Not every game is created equal when it comes to hardware demands. Some titles push even the latest GPUs to their limits, while others run on a potato. If you are building or upgrading a gaming PC in 2026, you need to know which games are the hardest to run so you can plan your budget accordingly.
We analyzed the recommended system requirements of all 1,500+ games in our database and ranked them by their recommended GPU benchmark score. This is not about minimum specs (which often deliver a miserable experience) but what you actually need for a smooth, enjoyable playthrough.
Quick Summary: Top 15 Most Demanding Games
| # | Game | Rec. GPU Score | Rec. RAM | GPU Tier Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OMSI 2: Steam Edition | 52,150 | 4 GB | RTX 4070 Ti / RX 7900 XT or better |
| 2 | Dark and Darker | 38,628 | 16 GB | RTX 4070 Ti / RX 7900 XT or better |
| 3 | Hentai Police Trio | 38,628 | 2 GB | RTX 4070 Ti / RX 7900 XT or better |
| 4 | Escape from Tarkov | 31,500 | 64 GB | RTX 4070 Ti / RX 7900 XT or better |
| 5 | Kingdom Come: Deliverance II | 31,500 | 32 GB | RTX 4070 Ti / RX 7900 XT or better |
| 6 | Half Sword | 31,500 | 16 GB | RTX 4070 Ti / RX 7900 XT or better |
| 7 | Screamer | 31,500 | 16 GB | RTX 4070 Ti / RX 7900 XT or better |
| 8 | Fantastical Maze | 31,500 | 16 GB | RTX 4070 Ti / RX 7900 XT or better |
| 9 | Windrose | 25,950 | 32 GB | RTX 4070 Ti / RX 7900 XT or better |
| 10 | Cities: Skylines II | 25,950 | 16 GB | RTX 4070 Ti / RX 7900 XT or better |
| 11 | Borderlands 4 | 25,950 | 32 GB | RTX 4070 Ti / RX 7900 XT or better |
| 12 | Broken Arrow | 25,950 | 16 GB | RTX 4070 Ti / RX 7900 XT or better |
| 13 | VEIN | 25,950 | 24 GB | RTX 4070 Ti / RX 7900 XT or better |
| 14 | Pro Soccer Online | 25,950 | 16 GB | RTX 4070 Ti / RX 7900 XT or better |
| 15 | DOOM: The Dark Ages | 25,950 | 32 GB | RTX 4070 Ti / RX 7900 XT or better |
Full Rankings: The 15 Most Demanding PC Games
#1 — OMSI 2: Steam Edition
- Recommended GPU: GeForce or comparable AMD with 1024 MB (score: 52,150)
- Recommended RAM: 4 GB
- Minimum GPU: GeForce or comparable AMD with minimum 512 MB (score: 52,150)
- Storage: Not specified
Verdict: Needs a high-end GPU. Budget builds will struggle.
#2 — Dark and Darker
- Recommended GPU: GeForce RTX or Radeon RX5600 or Intel Arc A580 or above (score: 38,628)
- Recommended RAM: 16 GB
- Minimum GPU: GeForce GTX 1060 with 3GB of video RAM or Radeon RX 580 with 4GB of video RAM or Intel Arc A380 (score: 9,500)
- Storage: 15 GB
Verdict: Needs a high-end GPU. Budget builds will struggle.
#3 — Hentai Police Trio
- Recommended GPU: 2 GB GeForce or AMD (score: 38,628)
- Recommended RAM: 2 GB
- Minimum GPU: 2 GB GeForce or AMD (score: 38,628)
- Storage: 0.488281 GB
Verdict: Needs a high-end GPU. Budget builds will struggle.
#4 — Escape from Tarkov
- Recommended GPU: RTX 4070 or better (score: 31,500)
- Recommended RAM: 64 GB
- Minimum GPU: GTX 1660 or similar (score: 12,450)
- Storage: 80 GB
Verdict: Needs a high-end GPU. Budget builds will struggle.
#5 — Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- Recommended GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070, AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT (score: 31,500)
- Recommended RAM: 32 GB
- Minimum GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB), AMD Radeon RX 580 (score: 9,500)
- Storage: 100 GB
Verdict: Needs a high-end GPU. Budget builds will struggle.
#6 — Half Sword
- Recommended GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070, AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT (score: 31,500)
- Recommended RAM: 16 GB
- Minimum GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB), AMD Radeon RX 580 (score: 9,500)
- Storage: 15 GB
Verdict: Needs a high-end GPU. Budget builds will struggle.
