Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl PC Specs & Requirements

Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is the highly anticipated sequel to the well-loved S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise that last saw a game release in 2009, and is set to release on September 5th 2024. 

With a fifteen-year gap separating the games, there’s naturally going to be a step up in PC requirements for this new title. However, they do fall within the typical territory we’ve come to see with modern releases, so there shouldn’t be many surprises.

But, as with most PC games, if you’re looking to crank up the settings to their maximum and play at 4K, you won’t be able to get away with a machine with decade-old parts. 

If upon cross-referencing your build to the specifications below you find that they fall short, you may need to think about either upgrading individual components, or simply upgrading to a new PC entirely. Both of these options can be fulfilled by us here at Chillblast with our team of experts here to help with any further questions you may have.

So, let’s take a look at Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl and discover what hardware you will need to immerse yourself inside this dangerous exclusion zone.

Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl PC Minimum Requirements

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 1600X or Intel Core i5-7600K
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB or NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB
• Storage: 150 GB available space

This list outlines the Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl minimum PC requirements that developers GSC Game World think will get the game up and running and should provide at least a 1080p experience.

Most of the CPU and GPU options listed are approaching 8 years old. Although that doesn’t mean they aren’t capable of playing modern games, as this game’s specs clearly show, it does suggest that just about any gaming PC from the past 8 or so years will have no trouble getting this game up and running. 

One area that will need attention though, is the storage space required to install the game. With a substantial 150 GB required, definitely consider upgrading your system with an SSD for faster load times, even if it's a relatively small one.

If your PC just meets these specifications, however, you will need to be content with the lowest settings. You’ll only be able to play at around 1080p at 30 FPS with pretty much all the settings on low, which is fine if you’re playing on a small monitor, but if you’re trying to play on a larger monitor or even a TV, it’s not going to look great.

Image credit: GSC Game World

What PC do we recommend?

A PC that we'd recommend at this level would be the Ignition Intel Core i3 GTX 1650 Gaming PC.

As the minimum specs listed are showing their age now, anything from the last 5 years will surpass it and so that’s the case with this PC.

It houses much newer components in the form of the Nvidia GTX 1650 GPU and the Intel i3 12100. Both parts are some of the best entry-level options on the market and offer excellent value for money for those looking for a more budget system that will still allow for moderate gaming.

It also comes stocked with double the minimum requirement for RAM at 16GB, plus a huge 1TB SSD to store the game giving you more than enough space for a few others too.

Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl PC Recommended Requirements

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X or Intel Core i7-9700K
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 8GB or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8GB or NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB
• Storage: 150 GB available space

Systems that fall within these recommended specifications will provide a great gameplay experience at 1080p (and possibly 1440p), raising framerates from those achieved using the minimum specs, whilst maintaining visual integrity.

It’s definitely a bit of a jump from the minimum specs, but with the amount of detail highlighted in the trailer on the game’s Steam page, it’s an understandable one.

Even though all of the parts listed here are a good few generations old now, they are still high performers and will easily give you a smooth 1080p experience.

However, older graphics cards like these are nowadays sold second-hand and it’s not always clear what they have been used for, so buying one can be a gamble. Many will have been used for crypto mining which is a highly intensive task for a GPU to run, and after running 24/7 for a long period of time, they’ll have little to no juice left for gaming.

With this in mind, it’s usually a much better option to buy new from a reputable source; either the graphics card alone or as part of a custom or pre-built PC.

Image credit: GSC Game World

What PC do we recommend?

A PC that we'd recommend at this level would be the Evolution AMD Ryzen 5 RX 7600 Gaming PC.

Just as with our PC suggestion for the minimum specs, this PC features much more recent parts, upgrading the CPU to an AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and the GPU to an AMD RX 7600. The combination of these newer parts means more future-proofing alongside a top-tier 1080p (and even 1440p) experience.

GSC Game World may not have officially stated whether or not Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl will support AMD’s FSR technology at launch, but with most modern games implementing it we can assume they will too as to not be left behind.

What do you need to play Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl at higher resolutions?

GSC Game World hasn’t released official high-resolution specs, but to enjoy a game like Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl at 4K, all while having graphical settings on high, these are the specs we think your system will need to hit at the very minimum.

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600x or Intel i5 11600k
• GPU: AMD RX 6800 XT or Nvidia RTX 3080
• Storage Space: No official size mentioned, but likely close to 100GB
• RAM: 16 GB

Like the other requirement lists, these components are also not of the most current generation. So, to hit these specs without spending money on out-of-date parts, consider a system like the Chilblast Evolution Intel Core i5 RTX 4070 Gaming PC.

This Chillblast PC features the Intel Core i5 13500 processor, which offers excellent gaming performance and multitasking capabilities. Paired with the Nvidia RTX 4070, you can expect smooth gameplay at 4K at high settings in most games.

Plus, with full support for DLSS, it can drive up frame rates in supported games even more, and it even has some impressive ray-tracing support in compatible games

It even comes with a 1TB SSD which is ample room for your game library, plus a solid 16GB of high-speed memory.

Image credit: GSC Game World

Stick to the recommended side of things

If you don't have the budget to cover a more high-end PC, we’d recommend bypassing the list of minimum specifications entirely and instead aim to use the recommended specs as your starting point.

Even with games that list relatively undemanding requirements, you'll almost always be better off aiming for the most up-to-date components. Both to ensure you get the best gameplay experience possible, and to give your system the most amount of future-proofing.

If you are stuck when it comes to choosing a graphics card, this article comparing AMD and Nvidia GPUs could help narrow down your choices. As can this article about the decision between Intel or AMD CPUs.

What does Chillblast recommend?

Overall, the recommended specifications listed by GSC Game World will no doubt provide you with a good experience, but you can always aim higher if you have the budget. While meeting the minimum requirements will allow you to play the game smoothly, upgrading to a more powerful Chillblast PC will enhance your gaming experience, especially if you aim to play at higher resolutions and settings.

If you need any further help building the PC to play this, and other games you’re excited about, get in touch with Chillblast and our system-building experts will walk you through everything you need.