Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 requires a 64-bit Windows PC, DirectX 12, an SSD with 55GB free space, and at least 8GB of RAM. The official minimum tier targets 1080p at 30 frames per second on Low settings. The recommended tier targets 1080p at 60 FPS on High settings and calls for 16GB of RAM, a Core i7-12700K or Ryzen 7 5800X, and a GeForce RTX 3060 Ti or Radeon RX 6800 XT class graphics card.
Use the tables below to compare your current hardware, then start with the preset that matches your system. Individual setting costs have not been published in the official listing, so the tuning sequence is practical guidance rather than a guaranteed FPS result for every option.
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Official PC requirements at a glance
The following specifications come from the game’s official Steam listing (2025). Both tiers require a 64-bit operating system, DirectX 12, and an SSD. The performance targets are attached to the complete tiers, not to any single component in isolation.
| Component | Minimum target | Recommended target |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10, 64-bit | Windows 11, 64-bit |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-8700K or AMD Ryzen 5 1600X | Intel Core i7-12700K or AMD Ryzen 7 5800X |
| Memory | 8GB RAM | 16GB RAM |
| Graphics card | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB, AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT 6GB, or Intel Arc A380 6GB | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 8GB or AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT 16GB |
| Graphics API | DirectX 12 | DirectX 12 |
| Storage | 55GB available; SSD required | 55GB available; SSD required |
| Official performance note | 1080p, 30 FPS, Low settings | 1080p, 60 FPS, High settings |
Steam describes the minimum tier as allowing “1080p 30FPS low settings gameplay” and the recommended tier as allowing “1080p 60FPS high settings gameplay.” Those statements are the clearest published targets; they should not be read as a promise that every scene will hold an identical frame rate.
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Can your PC run Expedition 33?
Compare your hardware with the named tiers rather than relying on a single “gaming PC” label. A computer that matches the minimum GPU but has only 4GB of RAM, for example, does not meet the listed minimum because memory is a separate requirement. Check each item in this order.
1. Confirm the operating system and API
- Use a 64-bit edition of Windows 10 or Windows 11. A 32-bit installation does not satisfy the requirement.
- DirectX 12 is required in both tiers. Press
Win+R, typedxdiag, and check the System tab to identify the DirectX version and Windows architecture. - Windows 10 is the stated minimum platform; Windows 11 is the stated recommended platform. The listing does not specify a particular Windows 10 or 11 build number.
2. Compare the processor
The minimum CPU examples are the Core i7-8700K and Ryzen 5 1600X. The recommended examples move to the Core i7-12700K and Ryzen 7 5800X. These are reference points for the processor class, not a guarantee that every unlisted model with a similar name will perform identically. Check your exact CPU model in Windows Settings > System > About, or in Task Manager’s Performance tab.
3. Compare graphics hardware and VRAM
At minimum, the listing names a GTX 1060 6GB, RX 5600 XT 6GB, or Arc A380 6GB. The recommended tier names an RTX 3060 Ti with 8GB or an RX 6800 XT with 16GB. The model and video-memory capacity both matter: a card with a similar performance label but less VRAM is not automatically equivalent. Laptop versions can also differ from desktop cards, so compare the exact mobile model rather than the desktop name alone.
4. Check system memory
Eight gigabytes is the official minimum and 16GB is the official recommendation. If your PC has 8GB, it meets the listed floor but leaves less headroom for Windows and other applications. Closing browsers, launchers, recording software, and overlays can reduce competing memory use, but adding RAM is the more durable fix.
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5. Verify free SSD space
You need 55GB available on an SSD, not merely 55GB of total drive capacity. Open File Explorer, right-click the target drive, and choose Properties to check free space. Leave additional room for Windows updates, shader caches, and other games; the listing establishes 55GB as the game’s stated available-space requirement, not as a recommended whole-drive fill level.
