By the FlowUP team, gaming PC builder in Genappe (Belgium) · Updated 29 September 2026
In brief: ARK 2 hasn’t been released yet: announced in late 2020, the game has been delayed several times, and Studio Wildcard is now targeting 2028, with no published system requirements. The playable ARK today on a modern engine is ARK: Survival Ascended, the Unreal Engine 5 remake released in October 2023. It’s very demanding: Studio Wildcard recommends a RTX 3080 or RX 6800, 32 GB of RAM and a SSD with 180 GB free. To play comfortably in 2026, aim for at least an RTX 5070 or an RX 9070 at 1440p, with 32 GB of memory.
ARK 2: where are we in 2026?
ARK 2 was announced at the December 2020 Game Awards, with Vin Diesel as Santiago. Since then, the schedule has shifted a lot: first planned for 2023, then early access in late 2024, the game was pushed back to “no earlier than 2027” in June 2025. In December 2025, Studio Wildcard mentioned 2028, talking about an “intention” rather than a firm date, according to PC Gamer.
In the meantime, an expansion for ARK: Survival Ascended called Legacy of Santiago, presented as a prelude to the story of ARK 2, is set to be released by the end of 2027. No official system requirements have been published for ARK 2: any “ARK 2 configuration” you see elsewhere is an estimate.
While we wait for ARK 2, it’s ARK: Survival Ascended that puts PCs to the test.
ARK: Survival Ascended, the ARK to play today
Launched on PC in early access on 25 October 2023, ARK: Survival Ascended takes ARK: Survival Evolved forward with Unreal Engine 5. The game moved to engine version 5.5 in June 2025, with improved rendering, faster loading times and a lighter install. It has sold more than 4 million copies.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| System | Windows 10 or 11 | Windows 10 or 11 |
| Processor | Ryzen 5 2600X or Core i7-6800K | Ryzen 5 3600X or Core i5-10600K |
| Graphics card | RX 5600 XT or GTX 1080 | RX 6800 or RTX 3080 |
| RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB |
| Storage | 180 GB on SSD (required) | 180 GB on SSD |
Source: official Steam page for ARK: Survival Ascended, accessed 29 September 2026.
What stands out is the level of the “recommended” setup: an RTX 3080 and 32 GB of RAM, top-end for 2020. And the game is mainly limited by the graphics card. At launch, DSOGaming measured that an RTX 4090 was running at around 75 FPS in native 4K, but only on low settings, and that you needed DLSS with frame generation to get close to 60 FPS on high settings. The game supports DLSS 3 and its frame generation; FSR was not included natively at the beginning.
What PC for ARK in 2026?
Since there are no recent tests on the 2026 cards, here’s our builder estimate, based on the official recommended configuration and the game’s behaviour:
| Goal | Graphics card | RAM |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p, medium-to-high settings | RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB or RX 9060 XT 16 GB | 32 GB recommended, minimum 16 GB |
| 1440p, high settings | RTX 5070 or RX 9070 | 32 GB |
| Very high 1440p or 4K with upscaling | RTX 5070 Ti, RX 9070 XT or RTX 5080 | 32 GB |
Two pieces of advice that matter more than everything else. First, video memory: the recommended configuration is based on 10 to 16 GB cards (RTX 3080, RX 6800), so aim for 12 GB or more. Next, RAM: 32 GB is the official recommendation. As for storage, an NVMe SSD is essential (the game refuses a hard drive). More details in 16 GB or 32 GB of RAM in 2026 and SSD or HDD.
Apex outlines the settings that help you gain FPS in ARK: Survival Ascended:
Apex, “How to optimise your FPS in ARK Genesis Ascended”, July 2026.
Our ARK PCs
ARK is one of the heaviest games around, so we chose configurations that have some headroom in terms of both the graphics card and memory. If you also play other open-world survival games (Palworld, Conan Exiles, Enshrouded), these systems will handle it without any issues.
The entire range is in the category FlowUP gaming PC, with indicative FPS per game on each product page.
For ARK, headroom on the graphics card and memory makes all the difference.
PC Novara GeForce RTX 5070 12GB
Ryzen 5 7500X3D, RTX 5070 12GB, 16GB DDR5 and 1TB M.2 SSD: a configuration ready to play straight out of the box.
Rainbow V2 PC: RTX 5070 Ti 16 GB
RTX 5070 Ti 16 GB, available with 32 GB of DDR5: headroom for 1440p on very high settings.
Orion PC: RTX 5080 to target 4K
RTX 5080 and Ryzen 7 X3D: for 4K with DLSS and frame generation.
FAQ: ARK 2 and ARK: Survival Ascended
When is ARK 2 released?
No official date. Studio Wildcard mentioned 2028 in December 2025, speaking about an intention rather than a firm release date.
What are the system requirements for ARK 2?
They haven’t been published. The closest reference is ARK: Survival Ascended, which uses the same Unreal Engine 5.
What specifications for ARK: Survival Ascended?
Officially, at least a GTX 1080 or RX 5600 XT and 16 GB of RAM, and recommended an RTX 3080 or RX 6800 with 32 GB of RAM. An SSD with 180 GB of free space is mandatory.
Can ARK: Survival Ascended run on a hard drive?
No, the Steam page states that an SSD is required, even in the minimum configuration.
Is 16 GB of RAM enough for ARK?
This is the official minimum. The recommended configuration calls for 32 GB, and that’s what we advise for playing on busy servers.
