Summary

  • Helldivers 2 will be a third-person shooter instead of a top-down arcade shooter like its predecessor, giving it a new gameplay style.
  • The game will support cross-platform play between PS5 and PC, allowing players to engage with a larger pool of players.
  • The PC system requirements for Helldivers 2 are relatively modest, ensuring that a wide range of machines can enjoy the co-op chaos and dark comedy of the game.

Sony revealed more about the requirements and special features of the PC version of Helldivers 2, Arrowhead Game Studios' upcoming cooperative multiplayer shooter. The game itself is due out in early February 2024 for both PC and PS5.

A multiplayer classic from the early years of the PS4, 2015's Helldivers paired its chaotic co-op focus with a cheeky sense of sci-fi satire. Inspired by films like Starship Troopers and Aliens, Helldivers pitted the soldiers of "Super Earth" against hordes of aliens and cyborgs. When its sequel was revealed in May 2023, though, Arrowhead confirmed a dramatic change: Instead of being a top-down "twin-stick" arcade shooter like the original Helldivers, Helldivers 2 would be a third-person shooter instead. Its release date was also shifted from 2023 to February 8, 2024.

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Helldivers 2 Takes A Staple of Its Predecessor and Turns it On Its Head

The reveal of Helldivers 2 was accompanied by a surprising change that will clearly differentiate the sequel from its predecessor in one key way.

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In a PlayStation Blog post, Arrowhead outlined the system requirements players will need to meet to play Helldivers 2 on PC, as well as confirming a major multiplayer inclusion: crossplay. Cross-platform play is an increasingly significant feature, as the ability to play alongside players on other platforms ensures a multiplayer game has a much larger potential pool of players to draw from. Helldivers 2 will support cross-platform play between players on PS5 and on PC. As for PC requirements, the game will have four target PC specs based on performance: Minimum, Recommended, Performance, and Ultra.

Helldivers 2 PC System Requirements:

Helldivers 2 Minimum Specs:

The Minimum spec target on PC for Helldivers 2 should hit an average performance target of 30 FPS at 1080p resolution, with the "Low" graphics preset.

  • GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 470
  • CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K or AMD Ryzen 5 1500X
  • RAM: 8GB DDR4
  • OS: Windows 10 64-bit
  • Storage: 100GB HDD (7200rpm)

The Recommended spec target on PC for Helldivers 2 should hit an average performance target of 60 FPS at 1080p resolution, with the "Medium" graphics preset.

  • GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 2060 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT
  • CPU: Intel Core i7-9700K or AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
  • RAM: 16GB DDR4
  • OS: Windows 10 64-bit
  • Storage: 100GB SSD

Helldivers 2 Performance Specs:

The Performance spec target on PC for Helldivers 2 should hit an average performance target of 60 FPS at 1440p resolution, with the "High" graphics preset.

  • GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 or AMD Radeon RX 6800
  • CPU: Intel Core i5-12600K or AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D
  • RAM: 16GB DDR4
  • OS: Windows 10 64-bit
  • Storage: 100GB SSD

Helldivers 2 Ultra Specs:

The Ultra spec target on PC for Helldivers 2 should hit an average performance target of 60 FPS at 4K resolution (2160p), with the "Very High" graphics preset.

  • GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
  • CPU: Intel Core i5-12600K or AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D
  • RAM: 16GB DDR4
  • OS: Windows 10 64-bit
  • Storage: 100GB SSD

While Helldivers 2 might be seen by some as a "PlayStation exclusive," the game's simultaneous PC and PS5 release and support for cross-play makes it a true multi-platform title, even with the exclusion of other systems. That's for the best, given the importance of teamwork in the design of Helldivers 2. The PC specs outlined by Arrowhead are also quite modest at the lower end, and should ensure that players on a fairly wide range of machines will get to enjoy the co-op chaos and the dark comedy of the Helldivers universe.

That universe is one where Helldiver soldiers drop from orbit to blast swarms of aliens and cyborgs in an effort to spread "Managed Democracy" across the universe. The games' characterization of "Super Earth" as a thinly veiled authoritarian regime adds a sinister edge to the slapstick antics of soldiers accidentally crushing each other with drop pods or badly aimed explosives.

Helldivers 2 also promises to be something of a first for developer Arrowhead Game Studios. Helldivers 2 is Arrowhead's first release since the original Helldivers, as well as its first third-person shooter. The Sweden-based studio made its name on quirky titles that operated on a 2D plane. It developed Magicka, which pioneered one of video games' most unique RPG magic systems. Helldivers 2 is in many ways Arrowhead's most "mainstream" project, with a camera perspective and gameplay style that may appeal to a wider audience. If the studio can succeed in merging its reputation for unique tone and atmosphere with the competitive field of multiplayer-focused shooters, Helldivers 2 may see a surge in popularity when it launches.

Helldivers 2 launches on PC and PS5 on February 8, 2024.