Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Can Your PC Handle the Ninja and Samurai Action?

The long-awaited Assassin’s Creed Shadows draws near. Ubisoft’s next-gen murder simulator whisks you away to feudal Japan where the sturdy samurai Yasuke and nimble ninja Naoe seemingly split the difference between contemporary RPG and retro stealth playstyles. But does your gaming PC have what it takes to tote their blades?

What Is Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Story?

Assassin’s Creed Shadows continues the everlasting war between noble assassins and shifty templars. This time, the struggle occurs in 16th-century Japan during the Sengoku period, so expect plenty of katana clashes. As always, the game’s fiction blends conspiracy theories with historical facts. So, along with all the magic artifacts, you’ll also encounter shogun leaders and Portuguese colonizers. Even one of the playable characters, the African samurai Yasuke, is based on a real person. 

(Credit: Ubisoft)

Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Price and Release Date

Assassin’s Creed Shadows launches on PC, Mac, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on March 20, 2025, and costs $69.99. For $89.99, the digital deluxe edition includes new gear, weapons, cosmetics, and access to the upcoming DLC expansion. There’s even an iPad version in the works.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Minimum System Requirements

• OS: Windows 10 (64-bit) or Windows 11 (64-bit)

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 or Intel Core i7 8700k

• Memory: 16GB RAM

• GPU: AMD Radeon RX 5700 (8GB), Intel Arc A580 (8GB), or Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 (8GB) 

• Storage: 124GB available space

• Note: SSD required

(Credit: Ubisoft)

Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Recommended System Requirements

• OS: Windows 10 (64-bit) or Windows 11 (64-bit)

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600x or Intel Core i5 11600k

• Memory: 16GB RAM

• GPU: AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT (12GB), Intel Arc B580 (12GB), or Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060Ti (8GB)

• Storage: 124GB available space

• Note: SSD required

How Do You Play Assassin’s Creed Shadows?

Assassin’s Creed is primarily a blockbuster console franchise. So Assassin’s Creed Shadows supports PlayStation and Xbox controllers, and that’s probably the best way to play. The game currently does not support the Steam Deck, but that may change. Note that the game also uses the controversial Denuvo DRM system, and requires you to have a Ubisoft account.

Video Streaming Services: What You Should Know

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About Jordan Minor

Senior Analyst, Software

In 2013, I started my Ziff Davis career as an intern on PCMag’s Software team. Now, I’m an Analyst on the Apps and Gaming team, and I really just want to use my fancy Northwestern University journalism degree to write about video games. I host The Pop-Off, PCMag’s video game show. I was previously the Senior Editor for Geek.com. I’ve also written for The A.V. Club, Kotaku, and Paste Magazine. I’m the author of a video game history book, Video Game of the Year, and the reason why everything you know about Street Sharks is a lie.

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