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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallStar Citizen requires a 64-bit Windows PC, a compatible CPU with AVX, AVX2 and FMA3 support, a graphics card with at least 4 GB of VRAM, 16 GB of RAM and an SSD with 150+ GB of capacity. RSI recommends 32 GB of DDR4 memory and a DirectX 12-compatible GPU with 8 GB of VRAM. These are official hardware categories—not a promise of a particular frame rate or stability.
Star Citizen PC requirements at a glance
Roberts Space Industries (RSI) updated its official requirements on September 23, 2026. The game remains in development, so RSI says the specifications may change. Check RSI’s current requirements before upgrading or installing.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | 64-bit Windows 10 (latest service pack) | Windows 10 (latest service pack) or Windows 11 |
| CPU | Quad core; Intel i7 Haswell or later, or AMD Excavator or later; AVX, AVX2 and FMA3 support required | Quad- or eight-core; Intel i7 Haswell or later, or AMD Ryzen 5 or later |
| GPU | DirectX 11.1-compatible card with at least 4 GB VRAM; driver support for Direct3D 11.1 and Vulkan 1.2 | DirectX 12-compatible card with 8 GB VRAM |
| Memory | 16 GB | 32 GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 150+ GB SSD | 150+ GB SSD |
RSI lists Nvidia 1060, AMD RX 5700, RX Vega 56, RX 460, Intel A380 and UHD Graphics 730 as examples of minimum-spec graphics cards. These are examples, not a guarantee that every configuration in a product family performs identically.
Can your PC run Star Citizen?
Compare your PC with every minimum requirement, not just the CPU or GPU model name. A system can appear to meet the broad hardware description yet fail compatibility because of its processor instruction sets, graphics driver support, operating system or storage.
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- Operating system: RSI lists Windows 10 64-bit or later in its PC requirements. The game is not available for macOS or Linux, according to the current requirements page.
- CPU compatibility: The processor must support AVX, AVX2 and FMA3. Core count and model family alone do not confirm that it will launch the game.
- Graphics compatibility: Check the specific card and driver for the stated Direct3D and Vulkan support, as well as the required VRAM.
- Storage: The game requires an SSD; an HDD does not meet RSI’s stated requirement.
RSI’s launcher guidance says a “System Requirements Not Met” error can indicate that the CPU does not support the required instruction sets. See RSI’s guidance for that launcher error.
How much RAM and SSD space do you need?
RAM
RSI lists 16 GB as the minimum and 32 GB DDR4 as recommended. If your PC has 16 GB, it meets the published memory minimum, but that alone does not establish how smoothly the game will run. Other system requirements and real-world conditions also matter.
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SSD capacity
For system requirements, use RSI’s current game-specific figure: a 150+ GB SSD. RSI’s separate installation pages give different space guidance: the general game and launcher requirements describe an NTFS-formatted drive with at least 100 GB for the launcher and game, plus 10 GB of SSD space for the pagefile; the launcher troubleshooting article recommends at least 100 GB for the launcher and game. Those installation figures do not replace the 150+ GB figure on the game-specific requirements page.
Before installing, check the free capacity on the SSD and the live installer’s requirements. RSI does not specify a required SSD brand, model or interface.
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Will meeting the recommended specs guarantee good performance?
No fixed frame rate, resolution, graphics preset or stability level is guaranteed by the minimum or recommended table. RSI says actual performance can vary with in-game location, server population, background applications and network conditions. It also advises keeping graphics drivers up to date for best support.
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