Summary
- Doom: The Dark Ages requires high-end hardware: 8-core CPU, RTX 2060/AMD RX 6600 GPU, 16 GB RAM, NVME SSD.
- The Ultra 4K preset demands an RTX 4080/Radeon RX 7900 XT or newer graphics card for optimal performance.
- Doom: The Dark Ages features ray tracing and a powerful soundtrack, among other things.
PC gamers will need powerful hardware to run Doom: The Dark Ages, as id Software revealed the specs required to play the game at different resolutions. Doom: The Dark Ages follows in the footsteps of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, as it requires a solid-state drive (SSD) and a graphics card capable of utilizing ray tracing.
During the final segment of the 2025 Xbox Developer Direct broadcast, id Software closed the show with a look at Doom: The Dark Ages. A prequel to 2016's Doom, the upcoming entry in the beloved FPS franchise will hearken back to the strafe-focused combat style of the original Doom games on PC. The Doom Slayer will have a new buzzsaw shield alongside an arsenal of powerful firearms as he carves a path of destruction across vast levels and dark environments. Doom: The Dark Ages will be released on May 15, including a Day One launch on Xbox Game Pass on console, PC, and Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Doom: The Dark Ages Hands-Off Preview - Doom Slayer Goes Medieval
The Best War Games recently saw Doom: The Dark Ages in action, and its shaping up to be the Doom Slayer's largest, most ambitious adrenaline-fueled romp yet.
Although Doom: The Dark Ages will run on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, PC players need some beefy components to play the upcoming title. According to Bethesda, Doom: The Dark Ages will join another of the company's AAA titles, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, in requiring an SSD and a GPU capable of ray tracing. Playing Doom: The Dark Ages at 1080p and 60 frames per second (FPS) requires an 8-core CPU, starting with AMD's Zen 2 and Intel's 10th generation and up. The ray tracing requirement means that only the AMD Radeon RX 6000, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060, or higher will be necessary. At least 16 GB of RAM and 100GB of storage space on an NVME SSD will also be needed. Jumping to 1440p high video settings will require components like the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X processor, an RTX 3080 graphics card, and 32 GB of RAM.
Doom: The Dark Ages PC Spec Requirements (January 23)
|
Preset |
Minimum |
Recommended |
Ultra 4K |
|
Player Experience |
1080p / 60 FPS / Low Video Settings |
1440p / 60 FPS / High Video Settings |
2160p / 60 FPS / Ultra Video Settings |
|
OS |
Windows 10 64-bit / Windows 11 64-bit |
Windows 10 64-bit / Windows 11 64-bit |
Windows 10 64-bit / Windows 11 64-bit |
|
CPU |
AMD Zen 2 or Intel 10th Generation @3.2 GHz with 8 Cores / 16 threads or better (Examples: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X, Intel Core i7 10700K) |
AMD Zen 3 or Intel 12th Generation @3.2 GHz with 8 Cores / 16 threads or better (Examples: AMD Ryzen 7 5700X, Intel Core i7 12700K) |
AMD Zen 3 or Intel 12th Generation @3.2 GHz with 8 Cores / 16 threads or better (Examples: AMD Ryzen 7 5700X, Intel Core i7 12700K) |
|
GPU |
Nvidia or AMD Hardware Ray Tracing Capable GPU With 8GB Dedicated VRAM or better (Examples: Nvidia RTX 2060 Super, AMD Radeon RX 6600) |
Nvidia or AMD Hardware Ray Tracing Capable GPU With 10GB Dedicated VRAM or better (Examples: Nvidia RTX 3080, AMD Radeon RX 6800) |
Nvidia or AMD Hardware Ray Tracing Capable GPU With 16GB Dedicated VRAM or better (Examples: Nvidia RTX 4080, AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT) |
|
System RAM |
16 GB |
32 GB |
32 GB |
|
Storage Capacity |
512 GB or Higher NVME SSD (100 GB Available) |
512 GB or Higher NVME SSD (100 GB Available) |
512 GB or Higher NVME SSD (100 GB Available) |
The highest preset, Ultra 4K, requires an RTX 4080 or Radeon RX 7900 XT or newer graphics card. Alongside the ray tracing and SSD requirements, Doom: The Dark Ages will utilize Nvidia's Multi-Frame Generation and Ray Reconstruction technologies to increase performance. However, the Multi-Frame Generation and Ray Reconstruction features will require an RTX 50 series graphics card.
Between the visceral combat and its heavy soundtrack, Doom: The Dark Ages is one of the most anticipated games of 2025. Only time will tell how well the PC version of id Software's upcoming shooter will perform.
DOOM: The Dark Ages
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 86 /100 Critics Rec: 95%
- Released
- May 15, 2025
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence
- Developer(s)
- id Software
- Publisher(s)
- Bethesda Softworks
WHERE TO PLAY
BECOME THE SLAYER IN A MEDIEVAL WAR AGAINST HELL
DOOM: The Dark Ages is the prequel to the critically acclaimed DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal that tells an epic cinematic story worthy of the DOOM Slayer’s legend. In this third installment of the modern DOOM series, players will step into the blood-stained boots of the DOOM Slayer, in this never-before-seen dark and sinister medieval war against Hell.
DOOM: The Dark Ages is a dark fantasy/sci-fi single-player experience that delivers the searing combat and over-the-top visuals of the incomparable DOOM franchise, powered by the latest idTech engine.
REIGN IN HELL
As the super weapon of gods and kings, shred enemies with devastating favorites like the Super Shotgun while also wielding a variety of new bone-chewing weapons, including the versatile Shield Saw. Players will stand and fight on the demon-infested battlefields in the vicious, grounded combat the original DOOM is famous for.
STAND AND FIGHT
Experience an epic story of the DOOM Slayer’s rage in this cinematic and action-packed story. Bound to serve as the super weapon of gods and kings, the DOOM Slayer fends off demon hordes as their leader seeks to destroy the Slayer and become the only one that is feared. Witness the creation of a legend as the Slayer takes on all of Hell and turns the tide of the war.
DISCOVER UNKNOWN REALMS
In his quest to crush the legions of Hell, the Slayer must take the fight to never-before-seen realms. Mystery, challenges, and rewards lurk in every shadow of ruined castles, epic battlefields, dark forests, ancient hellscapes, and worlds beyond. Armed with the viciously powerful Shield Saw, cut through a dark world of menace and secrets in id's largest and most expansive levels to date.
- Engine
- id Tech
- Franchise
- DOOM
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PlayStation 5
- Genre(s)
- FPS, Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
