Cinder City, the open-world co-operative PvE shooter from NC (formerly NCSoft) and developer Big Fire Games, has posted system requirements on Steam that break new ground for PC gaming. The recommended memory figure is 64GB, with a 32GB minimum, making it likely the first game to ask for that much RAM just to run comfortably at its highest settings.
Quick answer: Cinder City needs 32GB of RAM at minimum and recommends 64GB for max settings. The rest of the recommended spec is modest by comparison, calling for an RTX 4060 (8GB) and an Intel Core i7-12700 or AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D.
Cinder City full system requirements
The full spec is listed on the game’s Steam page. What stands out is how unbalanced it looks. The GPU and storage targets are ordinary for a modern release, but the memory numbers are far higher than anything else on the market.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10/11 (64-bit) | Windows 10/11 (64-bit) |
| CPU | Intel Core i5-10400 / AMD Ryzen 5 3600 | Intel Core i7-12700 / AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D |
| RAM | 32 GB | 64 GB |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (6GB) | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 (8GB) |
| DirectX | Version 12 | Version 12 |
| Network | Broadband connection | Broadband connection |
| Storage | 50 GB | 50 GB |
| Sound | DirectX compatible / onboard | DirectX compatible / onboard |
Notice that the 32GB figure is not a suggestion for a smoother experience. It sits in the minimum column, which means the game expects that much memory just to launch and play.
Why the 64GB recommendation is unusual
Most current AAA games top out at a 16GB recommendation, and 32GB is still treated as generous. A handful of titles push higher, but a 64GB recommendation has no real precedent. It is even harder to explain given the modest GPU target sitting next to it. A game that only asks for an RTX 4060 usually does not need twice the memory of the most demanding releases.
The gap between that number and what players actually own is huge. On the latest Steam hardware survey, only about 4% of participants have 64GB installed. The most common configuration remains 16GB, used by roughly 41% of participants. In other words, the recommended spec sits above what almost the entire PC audience is running today.
For scale, GTA 6 is arriving on the base PS5, which uses a single 16GB pool of unified memory shared between its CPU and GPU. A near-future Seoul setting with mutants, the Cinder Knights, and large-scale co-op PvE is ambitious, but nothing shown so far obviously demands four times that memory budget on PC.
What 64GB of RAM costs right now
The timing makes this recommendation especially painful. A single 64GB kit currently runs around $860, and refurbished or lesser-known brands bottom out near $700. On Newegg, 64GB DDR5 kits start at roughly $800 and climb all the way to $2,800 for high-end sets. Even the 32GB minimum is not cheap, with some kits reaching $400 or more.
| Capacity | Approximate current price |
|---|---|
| 32GB (minimum spec) | Up to $400+ |
| 64GB single kit | Around $860 |
| 64GB refurbished / off-brand | From about $700 |
| 64GB DDR5 on Newegg | $800 to $2,800 |
Prices are also heading in the wrong direction. Memory industry consultant and former Samsung China executive Ethan Tan expects RAM prices to climb 40% to 50% in the third quarter of 2026 compared with the prior quarter, followed by another 30% to 40% rise in the fourth quarter, driven largely by AI demand outpacing supply. Anyone hoping to buy into a 64GB setup cheaply in the coming months is unlikely to get relief soon.
Could the requirement change before launch?
It might. NC has not confirmed a release date for Cinder City, and the Steam page carries no release window, so the specs are not locked to a shipping build. As recently as early June, NC was still planning to launch the game within the year, but nothing official narrows that further right now.
There is precedent for this kind of listing being revised. IO Interactive originally recommended 32GB of RAM for 007 First Light, then later clarified that the figure applied only to the 4K Ultra setting. Cinder City’s 64GB line could be a placeholder, a genuine target for max settings, or a number that gets walked back closer to release. Until NC clarifies, the listed 32GB minimum and 64GB recommended are what the store page shows.
If you are planning a build around Cinder City, the practical read is straightforward. Budget for at least 32GB to meet the minimum, treat 64GB as the ceiling the developers are pointing at, and expect memory pricing to stay elevated well into late 2026. Whether that recommendation holds is something only NC can settle.
