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Squadron 42’s published PC floor is: 64-bit Windows 10 (latest service pack) or Windows 11, a quad-core CPU with AVX, AVX2 and FMA3 support, a DirectX 11.1 graphics card with 4 GB of graphics memory, at least 16 GB of RAM, and an SSD with 150 GB or more. Roberts Space Industries (RSI) lists these as shared minimum requirements for CIG games including Squadron 42, not as a separate Squadron 42 recommended-spec table.
Squadron 42 requirements at a glance
RSI’s Game and Launcher Requirements page, updated December 17, 2025, says “CIG games including Star Citizen and Squadron 42 have the following minimum requirements.” The practical checklist is:
| Component | Published requirement | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10 64-bit (latest service pack) or Windows 11 | Your Windows edition is 64-bit and fully updated |
| CPU | Quad-core with AVX, AVX2 and FMA3; Intel i7 Haswell or later, or AMD Excavator or later, as RSI examples | Instruction-set support as well as core count |
| GPU | DirectX 11.1 graphics with 4 GB of graphics memory | Direct3D 11.1 capability and at least 4 GB VRAM |
| Memory | 16 GB or more | Installed system RAM, not graphics memory |
| Storage | SSD with 150 GB or more | Solid-state storage and enough usable free space |
These figures are the official floor currently published for Squadron 42. They do not promise a frame rate, image-quality preset or stable performance level.
CPU: four cores are not enough by themselves
Required instruction sets
The processor must be quad-core and support AVX, AVX2 and FMA3. Those are CPU instruction sets that software can require at launch or during execution. A processor with four cores but without one of those extensions does not meet the stated requirement, even if its clock speed looks adequate.
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RSI’s processor examples
RSI gives Intel i7 Haswell or later and AMD Excavator or later as examples of the required class. These labels identify processor generations, not a single officially endorsed model. Desktop and laptop implementations can differ in power limits and sustained speed, so the generation and instruction-set support are more useful checks than a headline GHz number.
How to check a Windows PC
- Open Settings > System > About and note the processor name and model.
- Confirm that Windows reports a 64-bit operating system in the same panel.
- Look up the exact processor model in its manufacturer specifications and confirm AVX, AVX2 and FMA3 support. Do not rely on a generic family name when the model number is available.
- If the processor is an older or obscure model and the manufacturer documentation is unclear, treat compatibility as unconfirmed rather than assuming that “quad-core” passes.
RSI does not publish a separate Squadron 42 CPU recommendation with a higher core count or a target frame rate. Buying a faster processor may improve performance in a future build, but that would be a hardware decision beyond the published minimum.
GPU: DirectX 11.1 and 4 GB of VRAM
What the requirement says
The shared requirement calls for DirectX 11.1 graphics with 4 GB of graphics memory. The 4 GB figure refers to dedicated graphics memory (VRAM), not the 16 GB system-RAM requirement. Integrated graphics can report shared memory taken from system RAM, which should not automatically be counted as equivalent dedicated VRAM.
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API support matters
Check that the graphics device and its driver expose Direct3D 11.1 support. RSI’s separately updated Star Citizen requirements page also discusses Direct3D 11.1 and Vulkan 1.2 driver support, but those details are from the Star Citizen page; they are not a distinct Squadron 42 specification.
How to inspect the GPU in Windows
- Press Windows key + R, enter
dxdiag, and open the Display tab. - Record the GPU name and the displayed dedicated display memory.
- Install the latest stable driver supplied for that exact GPU from its manufacturer, then run
dxdiagagain if the driver was previously outdated. - For a desktop with multiple graphics devices, make sure the monitor is connected to the intended discrete card and that the game will use it rather than an integrated adapter.
The 4 GB number is a minimum threshold, not a recommendation for a particular card. It also says nothing about expected resolution, texture quality or frame rate.
RAM: at least 16 GB of system memory
RSI lists 16 GB or more of RAM. This is installed system memory (usually shown as “Memory” in Windows), separate from a GPU’s VRAM. A machine can therefore have 16 GB of RAM and still fail the graphics requirement if its card has less than 4 GB of dedicated memory.
Check installed RAM
- Open Settings > System > About.
- Read the value beside Installed RAM.
- Close memory-heavy applications before installation and play. Browsers, video editors, virtual machines and recording tools can consume a substantial share of available memory.
RSI does not state a separate 32 GB Squadron 42 recommendation. If you see 32 GB DDR4 in an RSI requirements table, that figure belongs to the Star Citizen recommended configuration described on the Star Citizen page, not to a published Squadron 42 tier.
Storage: an SSD with 150 GB or more
SSD is mandatory in the published floor
Squadron 42’s shared requirement specifies an SSD with at least 150 GB. A hard-disk drive does not satisfy that stated storage type, regardless of its capacity. An internal SSD is the straightforward configuration for a gaming PC; leave room beyond the nominal capacity so Windows and other applications are not forced onto an almost-full volume.
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RSI’s installation-space guidance
The same RSI article recommends an NTFS-formatted drive with at least 100 GB free for the RSI Launcher and Star Citizen installation, plus 10 GB of additional SSD space for the pagefile. RSI does not present that 100 GB note as a Squadron 42 download-size estimate. Keep the requirements separate: 150+ GB is the published SSD capacity floor, while the 100 GB and 10 GB figures are setup guidance in the shared launcher article.