#7 — Screamer
- Recommended GPU: GeForce RTX 4070 (12288 MB) / Radeon RX 9070 XT (16384 MB) or equivalent (score: 31,500)
- Recommended RAM: 16 GB
- Minimum GPU: GeForce GTX 1060 (6144 MB)/Radeon RX 5500 XT (8192 MB) or equivalent (score: 9,500)
- Storage: 35 GB
Verdict: Needs a high-end GPU. Budget builds will struggle.
#8 — Fantastical Maze
- Recommended GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 (8GB VRAM or more) (score: 31,500)
- Recommended RAM: 16 GB
- Minimum GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti / AMD Radeon R7 260X (2GB VRAM or more) (score: 3,700)
- Storage: 5 GB
Verdict: Needs a high-end GPU. Budget builds will struggle.
#9 — Windrose
- Recommended GPU: NVIDIA® RTX™ 3080 / AMD® Radeon™ RX 6800 XT (score: 25,950)
- Recommended RAM: 32 GB
- Minimum GPU: NVIDIA® GTX™ 1080 Ti / AMD® Radeon™ RX 6800 (score: 16,050)
- Storage: 30 GB
Verdict: Needs a high-end GPU. Budget builds will struggle.
#10 — Cities: Skylines II
- Recommended GPU: Nvidia® GeForce™ RTX 3080 (10 GB) | AMD® Radeon™ RX 6800 XT (16 GB) (score: 25,950)
- Recommended RAM: 16 GB
- Minimum GPU: Nvidia® GeForce™ GTX 970 (4 GB) | AMD® Radeon™ RX 480 (8 GB) (score: 8,600)
- Storage: 60 GB
Verdict: Needs a high-end GPU. Budget builds will struggle.
#11 — Borderlands 4
- Recommended GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 / AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT / Intel Arc B580 (score: 25,950)
- Recommended RAM: 32 GB
- Minimum GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 / AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT / Intel Arc A580 (score: 17,600)
- Storage: 100 GB
Verdict: Needs a high-end GPU. Budget builds will struggle.
#12 — Broken Arrow
- Recommended GPU: GeForce RTX 3080 (10240 MB) / Radeon RX 6800 XT (16384 MB) (score: 25,950)
- Recommended RAM: 16 GB
- Minimum GPU: GeForce GTX 1650 (4096 MB) / Radeon RX 570 (4096 MB) (score: 10,250)
- Storage: 85 GB
Verdict: Needs a high-end GPU. Budget builds will struggle.
#13 — VEIN
- Recommended GPU: NVIDIA RTX 3080 or equivalent (score: 25,950)
- Recommended RAM: 24 GB
- Minimum GPU: NVIDIA RTX 2060 or equivalent (score: 15,500)
- Storage: 100 GB
Verdict: Needs a high-end GPU. Budget builds will struggle.
#14 — Pro Soccer Online
- Recommended GPU: Nvidia RTX 3080 or AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT or higher (score: 25,950)
- Recommended RAM: 16 GB
- Minimum GPU: Any DirectX 11 or 12 compatible card for Windows
- Storage: 1 GB
Verdict: Needs a high-end GPU. Budget builds will struggle.
#15 — DOOM: The Dark Ages
- Recommended GPU: NVIDIA or AMD hardware Raytracing-capable GPU with 10GB dedicated VRAM or better (examples: NVIDIA RTX 3080 or better, AMD RX 6800 or better) (score: 25,950)
- Recommended RAM: 32 GB
- Minimum GPU: NVIDIA or AMD hardware Raytracing-capable GPU with 8GB dedicated VRAM or better (examples: NVIDIA RTX 2060 SUPER or better, AMD RX 6600 or better) (score: 15,500)
- Storage: 100 GB
Verdict: Needs a high-end GPU. Budget builds will struggle.
What GPU Do You Actually Need?
Here is a realistic breakdown of what each GPU tier can handle among these demanding titles:
- GTX 1650 (score ~7,950): Cannot run most of these games at recommended settings. You will be stuck on low/minimum for all of them.
- RTX 3060 (score ~17,050): Handles the mid-range entries at recommended settings. The top 5 will require lowered settings.
- RTX 4070 (score ~26,900): Runs everything on this list at recommended settings or above. The sweet spot for demanding games in 2026.
If you are shopping for a GPU specifically to handle these demanding titles, check our Best GPU for Gaming in 2026 guide.
Final Verdict
The most demanding games in 2026 generally require a GPU with a benchmark score of 15,000 or higher for the recommended experience. That translates to an RTX 3060 Ti or better at minimum, with an RTX 4070 being the ideal sweet spot.
The good news? You do not need to spend $800+ unless you want 4K at max settings. A $350-550 GPU handles the vast majority of these titles at 1080p or 1440p.
For the less demanding side of PC gaming, check out our list of 50 Games That Run on Any PC or free games for low-end PCs.
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