Species: Unknown PC requirements, FPS and best settings

Quick answer: can your PC run Species: Unknown?

Where Species: Unknown ranks for hardware demand

How this game ranks among 937 modelled titles, and what that means for different classes of GPU.

We rate the graphics demand of Species: Unknown at 35. That puts it above 90% of the 937 modelled games and firmly in the demanding band.

We take the minimum GPU Steam gives (RTX 2070 8GB Desktop (or RTX 2080 Mobile)) and translate it into a 1080p High demand figure. The result ranks games well, but individual frame rates will vary.

What it means by card class

• Take a high-end card, the RTX 5080: about 253 FPS at 1080p, 163 FPS at 1440p and 94 FPS at 4K on High. Reaches 94 FPS at 4K on High, so native 4K is realistic.
• The RTX 5070, standing in for a mid-range card, gives roughly 185 FPS at 1080p and 119 FPS at 1440p, with 69 FPS at 4K. Holds roughly 69 FPS at 4K, so resolution is not the limit.
• As an entry card, the RTX 5060 manages 108 FPS at 1080p, 70 FPS at 1440p and 34 FPS at 4K. Reaches 70 FPS at 1440p, enough for a smooth 60 FPS experience.
• Take an enthusiast card, the RTX 5090: about 253 FPS at 1080p, 253 FPS at 1440p and 149 FPS at 4K on High. Native 4K works here at close to 149 FPS, with no DLSS, FSR or XeSS-style upscaling needed.

For the processor we score Species: Unknown at 32, which is above 47% of our data set.

Species: Unknown PC requirements: minimum and recommended

Official minimum and recommended specs for Species: Unknown, translated into frame rates.

Taken from the Steam store page; developers can revise these with updates.

What the requirements mean in practice

The minimum card, RTX 2070 8GB Desktop (or RTX 2080 Mobile), is the floor Steam sets. In our model it reaches about 146 FPS at 1080p on Low settings, and 80 FPS if you push it to High.

Steam lists only a minimum specification for Species: Unknown, so our demand score leans on that card. Treat the numbers below as an upper-level guide rather than a publisher target.

You will need 12 GB RAM of RAM at minimum or 12 GB RAM to match the recommended spec, plus 5 GB available space on your drive.

What graphics card does Species: Unknown need?

The lowest GPU we tested that reaches each target in Species: Unknown, plus the first desktop RTX 50 card that does.

The lowest card we tested that holds 60 FPS at 1080p on High is the RTX 2060, and the first desktop RTX 50 card to do it is the RTX 5050.

Raise the target to 1440p and the bar moves: the Arc B580 is the lowest card to achieve 60 FPS on High, while the RTX 5060 is the first RTX 50 card to get there.

At 4K, expect to lean on upscaling. The RTX 5060 Ti 16GB is the first desktop RTX 50 card to achieve 60 FPS on High once Quality DLSS, FSR or XeSS-style upscaling is switched on.

Cards across NVIDIA, AMD and Intel are included. To test your own parts, open the can my PC run it checker, or see whether your processor limits you in the bottleneck checker.

Species: Unknown frame rates: 28 cards compared

Projected frame rates for 28 GPUs from NVIDIA, AMD and Intel. Switch resolution below.

In our model the RTX 5090 reaches about 253 FPS at 1440p and 149 FPS at 4K, while the RTX 5050 manages 52 FPS at 1440p. The spread tells you how much the card matters for Species: Unknown.

Full results table

Every figure assumes High settings paired with a quick CPU. Upscaled columns assume the Quality mode of whichever upscaler the game provides. Figures above 360 FPS are shown as 360+. Put two cards side by side in the GPU comparison tool.

Graphics card verdicts: how each one handles Species: Unknown

A verdict in plain English for twelve popular GPUs.

Each verdict compares the card with a 60 FPS target on High settings. Where a card falls short, the usual fix is a lower preset or upscaling, which the settings section prices in.

A useful comparison: RTX 5060 at roughly 70 FPS and RTX 5070 at roughly 119 FPS at 1440p, so the dearer card is about 71% faster here.

Resolution playbook for Species: Unknown: 1080p, 1440p and 4K

Settings that hold 60 FPS at 1080p, 1440p and 4K, worked out for this game.

1080p playbook

For 1080p play, RTX 3060 12GB, RTX 4060, RTX 5060 clear 60 FPS on High without any upscaling in our estimates, which leaves room to raise individual settings.

