Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Plot your return to Midde-earth with ‘Shadow of War’ hardware requirements

Middle-earth: Shadow of War - Official Announcement Trailer | PS4
Publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has outlined its recommended hardware specs for the Windows PC version of Middle-earth: Shadow of War, giving series fans plenty of time to bulk up their gaming PCs prior to the game’s launch later this year.

Among other suggestions, Warner Bros. recommends an Intel Core i7-3770 CPU and a higher-end video card from AMD’s Radeon or Nvidia’s GeForce lineup in order to run Shadow of War at its full intended framerate at maximum settings.

Shadow of War is the sequel to 2014’s Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, an open-world action game that features characters and settings from J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings series of fantasy novels. Gameplay consists of a series of melee combat encounters in which players pull off combos, counters, and finishers within a mechanical framework similar to other Warner Bros-published games like Batman: Arkham City and Batman: Arkham Knight.

Shadow of Mordor also introduced the Nemesis System, which pairs players up with adversaries who grow in strength and intelligence over the course of the game’s campaign. Though no details regarding Shadow of War‘s gameplay have been revealed as of yet, the Nemesis System is likely to return in the sequel.

While Warner Bros. is currently teasing its upcoming reveal of Shadow of War‘s gameplay, the publisher has issued a set of recommended hardware specs for PC players, likely in response to Batman: Arkham Knight‘s disastrous PC port in 2014. According to Warner Bros, all Shadow of War players will need at least 8 GB of RAM, 60 GB of hard drive space, and a DirectX 11 installation in order to boot the game.

Players will also need an Intel Core i5-2550K CPU and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 670 or AMD Radeon HD 7950 video card in order to run Shadow of War at minimum settings. For maximum performance, Warner Bros. recommends an Intel Core i7-3770 CPU, 16 GB of RAM, and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 970, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060, AMD Radeon R9 290X, or AMD Radeon RX 480 video card.

Middle-earth: Shadow of War launches for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Middle-earth: Shadow of War platforms on August 22.

Danny Cowan
Danny’s passion for video games was ignited upon his first encounter with Nintendo’s Duck Hunt, and years later, he still…
How to start the Nuka-World DLC in Fallout 4
People standing outside Nuka World.

The first major DLC expansion for Fallout 4 lets players go to the abandoned amusement park called Nuka-World. While there's plenty of fun and excitement to be had here, don't expect it to come from the roller coasters or carnival games since this park is the battleground between rival raider gangs. This new zone adds a ton of new quests and side activities to the base experience, but it isn't as simple to get to as a real theme park. Don't worry if your Pip-Boy isn't helping you get to Nuka-World -- we'll show you how to start this DLC.

Read more
How to start the Automatron DLC in Fallout 4
A man and a robot walking in the wastelands in Fallout 4.

Each piece of Fallout 4 DLC adds something substantial to the base experience. In the case of the Automatron expansion, an entire new questline pitting you against a robot army led by a figure known as the Mechanist. Starting it isn't as difficult as starting other DLCs like the Nuka-World expansion, but it-s still a bit cryptic. Buying the DLC doesn't automatically make it apparent how to actually start this new adventure, but we'll give you specific directions to find it in the wasteland.

Read more
One of 2023’s best indie games is getting a movie starring LaKeith Stanfield
James descends on an elevator in El Paso, Elsewhere.

El Paso, Elsewhere, one of Digital Trends' favorite indie games of 2023, now has a film adaptation in the works.

Variety reports that LaKeith Stanfield -- an actor known for his work in films like Judas and the Black Messiah, Knives Out, and Haunted Mansion, as well as TV shows like Atlanta -- is going to star in and produce the film. The adaptation is in the works at Di Bonaventure Pictures, the production company behind the Transformers, G.I. Joe, and The Meg film franchises. Little else is known about the film at this time, although we'd presume it will be a fairly direct adaptation of this intense story-driven game.

Read more