video game. For example, Minecraft with several mods can require 16 GB, and if you modify more recent games such as Kerbal Space Program 2, Bannerlord and Red Dead Redemption 2, you’ll need even more RAM. You’ll need to check the release notes for each mod to determine how much RAM is required, and make sure your consumption is adequate when you’re installing lots of mods. You may need to upgrade your PC for the mods to run properly.
Starfield
Starfield will undoubtedly be one of the biggest games of recent years, and Bethesda has a lot of ambitions for it. 16 GB of memory are required as a minimum, although the recommended version won’t sing. More memory may be required for the game, to support the highest settings and resolutions, 32 GB will be essential.
Cyberpunk 2077
To play CD Project Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 in 2020, you need to be prepared to invest in more powerful hardware. CDPR has recently updated its graphics requirements and memory requirements for the game, and has now recommended 20 GB RAM for Ultra mode without ray tracing, and 24 GB RAM with Overdrive mode, as well as one of the fastest graphics cards.
Forspoken
Forspoken may have had a rough start – our review raised concerns – but it’s still a very beautiful and challenging game. The minimum system requirements call for 16 GB of RAM, and the game recommends you go up to 24 GB. 32 GB of RAM is required to play at high 4K resolution.
Returnal
The first version of Returnal required 32 GB of memory to work properly, but on release only 16 GB was needed. Those with more than 16 GB will still receive some advantages here. For those wishing to play in 1440p and 4K, 32 GB is nevertheless recommended.
Star Citizen
Star Citizen is one of the games with the greatest capacity for constant updating. Of course, it’s possible to play it right now, any way you want, but to support the various alpha game modes, you’ll need a powerful PC. You’ll need 16GB of RAM for the game with the minimum specs, but to play at 1440p or 4K, you’ll need a lot more. Gamers who tested the game with high settings claimed that the game itself required more than 30 GB, meaning that those with 64 GB of RAM will be able to get the most out of Star Citizen.
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Microsoft Flight Simulator was released in 2020 and is very demanding when it comes to system requirements – 16 GB RAM being recommended. However, Flight Simulator’s use of nearly 16 GB may not leave much room for other programs, and 32 GB could give you some advantage. However, with Flight Simulator 2024, choosing to have 32 GB or more may become necessary for game settings above the minimum.
Ark 2
The technical development of the original Ark: Survival Evolved was arduous, mainly due to optimization difficulties. ARK 2, however, will be far more demanding for the latest and most powerful gaming PCs, although no exact specifications are yet available. Fans of the original speculate that it may well exploit Unreal Engine and include ray tracing, which would make the game very resource-hungry. That’s why many gamers are preparing themselves by beefing up their hardware and, for example, having a minimum of 32 GB RAM to start with.
ICARUS
To run ICARUS, an open-world survival game created by Dean Hall, of DayZ fame, optimally, you’ll need a PC with at least 32 GB of RAM. If you’re looking for an ultra-high-performance experience, then a larger memory mix is possible.