The short answer
Steam lists Windows 11, an SSD with 150 GB available, hardware ray tracing support, and DirectX 12 with Shader Model 6.6 or higher. The minimum and recommended configurations below are publisher estimates; Kingy has not benchmarked the retail game. For gameplay crashes, the ACE COMBAT Team’s October 16 notice suggests raising Windows virtual memory (16 GB or more with 32 GB RAM; 32 GB or more with 16 GB RAM) as a temporary workaround while it works on a fix. It also acknowledges that some flight-stick configuration options available in ACE COMBAT 7 are absent in ACE COMBAT 8; it has not announced a fix date or device-specific remedy. Steam Update Ver. 1.01.002 is live: the team’s November 2 notice calls it the latest patch. It fixes three named crashes and adds an Async Compute switch. If gameplay still crashes, the November 2 notice says turning Async Compute OFF under SYSTEM may help on some GPUs; the team is still investigating other causes.
Published PC specifications
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 11, 64-bit | Windows 11, 64-bit |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-10700K / AMD Ryzen 5 3600X | Intel Core i7-12700K / AMD Ryzen 5 5600X |
| Memory | 16 GB RAM | 32 GB RAM |
| Graphics | GeForce RTX 2060 (6 GB) / Radeon RX 6600 XT (8 GB) | GeForce RTX 3070 (8 GB) / Radeon RX 6800 (16 GB) |
| Storage | 150 GB available space on an SSD | 150 GB available space on an SSD |
| Graphics API | DirectX 12, Shader Model 6.6 or higher | DirectX 12, Shader Model 6.6 or higher |
| Publisher performance estimate | 1920 × 1080 upscaled · 30 fps · Low | 1920 × 1080 upscaled · 60 fps · Medium |
Read the performance target carefully
Both published targets use an upscaled 1080p output. They are not native-resolution benchmark results. Steam warns that frame rates may fall during demanding scenes.
A GPU’s model number alone is not enough to establish compatibility. The listing specifically requires hardware ray tracing and Shader Model 6.6 or higher. We have not verified an alternative rendering path.
Check your machine before installing
The published 150 GB figure is available storage, not a measured download size. Matching the table cannot guarantee a particular frame rate on a not yet tested system.
- Compare your Windows version, CPU, RAM and exact GPU against the published table.
- Confirm the graphics features required by the listing with your hardware documentation.
- Check available space on the SSD where you intend to install the game.
- Recheck Steam before downloading in case the requirements or installation size change.
November 2: try Async Compute OFF if gameplay still crashes
The ACE COMBAT Team’s November 2 notice says it is still investigating several causes of gameplay crashes on Steam. It found that asynchronous computation can affect stability on certain GPU configurations.
If you crash during play, open SYSTEM and set Async Compute to OFF. The team says this may help; it is not a guaranteed fix. The option is greyed out on GPUs that do not support it, and it only exists on Ver. 1.01.002 or later. The October 16 virtual-memory workaround below is separate, so you can try both. Kingy has not tested either change.
Ver. 1.01.002: PC crash fixes and new options
The ACE COMBAT Team posted the notes for Steam Update Data Ver. 1.01.002 on October 20 and scheduled it for October 23. Its November 2 notice calls 1.01.002 the latest patch, so it is live on Steam. Until it installs, none of these fixes are in your game. The notice covers the Steam version and gives no console timing.
The notes fix three named crashes and improve stability in cinematics and replays. They do not say the memory-related gameplay crashes from the October 16 notice are solved, so keep that workaround if it helped. Kingy has not tested the update.
| Problem or change | What Ver. 1.01.002 does | On an older build (Kingy’s reading of the notes, untested) |
|---|---|---|
| Crash in SELECT AIRCRAFT after sorting by a role | Fixed when the chosen role holds no aircraft you own | Sort only by roles where you own at least one aircraft. |
| Crash on first opening the AIRCRAFT TREE | Fixed for players who own certain DLC aircraft and hold Left while entering | Release the stick or D-pad before you open the tree the first time. |
| Crash in Mission 11 during a chain explosion | Fixed | No workaround named; see the mission table on the Start here page. |
| ACE COINS purchases stall | Fixed when the Steam overlay is turned off | Turn on Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game before buying. |
| Async Compute | New on/off option under SYSTEM; greyed out on GPUs without asynchronous compute | Not available until the update installs. |
| Keyboard and peripherals | Some keyboard key assignments change; connection settings for some peripheral devices change | Recheck your bindings after the update. For device behaviour, the team points you to the device maker. |
October 9: matchmaking checks and planned fixes
The ACE COMBAT Team says it is preparing fixes and gameplay adjustments, but has not finalized the update contents or release schedule. This is a plan, not a shipped patch or confirmed repair.
