Start with your playing target
The first question ahead of Modern Warfare 4 is how you want to play: resolution, detail settings and frame rate. Meeting the minimum specifications does not guarantee the same experience shown in a trailer. Even a figure of 90 frames per second needs context: the official specifications present it as a multiplayer target at High settings, not a result measured here.
This article is part of our complete Modern Warfare 4 guide, which collects all of our coverage of the game.
The figures below come from Activision’s support page updated on October 1, 2026. Before buying hardware, return to the original page to check for changes, rather than relying on an old screenshot of a beta requirements table.
What the official requirements list
The minimum lists 8GB of RAM, a Ryzen 5 1400 or Core i5-6600 processor, and graphics cards in the Radeon RX 470, GeForce GTX 970/1060 or Intel Arc A580 range. The recommended specifications rise to 16GB of RAM and include a Ryzen 5 3600, alongside cards such as the RX 6600 XT, RTX 3060 Ti or Arc B580.
For high-quality ray tracing and 4K using upscaling, the page lists 32GB of RAM and an RX 9070 XT or RTX 5070 Ti. Every specification tier requires an SSD with 115GB free at launch, with more space potentially needed for updates. Laptop owners should check the exact model; a name similar to a desktop card does not guarantee identical performance.
Check TPM and Secure Boot in advance
MW4 requires TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot. These are system-level security features, so a PC with enough graphics power may still need a compatibility check. Activision provides a guide explaining how to inspect their current status in Windows.
You can open tpm.msc from the Run dialog to check whether TPM is available and which version it uses. In msinfo32, you can check Secure Boot status and the boot mode. At this stage, you are only checking information. If a UEFI or BIOS change turns out to be necessary, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the exact model.
Do not copy instructions for a different computer at random. Activision warns that incorrect changes can also cause boot failure. Anyone unfamiliar with these settings should get help from the PC manufacturer or a professional before changing them.
The operating system and driver matter too
Windows 10 still appears in the minimum specifications, while Windows 11 appears in the recommended tier. At the same time, remember that Microsoft’s regular support for Windows 10 ended on October 14, 2025. Game compatibility and security-update support are separate questions; Windows 10 users should also check the update path that applies to them.
Before launch day, identify your graphics card model, check the official driver page and leave room for updates. Finishing compatibility and storage checks early helps keep an installation problem separate from your first performance test.
What a specifications table cannot tell you
To decide whether an upgrade is necessary, first measure your current PC under consistent playing conditions. Average frame rate, smoothness, latency and image clarity are complementary measures. Only after that kind of test can you tell whether the limitation is the graphics card, processor, settings or network conditions. Until then, the specifications are a preparation checklist, not a substitute for a benchmark.