What the minimum and recommended targets mean
Minimum: 1080p, 30 FPS, Low
A PC around the i7-8700K/Ryzen 5 1600X, GTX 1060/RX 5600 XT/Arc A380, and 8GB RAM tier should begin at 1920×1080 with the Low preset and a 30 FPS cap. This is the appropriate expectation for playability, not a 60 FPS guarantee. If frame pacing is uneven, keep the cap at 30 and lower demanding options before raising resolution.
Recommended: 1080p, 60 FPS, High
A system around the i7-12700K/Ryzen 7 5800X, RTX 3060 Ti/RX 6800 XT, and 16GB RAM tier should begin at 1080p with the High preset. The official target for this combination is 60 FPS. Monitor actual frame-time consistency in busy scenes; a nominal average can hide brief stutters, especially when other software is using CPU, memory, or storage.
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Recommended settings workflow
The official listing does not provide a per-option FPS table for shadows, effects, view distance, upscaling, frame generation, or other controls. Use this controlled sequence so you can identify which change helps your particular PC without assuming a universal performance gain.
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- Update the platform. Install pending Windows updates, your GPU driver, and motherboard chipset updates. Restart before testing so background installation tasks do not distort the result.
- Set the display mode and resolution. Start at 1920×1080 if you are targeting the published 1080p figures. Use exclusive fullscreen or the game’s recommended fullscreen mode if available, and select your monitor’s native refresh rate.
- Choose the baseline preset. Use Low and a 30 FPS cap for a minimum-tier PC. Use High and a 60 FPS cap for a recommended-tier PC. A cap prevents the system from chasing an unstable maximum and makes frame pacing easier to judge.
- Test a repeatable scene. Walk through the same area for several minutes, including combat or effects-heavy sections. Watch for sustained drops, hitching, and inconsistent frame delivery rather than a single peak number.
- Adjust one group at a time. If performance is below target, lower shadows, effects, or view-distance-related options first if those controls are available. Change one group, retest the same route, and keep the change only if it improves smoothness. Because no official per-setting measurements are published, treat the result as system-specific.
- Use resolution scaling carefully. If the game offers an internal resolution scale or upscaler, reduce it in small steps after testing native 1080p. Check text and fine detail for blur. Do not assume that an upscaler or frame-generation mode is available or supported unless the current game menu exposes it.
- Revisit the frame cap. Once the image quality is acceptable, set the cap to the highest rate your system can sustain consistently. A minimum-tier machine should normally retain the 30 FPS target; a recommended-tier machine can start at 60 FPS.
Settings choices by type of PC
PC close to minimum
- Resolution: 1080p to match the official target.
- Preset: Low.
- Frame cap: 30 FPS.
- Background load: close browsers, capture tools, and unnecessary launchers.
- Memory: if possible, upgrade from 8GB to 16GB before replacing a functioning graphics card.
Raise only one setting group after the game is stable. If a change causes stutter, revert it rather than compensating by lowering several unrelated options.
PC close to recommended
- Resolution: 1080p.
- Preset: High.
- Frame cap: 60 FPS.
- Memory: 16GB.
- Storage: SSD with more than the required 55GB free.
This is the configuration tied to Steam’s published 1080p/60 High target. If your GPU is substantially faster but your CPU is below the recommended class, lowering visual settings may not remove CPU-limited dips; compare both components before buying an upgrade.
Between the two tiers
Use Low first, then move toward Medium or High in individual groups while keeping 1080p. A card between the listed minimum and recommended examples may produce a playable result, but the official listing does not establish a guaranteed FPS target for that in-between hardware. Keep the 30 FPS cap until testing demonstrates that a higher cap is stable.
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Storage comes first if you do not have an SSD
An SSD is mandatory in the published requirements, so replacing or adding one is a prerequisite rather than an optional optimization. A 1TB NVMe SSD is a practical buying description because it comfortably exceeds 55GB free space and leaves room for the operating system and updates; 1TB is not an official capacity requirement. Confirm that your motherboard supports the drive’s connector and that you have a current backup before migrating Windows or installing the game.