How to check the drive
- Open Settings > System > Storage and note the free space on the intended drive.
- In File Explorer, right-click the drive, choose Properties, and confirm the file system is NTFS if you are following RSI’s launcher guidance.
- Open Defragment and Optimize Drives to see whether Windows identifies the volume as a solid-state drive.
- If capacity is short, install a larger internal SSD or add a compatible SSD and reserve the required free space before attempting installation.
Do not treat a 150 GB drive’s advertised capacity as 150 GB of available space. Windows formatting and existing files reduce usable capacity, and updates or temporary files need headroom.
Operating-system requirements and unsupported platforms
The published operating-system choices are Windows 10 64-bit with the latest service pack or Windows 11. RSI says Linux and macOS are not currently supported in the shared requirements article. A virtual machine, compatibility layer or unofficial workaround is therefore outside the supported configuration.
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Minimum versus recommended: do not mix the two RSI pages
There is no separately published Squadron 42 recommended CPU, GPU, RAM and storage table in the cited RSI material. The numbers above are the shared minimum requirements. RSI’s Star Citizen page, updated September 23, 2026, lists a Star Citizen recommended configuration of a quad- or eight-core CPU, a DirectX 12 GPU with 8 GB of VRAM, 32 GB DDR4 and a 150+ GB SSD. That is a Star Citizen recommendation and should not be silently relabeled as Squadron 42 hardware.
| Specification | Squadron 42 shared minimum | Star Citizen page’s separate recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Quad-core with AVX, AVX2 and FMA3 | Quad-/eight-core CPU |
| GPU | DirectX 11.1, 4 GB graphics memory | DirectX 12 GPU, 8 GB VRAM |
| RAM | 16 GB or more | 32 GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 150+ GB SSD | 150+ GB SSD |
Use the second column to decide whether a machine meets the published Squadron 42 floor. Use the third only when planning for Star Citizen’s separately documented recommendation; it is not evidence of a Squadron 42 target.
What these requirements do—and do not—tell you about performance
A minimum specification is a compatibility boundary, not a benchmark. RSI does not promise a particular frame rate for Squadron 42 at any resolution or graphics preset. The Star Citizen requirements page notes that performance, frame rates and stability can vary with location, server population, background applications and network conditions. Those factors are especially relevant to Star Citizen; they should not be converted into a Squadron 42 benchmark.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFor a future hardware purchase, compare the four measurable areas directly: CPU instruction-set compatibility and core class, GPU API support and dedicated VRAM, installed system RAM, and SSD type plus free capacity. Price, power supply, case clearance, cooling and tested performance require separate evidence and are not established by RSI’s requirement pages.
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Is Squadron 42 available to install yet?
No. RSI’s February 4, 2026 support article, Where can I download Squadron 42?, states that Squadron 42 is in development and not available for download. RSI’s April 16, 2026 Get Started Checklist likewise says the single-player campaign remains in development and unavailable. Neither page supplies a firm release date.
That status means you cannot validate these figures by downloading a retail build today. Recheck RSI’s support pages when the game approaches release because requirements can change during development.
Pre-install compatibility checklist
- Windows 10 64-bit (latest service pack) or Windows 11 is installed.
- The CPU is quad-core and explicitly supports AVX, AVX2 and FMA3.
- The graphics adapter supports DirectX 11.1 and has at least 4 GB of dedicated graphics memory.
- At least 16 GB of system RAM is installed.
- The target volume is an SSD with 150 GB or more capacity.
- The drive has sufficient free space, uses NTFS if following RSI’s launcher guidance, and leaves extra SSD space for the pagefile and normal Windows operation.
- Graphics and chipset drivers are current for the exact hardware.
- You understand that meeting the floor does not establish a frame rate or graphics preset.
Common mismatches and fixes
“My processor has four cores, but the game requirement still looks unmet.”
Check AVX, AVX2 and FMA3 support for the exact model. Core count alone is insufficient. If any required instruction set is absent, the processor is below the published floor.
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“Windows shows 16 GB, but the GPU has only 2 GB.”
System RAM and VRAM are different specifications. The machine still misses the 4 GB graphics-memory requirement; adding system RAM does not increase dedicated VRAM.
“I have 150 GB free on a hard drive.”
Capacity does not replace the SSD requirement. Move the installation target to a compatible SSD with adequate free space.
“A requirements page says 32 GB RAM and 8 GB VRAM.”
Verify the heading and product. Those figures are from RSI’s Star Citizen recommended configuration, not a separately published Squadron 42 recommendation.
“My PC passes every number, but I cannot download the game.”
Availability is the issue, not necessarily your hardware. RSI’s support pages reviewed in 2026 state that Squadron 42 remains in development and unavailable for download.
Bottom line for a PC upgrade
Start with compatibility rather than shopping for a named model: verify the CPU instruction sets, DirectX 11.1 and 4 GB of dedicated VRAM, 16 GB of system RAM, and a 150+ GB SSD under supported 64-bit Windows. Treat these as RSI’s current shared minimums, keep Star Citizen recommendations separate, and expect the specification to be revisited before Squadron 42 becomes downloadable.
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