The Ascent
To run The Ascent (2021) on PC you need at least a Intel Core Intel Core i5-3470 (4 * 3200) or equivalent / AMD FX-8350 (4 * 4000) or equivalent processor and a GeForce GTX 660 ( 2048 MB) / Radeon R9 390X (8192 MB), with 8GB of RAM and 35GB of free storage. For higher settings and frame rates, the recommended specs are a Intel Core i7-6700K (4 * 4000) or equivalent / AMD Ryzen 5 2600 (6 * 3400) or equivalent and a Geforce GTX 1070 (8192 MB) / Radeon RX 5700 (8192 MB) with 16GB of RAM. Check your exact PC against The Ascent with our free Can I Run It tool, estimate your frame rate with the FPS Estimator, or see the best GPU for The Ascent.
System Requirements
Minimum
- CPU: Intel Core Intel Core i5-3470 (4 * 3200) or equivalent / AMD FX-8350 (4 * 4000) or equivalent
- GPU: GeForce GTX 660 ( 2048 MB) / Radeon R9 390X (8192 MB)
- RAM: 8
- Storage: 35
Recommended
- CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K (4 * 4000) or equivalent / AMD Ryzen 5 2600 (6 * 3400) or equivalent
- GPU: Geforce GTX 1070 (8192 MB) / Radeon RX 5700 (8192 MB)
- RAM: 16
- Storage: 35
Building a PC to play The Ascent at its best
Meeting the The Ascent minimum requirements (a GeForce GTX 660 ( 2048 MB) / Radeon R9 390X (8192 MB)) is enough to launch the game, but it won't give you high frame rates at 1440p or 4K. The recommended Geforce GTX 1070 (8192 MB) / Radeon RX 5700 (8192 MB) is a solid target, and stepping up to a GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, RTX 5080 or Radeon RX 9070 XT gives you the headroom for ultra settings, ray tracing and high-refresh play. On mid-range cards, DLSS 4 and FSR frame generation can lift The Ascent's frame rate substantially, while a flagship RTX 5090 drives 4K at maximum settings.
The processor matters just as much: pairing your graphics card with a Ryzen 7 9800X3D or an Intel Core Ultra, at least 16GB (ideally 32GB) of DDR5 RAM and a fast Gen5 NVMe SSD removes the stutter and long load times that can hold The Ascent back. For modern textures at 4K, aim for a GPU with 12–16GB of VRAM so you never run short.
The same premium components also decide whether your rig is VR ready: if you game in virtual reality on a Meta Quest 3, Valve Index or PlayStation VR2, a strong GPU and CPU are what hold a steady 90 FPS. Check your exact setup against The Ascent with the free Can I Run It tool, or see the best GPU for The Ascent.
The Ascent — Frequently Asked Questions
What are the minimum requirements for The Ascent?
The Ascent needs at least a Intel Core Intel Core i5-3470 (4 * 3200) or equivalent / AMD FX-8350 (4 * 4000) or equivalent CPU and a GeForce GTX 660 ( 2048 MB) / Radeon R9 390X (8192 MB) graphics card, 8GB of RAM and 35GB of storage.
What are the recommended specs for The Ascent?
For a smooth experience, The Ascent recommends a Intel Core i7-6700K (4 * 4000) or equivalent / AMD Ryzen 5 2600 (6 * 3400) or equivalent and a Geforce GTX 1070 (8192 MB) / Radeon RX 5700 (8192 MB) with 16GB of RAM.
How much RAM does The Ascent need?
The Ascent requires 8GB of RAM as a minimum, with 16GB recommended.
What GPU do you need to run The Ascent?
The minimum graphics card for The Ascent is a GeForce GTX 660 ( 2048 MB) / Radeon R9 390X (8192 MB), while a Geforce GTX 1070 (8192 MB) / Radeon RX 5700 (8192 MB) is recommended for higher settings. Check any GPU against this game with our Can I Run It tool.