Pick your card in the table for the preset and upscaling mode that keep 1080p above 60 FPS.

1440p playbook

1440p is straightforward on RTX 5060, RTX 5070, RTX 5070 Ti, which hold 60 FPS on High natively here, so you only need upscaling for extra smoothness.

Start from the preset that still reaches 60 FPS, then raise one setting at a time. The table gives the best preset for each card.

4K playbook

At 4K, RTX 5070 Ti, RTX 4080 Super, RTX 5080 hold 60 FPS natively on High in our model, so you can leave upscaling off and spend the headroom on settings.

Use the table as a starting point: it shows the highest preset that still reaches 60 FPS for each card at 4K.

Upgrade path: what a faster card gains in Species: Unknown

What each step up the RTX 50 range adds at 1440p on High settings.

Of the six steps up the RTX 50 range, RTX 5080 to RTX 5090 gives the most in Species: Unknown (about 55% at 1440p), while RTX 5070 to RTX 5070 Ti gives the least (close to 17%).

Treat the gains as a guide for value. Higher steps cost more per extra frame, so the sensible choice depends on the resolution and refresh rate you actually play at.

Compare options directly in the upgrade value calculator or the GPU price to performance calculator.

Graphics memory for Species: Unknown: how much is enough?

Modelled VRAM use at High settings. Falling short of VRAM causes stutter even with a quick GPU.

Expect roughly 5 GB of VRAM at 1080p, 6.5 GB at 1440p and 9.0 GB at 4K on High. Remember that this is an estimate derived from the recommended GPU.

Dropping texture quality is the quickest way to save memory: stepping from High to Medium trims the estimate to about 5.5 GB at 1440p.

Budget tiers: 6, 8, 12 and 16 GB cards

• With 6 GB the verdict is comfortable at 1080p, short of memory at 1440p and short of memory at 4K on High. Where it is short, Medium textures and upscaling are the practical fixes.
• On an 8 GB card, 1080p is comfortable, 1440p is comfortable and 4K is short of memory on High. Where it is short, Medium textures and upscaling are the practical fixes.
• With 12 GB the verdict is comfortable at 1080p, comfortable at 1440p and comfortable at 4K on High. Memory is rarely a worry at these settings.
• With 16 GB the verdict is comfortable at 1080p, comfortable at 1440p and comfortable at 4K on High. Memory is rarely a worry at these settings.

Check your own settings in the VRAM calculator and read how much VRAM you need for gaming.

Species: Unknown CPU requirements

Which processors keep a fast GPU busy in this game.

On the processor side Steam asks for Intel Core i5 8th gen at minimum and Intel Core i5 8th gen recommended. Below, each CPU is scored for the frame rate it can feed in Species: Unknown.

With a CPU score of 32, Species: Unknown is neither light nor heavy on processors. A current mid-range chip is a good fit.

A Core i5-12400F tops out near 139 FPS in Species: Unknown in our estimates, a handy line to compare against your card.

Check your own CPU and GPU together in the bottleneck checker and the system bottlenecks guide.

Which builds are balanced in Species: Unknown?

How seven common processor and GPU pairs behave in this game.

Every build in the table is graphics-limited at 1440p in our model, so the CPU can stay modest in Species: Unknown.

The best-balanced pairing is the RTX 5090 with Ryzen 7 9800X3D: its processor ceiling (about 291 FPS) sits close to what the card can draw (close to 259 FPS) at 1440p, so neither part is wasted.

Use the table to see how balance changes, then enter your real parts in the bottleneck checker for a personal answer.

Species: Unknown memory and disk space

The memory and storage Steam asks for, and how to read it.

12 GB RAM is the minimum and 12 GB RAM the recommended memory. Once Windows and your usual apps are counted, 16 GB covers it.

The install asks for roughly 5 GB. Downloading it takes around 8 min at 100 Mbps and about 2 min at 500 Mbps, allowing for overhead.

On drives: Steam does not insist on an SSD, though one will shorten loads.

Add up your own needs in the RAM calculator, which counts Windows, background apps and streaming on top of the game. Time the download with the download time calculator.

Recommended Species: Unknown settings by graphics card

A starting point for several popular cards. Every cell shows the best preset that still holds 60 FPS.

The table gives the best-looking setup that still holds 60 FPS in Species: Unknown for each card and resolution.

