Assassin's Creed Shadows.
From chaos to purpose, from darkness to light. A new Creed rises over Japan.
Executive Technical Summary
Assassin's Creed Shadows is a visually stunning game developed by Ubisoft Quebec using the Anvil Engine. To experience the game at its best, a modern PC with a fast solid-state drive (SSD) is recommended for smooth loading and gameplay.
Quick Facts & Specifications
Release Date
3/20/2025
Game Engine
Anvil
Series Order
Standalone
Published by Ubisoft as part of the Assassin's Creed franchise, Assassin's Creed Shadows features robust Single-player modes. Built on the Anvil Engine engine, it has an estimated playtime of 40 hours for the story campaign, scaling to 100 hours for completionist runs. With an age rating of PEGI 18, the game occupies approximately 115GB SSD of storage.
Can my current laptop run it?
To comfortably play at 1080p 30FPS Low settings, you need a minimum of an SSD, 16GB of RAM, and a GTX 1070 or RX 5700.
Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 SE (2022)
Official Trailer & Gameplay
PC Compatibility Calculator
Select your processor and graphics card to check performance and potential slowdowns
Configure Your Laptop Specs
We compile dynamic frame estimates based on instruction speeds, floating-point units, and raster benchmarks.
System Diagnostics
RECOMMENDED
Perfect balance. High settings at stable frame rates.
What are the official PC requirements and resolution profiles for Assassin's Creed Shadows?
Performance Verdict: Requires at least a GTX 1060 or equivalent GPU for 1080p Low 30FPS, while 1080p High 60FPS demands an RTX 3070 or better with 16GB of system RAM.
Official PC System Requirements & Sources
⚡Ultra
Ultra Preset + RTGI On, DLSS/FSR Balanced, 4K 60FPS
CPU: Intel Core i7-14700K or AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
(Enthusiast desktop processors needed for 4K 60FPS target with RT enabled.)
Laptop CPU: Intel Core i9-14900HX / AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX
(Top-tier mobile processors required to handle heavy NPC density and Anvil's systemic engine.)
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 (16GB) / RTX 5080 or AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
(Flagship desktop GPUs needed to handle forced Ray-Traced Global Illumination at 4K.)
Laptop GPU: NVIDIA RTX 4090 Laptop / RTX 5080 Laptop
(Requires massive VRAM for high-resolution textures and path-traced lighting features.)
RAM: 32 GB
(32GB strongly recommended for 4K Ultra gameplay.)
Storage: 130 GB NVMe SSD
(Fast Gen 4 NVMe required.)
💻 Base Core OS
Operating System
Windows 10 / 11 (64-bit only)
(Requires modern OS for DirectX 12 Ultimate.)
DirectX API
Version 12 Ultimate
(Requires DX12 feature set for hardware ray tracing.)
Disk Footprint
115 - 130 GB available space on an SSD
(HDDs are not supported. Asset streaming requires NVMe speeds to avoid invisible geometry when moving quickly via grappling hook or mount.)
⚠️Official requirements state an SSD is mandatory. Performance in massive castle towns is highly CPU-bound, while Ray-Traced Global Illumination taxes the GPU.
🔋 Laptop Considerations
A mobile RTX 4060 with Frame Generation is highly recommended for stable 60 FPS gameplay at 1080p High settings.
GPU TGP
Ensure your laptop GPU operates at 100W or higher. VRAM is a major bottleneck on 8GB laptops at resolutions above 1080p.
CPU Power Limits
Game is heavily CPU-bound in large cities like Kyoto; ensure performance modes are active.
Cooling Thermals
Extremely heavy on both CPU and GPU; thermal throttling is common.
MUX Switch Optimus
MUX switch is heavily recommended.
🚀 Optimization & Tuning
Upscaling Engines
Native support for NVIDIA DLSS 3 (with Frame Gen), AMD FSR 3, and Intel XeSS.
Critical Setting Targets
Ray-Traced Global Illumination has the largest performance hit. Turning down Volumetric Clouds and Environment Details can vastly improve framerates.
💻 Base Core OS
Operating System
Windows 10 / 11 (64-bit only)
(Requires modern OS for DirectX 12 Ultimate.)
DirectX API
Version 12 Ultimate
(Requires DX12 feature set for hardware ray tracing.)
Disk Footprint
115 - 130 GB available space on an SSD
(HDDs are not supported. Asset streaming requires NVMe speeds to avoid invisible geometry when moving quickly via grappling hook or mount.)
⚠️Official requirements state an SSD is mandatory. Performance in massive castle towns is highly CPU-bound, while Ray-Traced Global Illumination taxes the GPU.
What is the best gaming laptop to play Assassin's Creed Shadows smoothly?
Direct Laptop Verdict: For an optimal balanced gameplay experience, we recommend laptops equipped with an RTX 4060 or RTX 4070 (e.g. delivering a stable 60+ FPS on High settings).