For online matchmaking, the team says unsupported environments may contribute to connection instability. It asks PC players to use Windows 11 and install the game on an SSD. Those conditions already appear in the published requirements; they do not establish the cause of every failed match or guarantee that changing a setup resolves it. Kingy has not tested matchmaking recovery.
October 16: virtual-memory workaround for gameplay crashes
The ACE COMBAT Team says it is still investigating several possible causes of crashes during gameplay and calls the game’s current memory use a significant issue it is working to reduce. In its internal testing, systems with about 48 GB or more of combined available memory (RAM plus Windows virtual memory) generally saw fewer of certain memory-related crashes.
As a temporary workaround it suggests raising Windows virtual memory. The team says this may reduce how often some crashes happen, but it is not a permanent fix and does not address every crash. No patch or fix date is announced, and Kingy has not tested the workaround.
- Check how much RAM the PC has installed.
- Set Windows virtual memory to at least the matching value in the table.
- Make sure the drive holding the virtual-memory file still has that much free space, separate from the 16 GB free-space check below.
- Restart, retest the same mission, and record whether crashes still happen and how often.
| Installed RAM | Suggested Windows virtual memory | Combined total |
|---|---|---|
| 32 GB | 16 GB or more | About 48 GB or more |
| 16 GB | 32 GB or more | About 48 GB or more |
Steam crashes: September 29 investigation notice
The ACE COMBAT Team says it is investigating unexpected crashes in the Steam version. While it investigates, it suggests checking the graphics-driver version recommended at launch, keeping at least 16 GB free on the installed SSD, and ensuring Windows virtual memory is enabled. These are conditional checks, not a diagnosed cause or guaranteed repair.
The 16 GB free-space check concerns an already installed game and does not replace Steam’s separate 150 GB installation requirement. No build, other-platform fix or measured recovery is established by this notice.
- Record the exact game build, crash point, Windows version and graphics driver before changing anything.
- Compare the installed driver with the recommendation shown when launching the game.
- Check free space on the SSD where the game is installed and whether Windows virtual memory is enabled.
- Retest one change at a time; if crashes continue, report the build and results through the official support route.
October 2: report a PC crash to the ACE COMBAT Team
The ACE COMBAT Team says it is working to resolve crashes some PC players are experiencing and asks affected players to describe their crash in its PC Crash Report Thread. This is a request for reports, not an announced fix, workaround, patch, or resolution date.
The September 29 driver, free-space and virtual-memory checks above remain separately dated suggestions. The October 2 thread does not establish that those checks solve the crashes.
- Record your GPU, CPU and RAM, plus your Windows and system software versions.
- Note any error message or code and the steps that reproduce the crash.
- If possible, list other applications running alongside the game.
- Add those details to the ACE COMBAT Team’s PC Crash Report Thread; omit personal information that is not needed to describe the issue.
Devices and features still to verify
| Question | Current scope of this guide |
|---|---|
| Steam Deck / Linux / Proton | No Kingy compatibility test. Do not infer support from the Steam platform listing. |
| HOTAS and individual controllers | See the dated flight-stick notice below. Kingy has not tested individual hardware. |
| VR and ultrawide | No tested support claim in this guide. User-defined Steam tags are not a confirmation. |
| Best graphics settings | Awaiting repeatable retail benchmarks; no generic “best settings” preset is recommended. |
Flight-stick options acknowledged as limited
The ACE COMBAT Team says some configuration options available for certain devices in ACE COMBAT 7 are absent in ACE COMBAT 8. It is reviewing improvements, but names no affected device models, workaround, patch, or fix date. Check official updates for your exact device; Kingy has not tested a flight stick or HOTAS.
Using a T.Flight HOTAS NEO?
For model-specific NEO mode, TFHT driver and LED checks, use the separate HOTAS NEO guide. The older HOTAS One and HOTAS 4 models have different device identities and should not inherit those steps.
Additional software disclosures
Steam currently discloses Denuvo Anti-Tamper and Easy Anti-Cheat, described there as kernel-level anti-cheat. Read the live listing and linked EULA for the current terms. These disclosures alone do not establish compatibility with a particular handheld or operating system.