• Cap your frame rate at your monitor refresh rate to save power and noise, and the VRR and frame cap calculator suggests a sensible number.
• After that, cut the most expensive settings. If the menu has shadows, fog or draw distance options, those are the usual culprits.
• Do not cut textures first if memory allows. They barely touch frame rate. Our estimate for this game is 6.5 GB for 1440p.
• Reach for upscaling first. It gives up little detail for a large frame-rate gain. Choose the best-looking mode that still hits your target.
• Make one change per test and compare the result, so you can tell what helped.

Settings assume the game offers an upscaler; check the graphics menu. For advice matched to your own PC, use the best settings generator or compare every mode in the DLSS and frame generation estimator.

Species: Unknown on gaming laptops

Estimated FPS on RTX 50 laptop GPUs at typical power limits.

Among RTX 50 laptop GPUs, RTX 5060 Laptop, RTX 5070 Laptop, RTX 5070 Ti Laptop, RTX 5080 Laptop, RTX 5090 Laptop clear 60 FPS at 1080p on High at typical wattage, with RTX 5070 Ti Laptop, RTX 5080 Laptop, RTX 5090 Laptop also holding 60 FPS at 1440p.

A laptop GPU is only as fast as the power and cooling its maker allows. Look for the TGP in the spec sheet before relying on any estimate.

Test other power limits in the laptop TGP estimator.

Genre tips: playing Species: Unknown well on PC

General guidance for this kind of game, chosen from the Steam genres and features.

Treat these as rules of thumb for games of this type. They come from the genres on the Steam page, not from testing Species: Unknown directly.

• Early access builds change often, so performance can shift noticeably between updates. Re-check settings after big patches.
• Controller support makes living-room play practical, and TVs often cap at 60 or 120 Hz.
• Smaller studios sometimes ship settings menus with fewer options, so lowering resolution may be your main tuning tool.
• Fast action is easier to play with a steady frame rate than a high peak, so consider capping a few frames below your monitor refresh rate.
• In co-op sessions the frame rate can dip when more players or objects are on screen, so leave some headroom.

Species: Unknown screenshots

A look at Species: Unknown from the official Steam gallery. Visual detail is what you trade away when you drop presets, so it helps to see what you are keeping.

Screenshots and artwork are promotional images from the Species: Unknown Steam store page and belong to WanadevStudio.

Games similar to Species: Unknown

Other guides from this collection.

Not sure about Species: Unknown? Compare it with these games, picked for similar demand and overlapping genres, each with its own full guide.

• Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon: 38 on our demand scale, about as demanding as Species: Unknown. Shared genres: Action, Indie.
• Schedule I: demand score 32 against 35 for Species: Unknown, so it is about as demanding. Shared genres: Action, Indie.
• With a demand score of 35, Mycopunk is about as demanding as Species: Unknown. Shared genres: Action, Indie.
• With a demand score of 35, Pax Autocratica is about as demanding as Species: Unknown. Shared genres: Action, Indie.
• Stick It to the Stickman sits at 36 for graphics demand and is about as demanding as Species: Unknown (35). Shared genres: Action, Indie.
• With a demand score of 32, Scrap Mechanic is about as demanding as Species: Unknown. Shared genres: Action, Indie.
• With a demand score of 32, Slime Rancher 2 is about as demanding as Species: Unknown. Shared genres: Action, Indie.
• With a demand score of 35, VOID/BREAKER is about as demanding as Species: Unknown. Shared genres: Action, Indie.

Species: Unknown: facts and Steam features

At the time we checked (2026-11-02) Steam showed 6,923 reviews with a Very Positive rating and 90% positive. That is a useful signal for how widely played Species: Unknown is.

It was out for about 13 months when we wrote this guide, so expect patches and driver updates to move the numbers a little over time.

Steam features

The facts above are from the public Steam store page. We have not benchmarked every card, so treat the frame rates on this page as estimates from our model.

How the Species: Unknown estimates work

A short, honest note on how the numbers are produced.

Here is what feeds the estimates: demand 35 from the minimum card, CPU score 32 (from an assumed processor line), and a 1080p High VRAM figure of 5 GB (estimated from the demand score).

The model divides a card's performance score by the game demand, scaled for resolution, preset and upscaling, with a penalty when memory runs short and a ceiling set by a fast reference processor.

All FPS, VRAM and CPU figures are modelled. They are meant for comparing hardware and settings, and your own testing should have the last word.

Frequently asked questions about Species: Unknown

Short answers to the most common questions about running Species: Unknown on PC.

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