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Move from 8GB to 16GB of RAM
Sixteen gigabytes is the official recommended level. Match the memory type supported by your motherboard, install modules in the board’s paired slots when the manual specifies them, and verify the full capacity in Task Manager after installation. More RAM cannot compensate for a graphics card below the minimum tier, but it removes the clearest gap between the minimum and recommended specifications.
Compare the GPU with the named classes
Use the RTX 3060 Ti 8GB and RX 6800 XT 16GB as the recommended comparison points, and the GTX 1060 6GB, RX 5600 XT 6GB, and Arc A380 6GB as the minimum references. Check power-supply capacity, available case space, required power connectors, and driver support before purchasing. A graphics upgrade is most useful when the CPU is also reasonably close to the recommended class; otherwise, the processor can remain the limiting part.
Check CPU and motherboard compatibility
The recommended CPU examples are the Core i7-12700K and Ryzen 7 5800X. Before buying, verify socket, chipset BIOS support, cooler compatibility, and power delivery on your motherboard. A processor upgrade that cannot boot on the existing board is not a practical upgrade, even if its model appears in the recommended tier.
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Common problems and fixes
The game will not install
Confirm that the destination drive is an SSD and has at least 55GB free. If the drive reports enough total capacity but not enough available space, remove or move files and retry. Installing to a hard disk does not satisfy the stated requirement.
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Performance is below 30 FPS on Low
- Confirm that the game is using the dedicated GPU rather than integrated graphics on a laptop.
- Close background applications and overlays, then restart the game.
- Verify the display resolution is 1080p or lower and that the Low preset is active.
- Check that the GPU driver and Windows installation are current.
- If the PC has only 8GB RAM, upgrade to 16GB when possible and retest.
If the machine is below the named minimum CPU or GPU classes, the official listing does not promise a particular result; hardware replacement may be the only reliable path.
Frame rate is near 60 but feels uneven
Use a 60 FPS cap rather than an unlimited setting, close programs that use CPU or memory, and watch frame-time consistency in the same demanding scene. If drops persist, lower one visual group at a time. Avoid claiming that a specific option always costs a fixed number of frames because the official requirements do not publish those measurements.
There is stutter after changing settings
Return to the last stable preset, restart the game, and test again with the same cap and resolution. Keep changes isolated so you know which option caused the behavior. Ensure the SSD has free working space beyond the 55GB installation requirement and that no large download or update is running in the background.
Quick decision guide
| Your situation | Recommended action | Expected target |
|---|---|---|
| Meets minimum CPU/GPU, 8GB RAM, SSD | 1080p, Low preset, 30 FPS cap; close background software | Official minimum target: 30 FPS |
| Meets recommended CPU/GPU, 16GB RAM, SSD | 1080p, High preset, 60 FPS cap | Official recommended target: 60 FPS |
| No SSD | Install an SSD with at least 55GB free before troubleshooting graphics | Storage prerequisite |
| 8GB RAM but otherwise suitable hardware | Upgrade to 16GB, then retest before replacing the GPU | Recommended memory level |
| Hardware between the listed tiers | Start Low at 1080p/30, raise one setting group at a time | No official intermediate guarantee |
Bottom line
For the least expensive configuration that meets the published floor, use a 64-bit Windows 10 PC with an i7-8700K or Ryzen 5 1600X-class processor, GTX 1060 6GB/RX 5600 XT 6GB/Arc A380 6GB-class graphics, 8GB RAM, DirectX 12, and an SSD with 55GB free; target 1080p at 30 FPS on Low. For the intended 1080p/60 High experience, aim for Windows 11, a Core i7-12700K or Ryzen 7 5800X, RTX 3060 Ti 8GB or RX 6800 XT 16GB, 16GB RAM, and the same 55GB SSD requirement. Tune from those baselines and judge stability on your own system, because the official listing does not quantify the FPS effect of each individual setting.
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