Permafrost System Requirements (PC): Can You Run It?

Before you set out into the endless winter, make sure your PC can handle it. These are the official Permafrost system requirements as listed on Steam ahead of the August 21, 2026 Early Access launch. As with any Early Access game, expect the recommended spec to shift as the game is optimized over time.

Minimum requirements

For 1080p at lower settings:

Component	Requirement
OS	Windows 10 (64-bit)
Processor	Intel Core i5-8600K or AMD Ryzen 5 3500
Memory	16 GB RAM
Graphics	NVIDIA GTX 1060 6GB or AMD RX 590 8GB
Storage	30 GB available space

Recommended requirements

For a smoother experience at higher settings:

Component	Requirement
OS	Windows 10 (64-bit)
Processor	Intel Core i5-12400 or AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
Memory	16 GB RAM
Graphics	NVIDIA RTX 3070 Ti or AMD RX 6750 XT
Storage	30 GB available space

What this tells us

A few takeaways stand out. 16 GB of RAM is the bar at both tiers, so memory is less likely to be your bottleneck than your GPU. The minimum graphics card is a GTX 1060, a card many players still own, which keeps the entry point reasonable for an open-world survival game with dynamic weather and large frozen environments.

The jump to the recommended RTX 3070 Ti suggests the engine can scale up meaningfully for players with modern hardware, which matters for a game built around storms, snow and sprawling outdoor vistas. If you sit between the two tiers, you should still get a solid experience by tuning settings.

Because Permafrost launches in Early Access, treat these numbers as a starting point. Optimization is one of the developer’s stated goals for the Early Access period, so real-world performance may improve as updates land. For more on the launch itself, see our release date guide.