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For the unofficial rood-boi native PC port of Vagrant Story, Ultra path-traced lighting calls for a 64-bit x86-64 computer with a recent processor, 8 GB of RAM, roughly 4.5 GB of free working space, and a graphics card whose current driver exposes Vulkan 1.3 and VK_KHR_ray_query. The project identifies NVIDIA RTX, AMD RDNA2-or-newer and Intel Arc families as examples that can provide the required ray-query capability. It does not publish a minimum retail GPU, VRAM target or frame-rate guarantee, so compatibility is a better buying test than a particular model number.
This is hardware for a native port, not ordinary PlayStation emulation. The Ultra preset uses ray-traced soft shadows and per-pixel path-traced indirect light, denoised with NVIDIA Real-time Denoisers (NRD). The port remains playable but unfinished, so a capable PC will not turn it into a completed, fully polished release.
Hardware requirements at a glance
| Part | Requirement for Ultra path tracing | What it affects |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Any recent x86-64 CPU | Game logic, rendering setup and compiling the port |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM | Playing the game; the project describes this amount as sufficient |
| Graphics card | 64-bit Vulkan GPU with VK_KHR_ray_query on a current driver; Ultra also requires a discrete RT GPU |
Ray-traced shadows and path-traced indirect lighting |
| Graphics API | Vulkan 1.3 with dynamic rendering, synchronization2 and geometry shaders | The Vulkan renderer and ray-query path |
| Free storage | Approximately 4.5 GB of working headroom | About 2.5 GB for the checkout, disc image, extracted data and both builds, plus about 2 GB of temporary space during the first 64-bit build |
| Operating system | Linux x86-64 is the tested platform; Windows 10/11 x64 can use a build made from Linux or WSL2 | Where the native port and its build workflow are supported |
These figures and feature requirements come from the rood-boi project README (2026). The 4.5 GB figure is an arithmetic planning estimate from its 2.5 GB checkout and approximately 2 GB first-build temporary-space figures, not a separately published benchmark.
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Choose the GPU by ray-query support, not by a model number
Why ray queries are the deciding feature
The Ultra and High lighting presets depend on VK_KHR_ray_query. This Vulkan extension lets the renderer trace rays from shader code, enabling soft shadows and indirect illumination that cannot be produced by the basic shadow-map path alone. Ultra adds per-pixel path-traced indirect light and NRD denoising, which is why the README describes Ultra as requiring a “discrete RT GPU, Vulkan.”
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The project names three current hardware families as examples of cards that can expose ray queries: NVIDIA RTX, AMD RDNA2 or later, and Intel Arc. Treat those names as architecture guidance rather than a guarantee for every card or driver revision. The exact Vulkan feature set is what matters, and a current driver can be as important as the silicon.
What the project does not promise
No official minimum retail GPU, VRAM amount, target resolution or frames-per-second figure is published. You therefore cannot infer that a specific card will deliver a particular frame rate, nor can you use a stated VRAM number as a purchase threshold. Check the card’s Vulkan capabilities and driver support on the system you intend to use.
Verify Vulkan before launching
On Linux, install the Vulkan utilities supplied by your distribution and run:
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vulkaninfo --summary
The README says the summary should list your GPU with API version 1.3 or later. A 1.3 API version alone is not proof that ray queries are available, so also confirm that the driver exposes VK_KHR_ray_query. If the extension is absent, that machine cannot use the Ultra ray-traced path even if the GPU is otherwise modern.
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What happens without a ray-tracing GPU?
A non-RT system is not automatically excluded from the port. Vulkan can still run the Low and Medium presets, which use shadow maps rather than ray-traced lighting. The project also documents OpenGL fallbacks:
- OpenGL 4.3 or newer: supports the path tracer and probe-based global illumination.
- OpenGL 3.3 core: supports the basic renderer.
- Vulkan without ray queries: supports the non-ray-traced Low and Medium lighting presets.
These modes provide a way to explore the port on older hardware, but they do not reproduce Ultra’s ray-traced shadows and per-pixel indirect light. Select the renderer and preset your driver can actually support rather than forcing an unsupported feature level.
CPU, memory and storage planning
Processor
The project’s guidance is simply “any recent x86-64 CPU.” That means a contemporary 64-bit desktop or laptop processor is the relevant category; the README does not set a core count, clock speed or named minimum model. CPU choice is therefore less restrictive than GPU choice for playing the game. A processor also matters when compiling, because build jobs consume memory and temporary disk space even though normal gameplay does not require a high-end workstation.
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Plan for 8 GB of system memory for playing. The same README estimates roughly 1–2 GB per compiler job while building, so users compiling with many parallel jobs should leave headroom for the operating system and other applications. If a build runs out of memory, reduce the compiler’s job count before replacing otherwise adequate gameplay hardware.
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Storage and the first build
The checkout that contains the disc image, extracted game data and both builds is estimated at about 2.5 GB. The first 64-bit build needs approximately 2 GB of temporary space, giving a practical working-headroom target of about 4.5 GB. The initial build also downloads around 500 MB for the NRD dependency; about 40 MB remains after that dependency is retained. Keep the temporary space available until the first build finishes, even if the final installed files occupy less.
Operating-system and platform requirements
Linux
Linux x86-64 is the tested environment. The project specifically lists Ubuntu 24.04 LTS with either X11 or Wayland/XWayland. This is the most direct route if you want to build the port yourself and use the platform on which the developers test it.
