Cinder City lowers RAM requirement from 64GB to 32GB and upgrades recommended GPU to RTX 4070

PC hardware has never been more expensive, and the ongoing memory crisis deserves most of the credit for that. Cinder City, an upcoming open-world third-person shooter from NC and Big Fire Games set in a dystopian near-future Seoul, recently made headlines as the first PC game to recommend 64GB of RAM. It has since walked that back.

The game's Steam listing originally recommended 64GB of RAM alongside an RTX 4060, a combination that baffled just about everyone. 64GB is more RAM than a PS5, an Xbox Series X, a PS5 Pro, and a Nintendo Switch 2 combined. Only 4% of Steam users have that much, and a 64GB DDR5 kit currently starts at around $800 on Newegg.

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NC and Big Fire Games have now updated the listing. The recommended GPU has been bumped from an RTX 4060 to an RTX 4070, which at least makes more sense for a game billing itself as a visually ambitious open-world title. The recommended RAM, however, has been dropped all the way down to 32GB.

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Interestingly, the minimum RAM requirement is also 32GB, just like the recommended specs. Both tiers now ask for the same amount of system memory, so it's unclear what the difference between them really is for this game. And 32GB as a floor is still a lot to ask. According to Steam's own hardware survey, 16GB remains the most common configuration among PC gamers, accounting for 41% of systems.

NC and Big Fire Games have not publicly addressed whether the original 64GB figure was a genuine technical requirement or simply a placeholder that slipped through. The change from RTX 4060 to RTX 4070 suggests that at least some of the original specs were off. For now, 32GB is the number to plan around.

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How will the change from an RTX 4060 to an RTX 4070 affect expected GPU performance or resolution targets for recommended settings?

The article says the recommended GPU was bumped from an RTX 4060 to an RTX 4070, implying the game is targeting higher GPU performance for its visually ambitious open-world presentation. It does not provide specific expected performance numbers or resolution targets tied to the RTX 4070, so those details cannot be determined from this article.

Could the identical 32GB minimum and recommended RAM listings indicate a bugged Steam spec entry rather than actual performance requirements?

Yes. The article notes both minimum and recommended RAM now show the same 32GB and says it is unclear what the difference between them really is, suggesting the specs may be off. It also points out the developer has not explained whether the original 64GB was a real requirement or a placeholder, and the GPU change from RTX 4060 to RTX 4070 implies some original specs were incorrect.

Given that 41% of Steam users run 16GB, should buyers with 16GB expect to upgrade to play Cinder City at acceptable settings or wait for further specification changes?

Buyers with 16GB should expect they may need to upgrade to play Cinder City at acceptable settings, because the game's minimum and recommended RAM are both listed as 32GB. The article notes a prior example where a developer later clarified high RAM applied only to 4K Ultra and lowered requirements for lower resolutions, but Cinder City currently lists 32GB as the baseline so waiting for further specification changes is possible but not guaranteed.

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That being said, we saw something similar with IO Interactive, which initially recommended 32GB of RAM for 007 First Light before later clarifying the figure only applied to 4K Ultra settings, ultimately dropping the requirement to 16GB for 1080p. No release date has been confirmed for Cinder City.