The Most Voracious: 5 of the Most Demanding Hardware Games in History

As video games evolve, so too do their graphics, pushing PC owners to regularly upgrade their systems for smoother gameplay. However, even the most capable computers and laptops can struggle with some titles. Here are five examples of historically demanding games.

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

Bethesda Softworks' iconic RPG set a new standard not only for role-playing games but also for graphic technologies. Back in 2002, TES III's graphics were groundbreaking. Although it could run on a two-year-old GeForce2 GTS with 32 MB of video memory, optimal performance required something like a GeForce4 Ti 4400 with 128 MB.

Crysis

No list would be complete without Crysis. This pioneering game from 2007 showcased what future video games could aspire to visually. Its system requirements were demanding; top-tier machines equipped with the GeForce 8800 Ultra couldn't support maximum settings at launch.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Even seven years post-launch, "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt" continues to impress visually. Its robust graphics suite includes NVIDIA GameWorks tools like HairWorks and HBAO+. For optimal performance at around 60 fps in Full HD, a GeForce GTX 980 was recommended.

Metro Exodus

In terms of graphics, Metro Exodus is arguably the most visually impressive game in the Metro series. It was one of the first games to utilize NVIDIA's ray tracing technology effectively. To maintain smooth gameplay at maximum settings in Full HD resolution, a GeForce RTX 2080 Ti was needed.

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator's standout feature is its expansive map – an entire globe on a 1:1 scale with realistic weather simulation and physics. Such detail required not only a powerful PC configuration but also high-speed internet connectivity for real-time downloading of world, weather, and navigation data. To experience the game at its best, a GeForce RTX 2080 with 8 GB of memory was initially recommended. However, a patch released in July 2021 improved the game's performance significantly. Now, an RTX 2060 Super suffices for ultra-setting gameplay at 60 fps.