Windows
Windows 10 and Windows 11 on x64 can run a native 64-bit build produced from Linux or Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL2). The documented workflow is therefore not the same as downloading a conventional Windows installer: the build is made from Linux or WSL2 and then run on Windows. Confirm that the Windows graphics driver exposes the required Vulkan 1.3 features and ray-query extension.
Unsupported platforms
macOS is unsupported, as is Linux running on ARM. A 64-bit ARM laptop or single-board computer does not meet the project’s documented platform target simply because it has a Vulkan-capable GPU.
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Game data you must provide
The port does not include copyrighted game data. You need your own USA Vagrant Story disc dump, named SLUS-01040.bin, in raw 2352-byte-per-sector BIN format. The documented pipeline does not support the European or Japanese releases, and it does not accept ISO, CHD, PBP or ECM files in place of that raw USA dump. Make the dump from media you own and keep the original disc; changing file extensions will not convert an incompatible format.
Practical setup checklist
- Confirm the platform. Use Linux x86-64, or plan to build from Linux/WSL2 for Windows 10 or 11 x64. Do not plan on macOS or Linux ARM.
- Update the graphics driver. Install a current driver for your NVIDIA RTX, AMD RDNA2-or-newer or Intel Arc GPU, or another card that explicitly supports the required Vulkan features.
- Check Vulkan. Run
vulkaninfo --summaryand verify API version 1.3 or later, then check forVK_KHR_ray_query. - Reserve disk space. Keep about 4.5 GB free for the checkout and first build, plus room for the approximately 500 MB NRD download while it is fetched.
- Prepare the game dump. Place your legally created USA file as
SLUS-01040.binin raw 2352-byte-per-sector BIN form. - Build for your target. On Windows, perform the build in Linux or WSL2 as documented, then run the resulting 64-bit build on Windows. On Linux, build and run natively.
- Start with a supported preset. Use Ultra only after ray-query support is confirmed. Otherwise choose Vulkan Low or Medium, or an OpenGL mode appropriate to your driver.
How to evaluate a PC before buying
Use this order when comparing a desktop, laptop or prebuilt system:
- Ray-query capability: determine whether the GPU and its current driver expose
VK_KHR_ray_query. - Vulkan implementation: verify Vulkan 1.3, dynamic rendering, synchronization2 and geometry shaders, not merely a marketing label such as “supports Vulkan.”
- Driver maintenance: check that the vendor still supplies current drivers for the operating system you will use.
- Fallback tier: if ray queries are unavailable, decide whether Low/Medium Vulkan or OpenGL rendering is acceptable.
- Build environment: allow for Linux or WSL2 if your target is Windows, and ensure the CPU, RAM and temporary storage can handle compilation.
- Platform fit: exclude macOS and ARM Linux from the shortlist because the project does not support them.
This process is more reliable than choosing by a generic “gaming PC” category. The project has not published frame-rate tests, a resolution target or a VRAM recommendation, so retail specifications cannot be translated into a guaranteed Ultra performance result.
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A controller is optional. Keyboard mappings are documented, and SDL 3 supports Xbox, PlayStation, Switch and other gamepads. DualSense and DualShock 4 controllers work over USB or Bluetooth as ordinary gamepads. You do not need a special adapter or console accessory to play, provided the operating system recognizes the device through its normal USB or Bluetooth stack.
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- Cool Comfort: Enjoy a stable surface with our lap desk's dual bolster cushion, designed for comfort and airflow, keeping your lap cool during extended use.
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Expectations about completeness
Hardware capability does not equal feature completeness. The README reports that the port boots, supports the opening, exploration, battles, menus, saving and loading in tested areas, but the ending has not been ported. Some code paths still stop with [UNIMPLEMENTED] messages. Widescreen support is experimental, and HDR is not implemented. Consider the project a playable work in progress when deciding whether to invest time in building it.
Troubleshooting by symptom
Vulkan reports an older API version
Update the GPU driver and rerun vulkaninfo --summary. If the reported API remains below 1.3, the system does not meet the documented Vulkan renderer requirement; use an OpenGL fallback if your hardware supports one.
Ultra or High cannot initialize
Check for VK_KHR_ray_query in the driver’s extension list and confirm that the GPU is a discrete RT-capable device. A Vulkan 1.3 driver without ray queries can still run non-ray-traced presets but cannot provide the Ultra feature set.
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The first build fails partway through
Check free space for the approximately 2 GB temporary requirement and the NRD download. If memory pressure is high, lower the number of parallel compiler jobs; the project estimates 1–2 GB of RAM per job.
The game data is rejected
Verify that the filename is SLUS-01040.bin, the dump is from the USA release, and the image uses raw 2352-byte-per-sector BIN format. ISO, CHD, PBP and ECM files, as well as European or Japanese releases, are outside the documented pipeline.
The game stops with an implementation message
An [UNIMPLEMENTED] stop may reflect an unfinished code path rather than inadequate hardware. The project is explicitly playable but unfinished, so report or track the missing feature instead of assuming a faster GPU will resolve it.
Bottom line
For path-traced Vagrant Story, buy or use a 64-bit x86-64 system with a recent CPU, 8 GB RAM, about 4.5 GB of working storage and a current Vulkan 1.3 driver that exposes VK_KHR_ray_query on a discrete RT-capable GPU. NVIDIA RTX, AMD RDNA2-and-later and Intel Arc are the project’s named examples, but no specific card, VRAM capacity or FPS is guaranteed. Systems without ray queries can still run lower Vulkan or OpenGL tiers, while Linux is the simplest supported build platform and Windows requires a Linux or WSL2 build path.
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