An RTX 5090 for Ultra Settings? The system requirements for The Blood of Dawnwalker have sparked a heated debate on Reddit about hardware obsession and prices.
The dream of running games at maximum graphics settings is increasingly becoming a luxury for PC gamers. This debate was sparked by the Ultra system requirements for the upcoming gameThe Blood of Dawnwalker a heated debate has erupted on Reddit within the gaming community.
At the heart of the dispute is the question of whether developers should even continue to invest resources in high-end settings when, in times of sharply rising prices, the necessary hardware is accessible to only a small fraction of players anyway, and the next generation of graphics cards is still a long way off.
A Look at the System Requirements
It’s understandable that tempers are running high after taking a look at the game’s published system requirements.
While the minimum requirements are moderate at a resolution of 1080p and 30 FPS, the main point of contention lies in the recently released ultra settings.
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According to the developer, anyone who wants to play *The Blood of Dawnwalker* in native 4K resolution at 60 frames per second will need an Nvidia RTX 5090.
The game’s creators don’t even list an AMD equivalent. At 1440p and 60 FPS, that’s already the limit.
The Reddit Debate: A Waste of Resources?
In the corresponding Reddit thread, this spec sheet has divided the community into two camps. One side criticizes the immense development effort required for a graphics preset that is currently relevant to almost no one.
They argue that resources would be better spent optimizing for mainstream mid-range hardware rather than catering to a “0.1 percent” niche audience.
The opposing side counters this, pointing to the concept of “future-proofing.” Historically, they argue, “Ultra” settings have always been intended as a glimpse into the future (similar to what was once the case withCrysis).
The real problem, they say, is more psychological in nature: a deep-seated “Ultra FOMO” (roughly “fear of missing out”). Many PC gamers feel their egos are wounded when they can no longer slide the sliders in the menu all the way to the right.
“Ultra is never worth it”
This is also reflected in the community’s most heated comments. Many users emphasize that the performance demands of maximum detail settings are often out of proportion to the visual gain:
- “Compare Very High to Ultra—it’s often almost indistinguishable in motion.”
- “The 5090 isn’t the problem. Gamers have simply forgotten that ‘High’ settings are meant for modern computers.”
- “In 99 percent of cases, gaming at absolute max settings just isn’t worth it.”
An important detail that offers some reassurance can be found in the fine print of the system requirements: The developers explicitly point out that all requirements were measured entirely without upscaling technologies or frame generation.
Since the game supports DLSS and FSR, players who enable these tools should achieve significantly better results even on weaker graphics cards.
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The debate surrounding The Blood of Dawnwalker hits a raw nerve in PC gaming culture. At a time when flagship graphics cards like the RTX 5090 can cost as much as a used car, many gamers are inevitably having to give up on the idea of playing the latest blockbusters at “Ultra” settings by default and natively—or be prepared to pay astronomical sums for that last bit of graphical quality.
What do you think? Do “Ultra” settings always have to run smoothly on the latest hardware, or have you long since come to terms with setting the sliders to “High” or “Medium”? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