Gaming laptops that meet the requirements
🎯Budget Choice: Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 SE (2022) - for 1080p
Golden Optimization Settings ⚙️
Recommended Adjustments for Massive Framerate Boosts
Ray-Traced Global Illumination
Medium (or Off on low-end GPUs)
📈Lowering RTGI provides the single largest GPU performance boost, saving up to 25% of your framerate.
Volumetric Clouds
High
📈Dropping clouds from Ultra to High reclaims significant FPS with almost no noticeable visual downgrade.
What is the gameplay and performance like in Assassin's Creed Shadows?
Direct Gameplay Verdict: Featuring hybrid combat systems and open world progression, Assassin's Creed Shadows scales well on multi-threaded processors but is VRAM intensive on high quality textures.
Gameplay and Settings Overview
Gameplay & Core Mechanics
Yasuke provides brutal, heavy combat focused on breaking enemy posture and dealing massive damage. Naoe specializes in nimble strikes, dodges, and blending martial arts with tools like the Kusarigama.
World Design & Atmosphere
Seamless traversal through massive environments. Players use grappling hooks, parkour, and various mounts to explore regions like Kyoto and Arima. Seasons change organically, opening or closing distinct paths.
Performance & Graphics Settings Tips
Optimized to scale across modern CPU cores. Disabling high-impact settings like Volumetric Fog or Screen Space Reflections results in significant performance gains.
Editions, Modes & Multiplayer
Cross-Play, Cross-Save, & Multiplayer Details
Supported Features Matrix
Cross-Play
No
Cross-Save
Supported
Monetization
Premium
Base Price
USD $69.99
Expansion Packs & DLCs
Steam Deck Lab 🎮
Due to the systemic nature of the Anvil engine and heavy global illumination requirements, the Steam Deck struggles to maintain 30FPS without aggressive FSR scaling, leading to a blurry image.
Anti-Cheat Report 🛡️
Accessibility Analysis
Assassin's Creed Shadows Inclusivity Report
Subtitles
Full dialogue & ambient sounds support
Colorblind Modes
Presets for deuteranopia, protanopia, or tritanopia
Motion Blur Control
Ability to toggle or scale motion blur and camera shake
Controller Remapping
Full remapping support in client configuration options
Screen Reader / Narration
Audio narration of onscreen elements and menus
Cloud Gaming Support
Assassin's Creed Shadows — Streaming Platform Intelligence
GeForce NOW
AvailableRTX ON with ray tracing supported in Ultimate tier.
Xbox Cloud
UnavailableAvailable with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription.
Boosteroid
AvailableWorks well with stable 20+ Mbps connection.
Shadow PC
AvailableFull PC cloud instance. RTX 4070 tier available.
Campaign & Game Details
Missions, Weapons, Vehicles, & Characters
🗺️ Campaign Missions
Black Tides
Part of the 'Claws of Awaji' expansion, sending the duo to a new island region fraught with dangerous new foes.
The Shinbakufu
A pivotal main story arc where Naoe and Yasuke confront the ruling forces to establish a new order in Japan.
🗡️ Weapons & Gear
Bloodshade
An incredibly fast legendary Katana for Naoe that excels at building up Afflictions like Bleed and Poison on targets.
Crimson's Edge
A brutal legendary Long Katana for Yasuke that can automatically execute bleeding enemies with low health.
Ocean's Grip
A versatile chain-and-sickle weapon offering incredible crowd control and range for Naoe's aggressive combat style.
🚗 Vehicles & Mounts
Namazu
A secret, myth-inspired legendary horse hidden within a cave near Lake Biwa, usable by both protagonists.
Sekiryu Beast
A fearsome and elegant premium mount that brings an imposing presence to traversing the Japanese countryside.
👥 Cast & Characters
Naoe
A swift, agile shinobi from the Iga Province seeking vengeance. She relies on stealth, parkour, and the Hidden Blade.
Yasuke
A powerful, historically legendary African samurai who utilizes heavy armor and brute force to decimate enemies head-on.
Gameplay Screenshots
High-Quality In-Game Screenshots
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to Common Questions
Q:Can you switch between Naoe and Yasuke at any time?
A:For the majority of the open-world exploration and side activities, you can switch between them freely. However, certain main story missions require you to play as a specific character.
Q:Does weather affect gameplay in Assassin's Creed Shadows?
A:Yes. The game features a dynamic seasonal cycle. For example, ponds freeze in winter (preventing underwater stealth), and tall grass provides ample cover in summer but dies off in autumn.
How We Verify Hardware Requirements
At NKMGaming, we do not rely on official specifications sheets alone. We verify system compatibility and performance by testing games on dozens of real-world gaming laptops. We analyze actual gameplay, processor performance, graphics power, and laptop temperatures. We also cite verified game developer updates, player reports, and hardware tests to ensure our recommendations are accurate as of 2026.