> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/yakushabb/mirror-ryujinx/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# System Requirements

> Minimum and recommended hardware specifications for running Ryujinx

# System Requirements

Ryujinx is a demanding application that requires a modern computer to run Nintendo Switch games effectively. This page outlines the minimum and recommended specifications.

<Warning>
  **Critical Requirement:** Your PC must be equipped with **at least 8GB of RAM**. Failing to meet this requirement may result in a poor gameplay experience or unexpected crashes.
</Warning>

## Quick Reference

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Minimum Specs" icon="server">
    Basic requirements to run Ryujinx

    * **RAM**: 8GB (required)
    * **CPU**: 64-bit with AVX support
    * **.NET**: SDK 10.0.100+
    * **GPU**: OpenGL 4.5 / Vulkan support
  </Card>

  <Card title="Recommended Specs" icon="rocket">
    For optimal performance

    * **RAM**: 16GB or more
    * **CPU**: Modern multi-core (4+ cores)
    * **.NET**: Latest .NET SDK
    * **GPU**: Dedicated GPU with Vulkan
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Operating System Requirements

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Windows">
    ### Minimum

    * **OS**: Windows 10 (64-bit) version 1809 or later
    * **Version**: Windows 11 is fully supported

    ### Recommended

    * **OS**: Windows 10/11 (64-bit), latest version
    * **Updates**: Keep Windows Update current for best driver support

    <Note>
      Windows 7 and 8.1 are **not supported**. Ryujinx requires modern Windows APIs and .NET runtime features.
    </Note>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="macOS">
    ### Minimum

    * **OS**: macOS 10.15 (Catalina) or later
    * **Architecture**: Intel or Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3)

    ### Recommended

    * **OS**: macOS 12 (Monterey) or later
    * **Architecture**: Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) for best performance

    <Info>
      **Graphics Note:** macOS uses Metal API via MoltenVK for graphics rendering. Ensure your Mac supports Metal 2 or later.
    </Info>

    ### Apple Silicon Performance

    Apple Silicon Macs (M1/M2/M3) run Ryujinx through Rosetta 2 translation but still provide excellent performance due to strong single-thread performance and unified memory architecture.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Linux">
    ### Minimum

    * **Kernel**: Linux kernel 4.15 or later
    * **Distribution**: Any modern 64-bit distribution
    * **Architecture**: x86\_64 (64-bit)

    ### Recommended

    * **Kernel**: Linux kernel 5.10 or later
    * **Distribution**: Ubuntu 20.04+, Fedora 35+, Arch Linux (current)

    ### Tested Distributions

    * Ubuntu / Debian
    * Fedora / RHEL
    * Arch Linux / Manjaro
    * openSUSE
    * Pop!\_OS

    <Note>
      Other distributions should work as long as dependencies are met. You may need to compile some libraries from source.
    </Note>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Hardware Requirements

### Memory (RAM)

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="8GB RAM - Minimum Required" icon="exclamation-triangle">
    **Status:** Will run, but with limitations

    * Can run most games
    * May experience memory pressure with demanding titles
    * Close other applications while playing
    * Avoid high resolution scaling
    * Some games may crash due to memory constraints

    <Warning>
      With only 8GB, your system should have minimal background applications running. Games like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom may require more.
    </Warning>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="16GB RAM - Recommended" icon="check-circle">
    **Status:** Ideal for most users

    * Comfortable headroom for all games
    * Can run background applications
    * Supports moderate resolution scaling (2x-3x)
    * Stable performance across game library
    * Recommended for typical gaming sessions
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="32GB+ RAM - Enthusiast" icon="star">
    **Status:** Best experience

    * Maximum resolution scaling (4x+)
    * Heavy multitasking while gaming
    * Ideal for content creation (streaming, recording)
    * Future-proof for demanding titles
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

### Processor (CPU)

**Minimum Requirements:**

* **Architecture**: x86\_64 (64-bit)
* **Instruction Set**: AVX support required
* **Cores**: 2 cores / 4 threads minimum
* **Example**: Intel Core i5-4430 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200

**Recommended Specifications:**

* **Cores**: 4+ cores / 8+ threads
* **Clock Speed**: 3.5 GHz or higher (boost)
* **Architecture**: Modern architecture (2017+)
* **Examples**:
  * Intel Core i5-8400 or better
  * AMD Ryzen 5 2600 or better
  * Apple M1 or better

<Info>
  **Why Strong CPU Matters:** Ryujinx uses ARMeilleure to translate ARM instructions to x86. This is CPU-intensive and benefits greatly from:

  * High single-thread performance (for game logic)
  * Multiple cores (for parallel translation)
  * Modern instruction sets (AVX2, etc.)
</Info>

