Roberts Space Industries (RSI) publishes shared minimum requirements for its games, including Squadron 42: Windows 10 64-bit or Windows 11, a qualifying quad-core CPU, a DirectX 11.1 graphics card with 4 GB of graphics memory, at least 16 GB of system RAM, and a 150+ GB SSD. These are compatibility minimums—not a recommended build or a promise of smooth performance. Squadron 42 was still in development and unavailable for download in RSI’s February 4, 2026 update, so final-release requirements and performance remain unestablished.
What PC specs does RSI publish for Squadron 42?
RSI’s Game and Launcher Requirements page, updated December 17, 2025, gives shared minimums for CIG games including Squadron 42. RSI says it strongly recommends systems with these minimums to effectively install, load, and play its games.
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| Component | Published minimum |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10 64-bit or Windows 11 |
| CPU | Quad-core processor with AVX, AVX2, and FMA3; Intel i7 Haswell or later, or AMD Excavator or later |
| Graphics card | DirectX 11.1 graphics card with 4 GB RAM |
| System memory | At least 16 GB RAM |
| Storage | 150+ GB SSD required |
RSI currently says Linux and macOS are not supported. The requirements page does not name a specific GPU model, resolution, graphics preset, or frame-rate target. Meeting its minimums therefore does not establish what performance a particular PC will deliver.
How much SSD space should you plan for?
Keep the stated game requirement distinct from RSI’s separate storage guidance. The requirement is a 150+ GB SSD. RSI also recommends an NTFS-formatted drive with at least 100 GB for the RSI Launcher and Star Citizen installation, plus at least 10 GB of additional SSD space for the pagefile. These figures describe different guidance on the same page; do not treat the 100 GB installation figure as a replacement for the 150+ GB game requirement.
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RSI does not specify SATA versus NVMe, drive form factor, interface, or a particular SSD model. When choosing storage, verify what your system supports and leave enough free capacity for the game and the additional space RSI recommends.
Check your PC before buying an upgrade
First compare the existing system with every published minimum. RSI suggests using Windows System Information or DXDiag to check specifications. In particular, do not assume a CPU qualifies solely because its model family sounds recent: confirm that it supports AVX, AVX2, and FMA3 as well as meeting the core and generation-family criteria.
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- Check Windows support: confirm the PC runs Windows 10 64-bit or Windows 11.
- Check the CPU: verify it is quad-core and supports AVX, AVX2, and FMA3; compare its generation with RSI’s Intel i7 Haswell-or-later or AMD Excavator-or-later examples.
- Check graphics: confirm DirectX 11.1 support and at least 4 GB of graphics memory.
- Check system RAM: confirm at least 16 GB is installed.
- Check storage: make sure the game can be installed to an SSD with adequate free space, accounting for RSI’s additional pagefile guidance.
If one minimum is missing, prioritize resolving that shortfall before spending on a stronger part that does not address it. Before selecting a replacement, check motherboard support, available slot and interface, power supply capacity, and case clearance. Those are general PC compatibility checks, not additional requirements published by RSI.
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How to compare PCs or decide what to upgrade
Use the same six checks for a prebuilt PC, a used system, or your current machine:
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- Supported Windows version
- CPU core count and AVX, AVX2, and FMA3 support
- Graphics API support and graphics memory
- Installed system RAM
- SSD capacity and available space
- Public Telemetry context for machines with similar hardware
RSI’s Development Hub links Public Telemetry, which shows performance on community machines and can help you gauge how a build may measure up. It is context, not a prediction or guarantee for an individual system.
The published minimums do not provide a basis for ranking particular CPU or GPU models or estimating FPS. Avoid treating a component list as a “best” build unless its performance evidence is tied to a stated resolution and quality target; those figures are not established by RSI’s requirements page.
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Are these the final Squadron 42 requirements?
No final-release requirements are established by these published minimums. In its support article updated February 4, 2026, RSI said Squadron 42 was still in development and not available for download. Check RSI’s Squadron 42 availability article and requirements page again close to purchase or release, since availability and requirements can change.
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