After 13 long years, Alan Wake is finally ready to break out of The Dark Place. As with any game release from Remedy Entertainment, Alan Wake 2 looks like it will be a technical powerhouse that will push most PCs and game consoles to the edge in terms of performance. With that said, when it comes to multiplatform releases like this, there is usually one platform that reigns supreme over the others, or at least performs slightly better.
So today, I am going to break down the specs and expected performance of each of Alan Wake 2's versions for different platforms, which will hopefully help you make the best buying decision possible. And, since this is Gameflip, we also have a few options to make sure you get the best deal on whichever version you decide to buy.
So grab your flashlight, and let's get started!
PC
Twig shapes hanging off of trees in spooky woods can only be a good thing, right? (Image Source: RemedyGames.com)
Remedy's latest title made some waves in video game news when its PC requirements were released right around a week before the game itself. They were more shocking than a person cloaked in shadows and murderous intent coming straight at you, but this is a high-quality game with top-notch graphics! I'll save you all of the technical jargon and leave that up to people like Digital Foundry, but just know it's going to need some serious processing power to run all the bells and whistles at a decent clip.
With that said, here are the specs Remedy Entertainment recommends for Alan Wake 2 PC players:
Note: All specs recommend 16 GBs of RAM, 90 GB of SSD hard drive storage, and Windows 10 or 11.
Minimum
Graphics Preset: Low
Resolution: 1080p
GPU: Geforce RTX 2060/Radeon RX 6600
CPU: Intel i5-7600k/AMD equivalent
Nothing too outrageous here, this should be about what most people were expecting. It's worth noting that these specs are expected to get an average FPS of 30, which is definitely playable.
Recommended
Graphics Preset: Medium
Resolution: 1080p
GPU: GeForce RTX 3070/Radeon RX 6700 XT
CPU: Ryzen 7 3700x/Intel equivalent
This is where things start to get a little sweaty. A previous generation GPU being recommended for medium settings on a new release is almost unheard of in the PC gaming realm. However, this is for 60FPS performance. A more humble RTX 3060 is recommended for 1440p/30FPS gameplay.
Ultra
Graphics Preset: High
Resolution: 2160p
GPU: GeForce RTX 4070/Radeon RX 7800 XT
CPU: Ryzen 7 3700X/Intel equivalent
Requiring a current-gen GPU for high settings at 4K resolution shouldn't be as outrageous as people made it out to be, but that's how it played out in the news. At least it's a mid-tier card. There is also a separate set of recommended specs for ray tracing, which are going to need an RTX 3070, RTX 4070, and an RTX 4080 to run low, medium, and high respectively. Ray tracing majorly enhances the way lighting works in supported games, which, in a game like Alan Wake where light and shadow make up 90% of its atmosphere, can be pretty important.
With all of that said, If you built your gaming PC with the latest hardware 4-5 years ago, you will probably be fine. It's also worth noting that these are recommended specs, and Alan Wake 2 will likely run on anything with varying levels of performance. The much bigger issue is that Alan Wake 2 is being published by Epic Games, meaning it will only be on the Epic Games store for a period of time. If you use Steam primarily (as most people do), it might be worth waiting for it to arrive on that platform before purchasing. In the meantime, you can stock up on Steam gift cards thanks to the deals we host in the Gameflip marketplace. Save double-digit percentages on any denomination of Steam gift card and get more for your money!
PS5
It's time for Alan to face his shadows. (Image Source: RemedyGames.com)
When it comes to next generation consoles, it seems most gamers tend to gravitate towards the PS5 as their preferred video game console. Whether that's because of its additional features like advanced haptics or the crazy-fast SSD, or the high quality games that Sony first-party studios make, that's just how it is.
But when it comes to third-party releases, the PS5 tends to fare minorly worse in terms of performance versus the Xbox Series X. That probably has something to do with architecture and hardware utilization since the parts they have are comparable.
As of this writing, several reviews for the PS5 version of Alan Wake 2 are out, and they seem to be mostly positive. There are some launch day growing pains that have become common with new games, like the occasional bug or graphical anomaly, but those are all things that can be remedied (pun intended) with a patch or two.
On consoles, Alan Wake 2 has a Performance Mode that targets a smooth 60FPS, and a Quality Mode that targets 30FPS but amps up the graphics. According to Digital Foundry, the PS5 manages to hit those targets most of the time, but there are scenes that run poorly, which is unfortunate.
Console versions of third-party games are usually going to be inferior graphically, but that's not something you'll notice unless you see them side-by side. If you want to take advantage of the PS5s haptics and SSD quick loading features, Alan Wake 2 is an excellent choice on that platform. And, if you're going to buy the game digitally, You should check out Gameflip for the best deals on digital codes and PlayStation Store gift cards. Grab your next favorite game on the cheap. You can also take advantage of the PS5's Blu-ray drive by buying the physical version with Best Buy gift cards you got from Gameflip!
Xbox Series Consoles
Alan Wake 2 is visually stunning. And very scary. (Image Source: RemedyGames.com)
Series S
The Xbox situation for Alan Wake 2 is a little more tricky than it is on PS5. Since Xbox essentially has two different consoles in its family – the Series X and the Series S – there is a bit of a discrepancy in performance between the two. At the beginning of October 2023, Remedy Entertainment's communications director Thomas Puha didn't mince words when talking about the Series S version of the game.
He stated that while the S and X essentially share a CPU, the GPU on the X is orders of magnitude stronger. This has left the Series S “in the dust” as it were, with the platform not even receiving the 60FPS performance mode that will be present in the PS5 and Series X versions of the game.
Speaking with IGN, Puha said:
“We’ve really worked hard on getting S to run at a solid 30 and tried to maintain a good visual quality. But if you want to see the game at its best in full next-gen glory, it’s going to be on the machines that have the hardware grunt to enable that.”
Early impressions of the Series S version seem to be positive, but those are also coming from people who are used to the console's performance level in other games. Odds are, if you have a Series S and want to play Alan Wake 2, you won't be too affected by what you're missing out on unless you take a closer look at other versions.
Series X
But for Xbox fans who want a top-of-the-line experience, the Series X is your only option. Its GPU is able to process data much faster than its “little brother”, which means this console will always display the better version. None of the Xbox consoles have a special controller feature that makes it stand out, though. That's where the PS5 gains the upper hand.
Unfortunately, Alan Wake 2 is not currently part of Console or PC Game Pass, so you won't be able to enjoy it as part of your subscription to that service. However, Remedy games do have a presence on the service, with Control doing some time on it and Quantum Break being a permanent fixture.
Thankfully, you can always turn to Gameflip when you're looking for a way to enjoy the newest games while saving as much money as possible. In the Gameflip marketplace, you can purchase Xbox Store gift cards to stock up your digital wallet at a discount, giving you the upper hand if you buy Alan Wake 2 digitally. If you would prefer to pick up the physical version, we also carry gift cards for a number of major retailers like Amazon gift cards, Walmart gift cards, Target gift cards, and more!
It is time. (Image Source: RemedyGames.com)
So, which version of Alan Wake 2 will you buy? Will the bold designs of the PS5 illuminate your path through The Dark Place, will your gaming PC reveal the many faces of evil, or will it be on an Xbox console that you jump into this dark new adventure? I hope you're sold on at least one of these versions by now, because you can buy Alan Wake 2 on all of these devices right now!
And remember, as video game pricing increases and technology gets more expensive, Gameflip has your back.