#### CPU Compatibility Notes

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Intel Processors" icon="microchip">
    * **Minimum**: 4th gen (Haswell) or later
    * **Recommended**: 8th gen (Coffee Lake) or later
    * **Best**: 12th gen (Alder Lake) or later

    Older processors may lack required AVX instructions.
  </Card>

  <Card title="AMD Processors" icon="microchip">
    * **Minimum**: Ryzen 1000 series or later
    * **Recommended**: Ryzen 3000 series or later
    * **Best**: Ryzen 5000/7000 series

    Zen 2 and later offer excellent performance.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

### Graphics Card (GPU)

**Minimum Requirements:**

* **OpenGL**: Version 4.5 or later, OR
* **Vulkan**: Support for Vulkan 1.0+
* **VRAM**: 2GB minimum
* **Examples**:
  * NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti
  * AMD Radeon RX 460
  * Intel HD Graphics 530 (with driver support)

**Recommended Specifications:**

* **Vulkan Support**: Vulkan 1.1+ (preferred API)
* **VRAM**: 4GB or more
* **Architecture**: Modern GPU (2016+)
* **Examples**:
  * NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB or better
  * AMD Radeon RX 580 or better
  * Intel Arc A380 or better
  * Apple M1 integrated GPU or better

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="NVIDIA">
    ### Recommended NVIDIA GPUs

    **Budget (1080p native):**

    * GTX 1050 Ti
    * GTX 1650
    * RTX 3050

    **Mid-Range (1080p/1440p with scaling):**

    * GTX 1660 Super
    * RTX 2060
    * RTX 3060
    * RTX 4060

    **High-End (4K or high resolution scaling):**

    * RTX 3070 or better
    * RTX 4070 or better

    <Info>
      NVIDIA GPUs generally have excellent Vulkan and OpenGL driver support on all platforms.
    </Info>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="AMD">
    ### Recommended AMD GPUs

    **Budget (1080p native):**

    * RX 5500 XT
    * RX 6500 XT

    **Mid-Range (1080p/1440p with scaling):**

    * RX 5600 XT
    * RX 6600 XT
    * RX 7600

    **High-End (4K or high resolution scaling):**

    * RX 6700 XT or better
    * RX 7800 XT or better

    <Note>
      AMD GPUs work best with Vulkan backend. Ensure you have the latest drivers installed.
    </Note>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Intel">
    ### Intel Graphics

    **Integrated Graphics:**

    * **Iris Xe** (11th gen and later): Capable of running most games at native resolution
    * **UHD Graphics 630** (7th-10th gen): Can run lighter games, limited performance

    **Discrete Graphics:**

    * **Arc A380**: Entry-level, adequate for native resolution
    * **Arc A750/A770**: Good performance with resolution scaling

    <Warning>
      Older Intel integrated graphics (HD Graphics 4000-500 series) have poor OpenGL/Vulkan driver support and are **not recommended**.
    </Warning>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Apple Silicon">
    ### Apple Silicon GPUs

    All Apple Silicon Macs have integrated GPUs that provide excellent performance:

    * **M1**: 7-8 core GPU - Good performance for most games
    * **M1 Pro**: 14-16 core GPU - Great performance, 2x scaling
    * **M1 Max**: 24-32 core GPU - Excellent, 3x-4x scaling
    * **M2**: 8-10 core GPU - Improved over M1
    * **M2 Pro/Max**: Similar improvements to M1 equivalents
    * **M3 series**: Latest, best performance

    <Info>
      Apple Silicon uses Metal API via MoltenVK. Unified memory architecture means GPU shares system RAM.
    </Info>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

### Storage

**Requirements:**

* **Ryujinx Installation**: \~500 MB
* **Firmware Files**: \~500 MB
* **Per Game**: 4-16 GB (varies by title)
* **Shader Cache**: 100 MB - 2 GB per game
* **PPTC Cache**: 50-500 MB per game
* **Save Data**: 10-100 MB per game

**Recommended:**

* **Type**: SSD (Solid State Drive)
* **Space**: 50+ GB free for comfortable game library
* **Speed**: Faster storage reduces load times and shader compilation time

<Info>
  While Ryujinx can run from an HDD, an SSD significantly improves:

  * Initial load times
  * PPTC cache building
  * Shader compilation performance
  * Overall responsiveness
</Info>

## Software Requirements

### .NET SDK

<Note>
  **For End Users (Pre-built Binaries):** .NET runtime is bundled with releases. No separate installation needed.

