Dark Souls 1, 2 and 3 System Requirements on PC: Minimum and Recommended
Dark Souls is the trilogy that changed the industry: the "soulslike" cult began here, and 15 years later the games keep gaining new fans. Good news for newcomers: the series is noticeably kinder to hardware than modern AAA releases — even the most demanding third entry runs at medium settings on a GTX 1050-class GPU. Here's a look at the official system requirements of every entry and the remaster.
Which Dark Souls games exist
Today three games are relevant, and each has its "correct" version:
- Dark Souls: Remastered (2018) — an updated edition of the first game on the third game's engine: 60 FPS instead of 30, support for resolutions up to 4K, reworked multiplayer. This is the one to buy instead of the original 2012 Prepare to Die Edition.
- Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin (2015) — the complete edition of the second game with all DLCs and improved graphics.
- Dark Souls III (2016) — the trilogy's finale, the most demanding and technically polished entry.
All three games are available on PC (Steam), PlayStation and Xbox. Below are the requirements for each version.
Dark Souls: Remastered system requirements
Official requirements from Steam:
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 7 SP1 64-bit | Windows 10 64-bit |
| CPU | Intel Core i5-2300 (2.8 GHz) or AMD FX-6300 | Intel Core i7-3770 (3.4 GHz) or AMD FX-8350 |
| RAM | 6 GB | 8 GB |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 (2 GB) or AMD Radeon HD 6870 (1 GB) | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 (2 GB) or AMD Radeon HD 7970 (3 GB) |
| DirectX | Version 11 | Version 11 |
| Storage | 8 GB | 8 GB |
The remaster launches on practically anything: recent integrated graphics (Iris Xe, Radeon 680M) deliver 60 FPS at medium settings in 1080p.
Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin system requirements
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 7 SP1 64-bit | Windows 7 SP1 64-bit |
| CPU | Intel Core i3-2100 (3.1 GHz) or AMD FX-6300 (3.5 GHz) | Intel Core i7-2600 (3.4 GHz) or AMD FX-8350 |
| RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 (1 GB) or AMD Radeon HD 6870 (1 GB) | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 (2 GB) or AMD Radeon HD 7850 (2 GB) |
| DirectX | Version 11 | Version 11 |
| Storage | 15 GB | 15 GB |
The second entry is the least demanding in the trilogy: the recommended GPU on the level of a GTX 750 was modest even by 2015 standards.
Dark Souls III system requirements
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 7 SP1 64-bit | Windows 10 64-bit |
| CPU | Intel Core i3-2100 (3.1 GHz) or AMD FX-6300 (3.5 GHz) | Intel Core i7-3770 (3.4 GHz) or AMD FX-8350 (4 GHz) |
| RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti (2 GB) or AMD Radeon HD 7950 (3 GB) | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 (4 GB) or AMD Radeon R9 series |
| DirectX | Version 11 | Version 11 |
| Storage | 25 GB | 25 GB |
The third entry is the most demanding thanks to larger locations and effects (ash, lighting, particles), but even it is light by today's standards: a GTX 1050 Ti pulls the game at high settings in 1080p with a stable 60 FPS.
What PC do you need for comfortable play
All Dark Souls games are capped at 60 FPS on consoles and PC, so extreme hardware isn't needed — the goal is a stable 60:
- Dark Souls Remastered and DS2 at maximum, 60 FPS (1080p) — Iris Xe / Radeon 680M integrated graphics or any discrete GPU from GTX 1050, 8 GB RAM.
- Dark Souls III at high, 60 FPS (1080p) — GTX 1050 Ti / RX 570, 8 GB RAM, a quad-core CPU of any generation.
- The trilogy at maximum in 1440p — GTX 1660 Super / RTX 3050, 16 GB RAM — with a huge margin.
The only thing to watch is the CPU in the third entry: in areas with many enemies (like the "Undead Settlement" early in the game), a weak CPU can dip below 60. A modern quad-core (Ryzen 3 3100 / Core i3-10100 or newer) solves the problem entirely.
Will Dark Souls run on a weak PC or laptop
Yes, the trilogy is an excellent pick for weak hardware. At minimum settings:
- Dark Souls Remastered and DS2 confidently run on Intel UHD 750 / Iris Xe integrated graphics and old GPUs like the GTX 750;
- Dark Souls III on Iris Xe and Radeon 680M integrated graphics holds 30–45 FPS at low in 720p–900p;
- on old laptops, lowering the resolution and turning off anti-aliasing helps — the game remains perfectly playable.
On Steam Deck all three entries run great: Remastered and DS2 hold 60 FPS at medium, DS3 — 40–60 at low-medium.
Frequently asked questions
How big are Dark Souls on PC?
Dark Souls Remastered is about 8 GB, Scholar of the First Sin — 15 GB, Dark Souls III — 25 GB. The entire trilogy takes roughly 50 GB.
Which game should a newcomer start with?
The games are barely connected story-wise, but the accepted order starts with Dark Souls: Remastered — the original game of the series. If the first entry feels too clunky (and it is), you can start with the third — it's the most polished.
Can you play with keyboard and mouse?
Technically yes, all entries support keyboard and mouse, but the series is designed around a gamepad — it's simply more comfortable.
Is there a Russian language in Dark Souls?
The trilogy has no official Russian localization — only English and other European languages. Fan translations exist for the PC versions.
Conclusion
Dark Souls is a rare example of a cult AAA series that doesn't demand a powerful PC: the recommended GPUs on the level of GTX 960–970 came out over ten years ago. For the whole trilogy at high settings in 1080p, a GTX 1050 Ti and 8 GB RAM are enough, and owners of modern laptops with integrated graphics can complete the games without a discrete GPU at all. The only exception is the CPU for the third entry: get a modern quad-core and you won't see a single drop.