Windows 11 Gaming Guide: Microsoft’s Recommended PC Specs for 1080p to 4K

According to a recent Microsoft support document published on 15 December 2025, Windows 11 gaming PCs can be optimised across entry-level to 4K setups to deliver a smoother, more immersive experience. The guidance mirrors typical game studio requirements and emphasises avoiding underpowered hardware that degrades gameplay quality.

For entry-level gaming at 1080p with medium settings, Microsoft lists a modern quad-core such as AMD Ryzen 5 5600 or Intel Core i5-12400 and a GPU like NVIDIA GTX 1660 Super or AMD Radeon RX 6600. In the mid-range tier for 1440p high settings, a 6-core or better CPU such as AMD Ryzen 5 7600 or Intel Core i5-13600K is recommended alongside GPUs like NVIDIA RTX 3060 Ti/4060 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT.

For high-end or 4K gaming, an 8-core or better CPU such as AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D or Intel Core i7-13700K is advised with GPUs including NVIDIA RTX 4080 or AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX. The article also notes that 16 GB of RAM suffices for most modern games, while 32 GB is ideal for demanding titles, and recommends 1 TB NVMe SSDs to support DirectStorage, which can reduce load times by allowing the GPU to access data directly from the SSD.