Cinder City Sets Unprecedented 64 GB RAM Requirement as PC Memory Prices Spike Up to $1,000

Cinder City is gearing up for release with system requirements that dwarf even the most demanding games. The Steam listing, published by South Korean firm NC (formerly NCSoft), displays a recommended 64 GB of RAM, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, and a top-tier Intel Core i7-12700 or AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D processor. The minimum requirement is already steep—32 GB of RAM and an RTX 2060. These specs place Cinder City at the cutting edge of hardware demands, even amid the most graphics-heavy titles available on PC.

According to the Steam page for Cinder City (spotted by Wccftech), the game’s setting is a dystopian near-future Seoul, where players engage in co-operative open-world PvE combat against mutated creatures. Its minimum and recommended system requirements rank among the most demanding on Steam to date.

System Requirements and Market Comparison

• Minimum Specs: 32 GB RAM, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 (6 GB VRAM), Intel Core i5-10400 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600.
• Recommended Specs: 64 GB RAM, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 (8 GB VRAM), Intel Core i7-12700 or AMD Ryzen 7800X3D.

For comparison, even big-budget PC releases like Forza Horizon 6, 007: First Light, Death Stranding 2, Resident Evil Requiem, and the highly anticipated Crimson Desert only recommend 16 GB of RAM. The rare exceptions, such as Microsoft Flight Simulator, push for 32 GB, but Cinder City appears to be the first notable title to move the bar to 64 GB.

Wccftech observed, “Cinder City has become one of the first games to recommend 64 GB of RAM,” positioning it on the frontier of hardware expectations for PC gamers.

RAM Pricing Crisis and Market Fallout

• Current cost of 64 GB RAM: $500–$1,000 USD (as tracked by PC Part Picker)
• Major manufacturers sued for price-fixing: Samsung, SK Hynix, Micron

The timing could not be worse for PC gamers. The ongoing global memory market turmoil has pushed 64 GB of RAM kits from $500 to as high as $1,000, according to tracking data from PC Part Picker. The price surge, which affects both DDR5 and the previously lower-cost DDR4, is linked to a shortage caused by major manufacturers re-focusing production towards high bandwidth memory (HBM) for AI data centres. Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron—the world’s three largest RAM suppliers—are currently facing a lawsuit alleging deliberate supply reduction to inflate prices, particularly for consumer-focused DDR3 and DDR4 RAM.

The lawsuit accuses these companies of “reducing their supply of DDR3 and DDR4 RAM, leading to a sharp increase in price for consumers who use it, and focusing most of their production on HBM – a high-cost, high bandwidth form of 3D-stacked DRAM mainly used by AI datacentres instead of consumers.”

The knock-on effect has hit the wider technology sector. Microsoft increased the pricing of Xbox consoles by $100–$150, while Apple also raised hardware prices the same day. Valve’s Steam Machine, with 16 GB of RAM, was recently confirmed to retail for above $1,000 USD, with Valve stating its, “original goal for the price of Steam Machine is no longer viable.”

What Makes Cinder City Unique Among PC Games?

Cinder City is not just notable for its hardware demands. Developed by NC and set in a futuristic, dystopian Seoul, the game blends open-world exploration, co-operative PvE, and intense combat against mutated enemies. The extreme RAM requirement highlights the increasing resource demands of modern online, open-world games, especially those with advanced AI and large urban environments.

Despite the memory price spikes, the game’s demanding specs reflect industry trends towards higher-fidelity visuals and more complex game worlds, but they may also limit access for all but high-end PC enthusiasts. Gamers and commentators have described these escalating requirements as a tipping point, particularly in a volatile hardware market.

• Game: Cinder City
• Publisher: NC (formerly NCSoft)
• Release: Upcoming (Steam page live)
• Genre: MMO Shooter, Open-World Co-op PvE
• Recommended RAM: 64 GB
• Minimum RAM: 32 GB
• Comparable recent games’ recommended RAM: 16 GB (Forza Horizon 6, 007: First Light, Death Stranding 2, Resident Evil Requiem, Crimson Desert)

Cinder City stands as the first high-profile PC release to require 64 GB of RAM, setting a new benchmark for system requirements. Paired with record-high RAM prices linked to an ongoing manufacturing squeeze and alleged price collusion from RAM giants Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron, the barrier for entry into next-generation PC gaming has never been steeper.