  **For Developers (Building from Source):** .NET 10.0 SDK or higher required.
</Note>

**Building from Source:**

* **Minimum Version**: 10.0.100 (specified in `global.json`)
* **Download**: [dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet/10.0](https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet/10.0)
* **Version Check**: Run `dotnet --version` to verify

### Graphics API Support

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Vulkan (Recommended)">
    **Best Performance & Compatibility**

    **Requirements:**

    * Vulkan 1.0 minimum, 1.1+ recommended
    * Up-to-date graphics drivers

    **Check Vulkan Support:**

    <CodeGroup>
      ```bash Windows theme={null}
      # Download and run vulkaninfo.exe from Vulkan SDK
      # Or check GPU manufacturer's driver info
      ```

      ```bash Linux theme={null}
      vulkaninfo | grep "Vulkan Instance Version"
      # Install: sudo apt install vulkan-tools
      ```

      ```bash macOS theme={null}
      # Metal is used via MoltenVK translation layer
      system_profiler SPDisplaysDataType
      ```
    </CodeGroup>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="OpenGL">
    **Good Compatibility**

    **Requirements:**

    * OpenGL 4.5 minimum
    * 4.6 recommended for best compatibility

    **Check OpenGL Version:**
    Most GPUs from 2014+ support OpenGL 4.5. Check your GPU manufacturer's specifications.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Metal (macOS)">
    **macOS Exclusive**

    **Requirements:**

    * Metal 2 or later
    * Supported on all Macs from 2012+

    Metal is automatically used via MoltenVK on macOS. No configuration needed.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

### Platform-Specific Dependencies

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Windows Dependencies">
    **Usually Pre-installed:**

    * DirectX 12 (Windows 10/11)
    * Visual C++ Redistributables

    **If Needed:**

    * [Visual C++ Redistributable](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/windows/latest-supported-vc-redist) (all versions)
    * Latest GPU drivers from NVIDIA/AMD/Intel
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="macOS Dependencies">
    **Built-in:**

    * Metal API
    * System frameworks

    **May Need:**

    * Xcode Command Line Tools (for some features)

    ```bash theme={null}
    xcode-select --install
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Linux Dependencies">
    **Required Libraries:**

    <CodeGroup>
      ```bash Ubuntu/Debian theme={null}
      sudo apt install libsdl3-dev libopenal-dev \
        libvulkan1 mesa-vulkan-drivers
      ```

      ```bash Fedora theme={null}
      sudo dnf install SDL3-devel openal-soft \
        vulkan-loader mesa-vulkan-drivers
      ```

      ```bash Arch Linux theme={null}
      sudo pacman -S sdl3 openal \
        vulkan-icd-loader vulkan-driver
      ```
    </CodeGroup>

    **Graphics Drivers:**

    * NVIDIA: Install proprietary drivers
    * AMD/Intel: Mesa drivers (usually pre-installed)
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Performance Expectations

Performance varies greatly by game and system:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Simple 2D Games">
    **Examples:** Indie platformers, visual novels

    * Even minimum specs can run at full speed
    * Low CPU and GPU requirements
    * 8GB RAM sufficient
  </Step>

  <Step title="Standard 3D Games">
    **Examples:** Mario Kart 8, Splatoon 2

    * Recommended specs needed for consistent 60fps
    * 16GB RAM recommended
    * Modern GPU helps with resolution scaling
  </Step>

  <Step title="Demanding AAA Games">
    **Examples:** Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Xenoblade Chronicles

    * High-end recommended specs for best experience
    * 16GB+ RAM strongly recommended
    * Strong CPU critical (high single-thread performance)
    * Dedicated GPU recommended
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Even with high-end hardware, some games may not run at full speed due to emulation accuracy requirements. Check game compatibility lists and community reports for specific titles.
</Warning>

## Checking Your System

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Windows">
    **View System Info:**

    1. Press `Win + Pause/Break`, or
    2. Right-click "This PC" > Properties

    **Check GPU:**

    1. Right-click desktop > Display settings
    2. Scroll down > Advanced display settings
    3. Display adapter properties

    **Or use System Information:**

    * Press `Win + R`
    * Type `msinfo32` and press Enter
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="macOS">
    **System Information:**

    1. Click Apple menu >  About This Mac
    2. View Memory, Processor, and Graphics

    **Detailed Info:**

    ```bash theme={null}
    system_profiler SPHardwareDataType
    system_profiler SPDisplaysDataType
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Linux">
    **Terminal Commands:**

    ```bash theme={null}
    # RAM
    free -h

    # CPU
    lscpu | grep "Model name"

    # GPU
    lspci | grep VGA

    # OpenGL Version
    glxinfo | grep "OpenGL version"

    # Vulkan
    vulkaninfo | grep "Vulkan Instance Version"
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Next Steps

If your system meets the requirements:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Installation Guide" icon="download" href="/installation">
    Download and install Ryujinx on your platform
  </Card>

  <Card title="Quick Start" icon="rocket" href="/quickstart">
    Set up Ryujinx and play your first game
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

If your system doesn't meet requirements:

<Info>
  Consider upgrading RAM to 16GB as the most impactful improvement, followed by getting a dedicated GPU if using integrated graphics.
</Info>