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Thinking about playing A Hat in Time on PC and wondering what hardware you actually need? A Hat in Time is a cute-as-heck 3D platformer released on October 5, 2017, and it was built to run on modest hardware: the official spec sheet asks for a 3.0 GHz processor, 4 GB of RAM, DirectX 9.0c and 8 GB of storage, with no dedicated graphics card listed at all. That makes it a very easy game to run, so the real question is not whether your PC can handle it, but how much headroom you want for the rest of your library. This guide breaks down the official requirements, the sensible GPU choice for each resolution, and build suggestions that match a light, older 3D platformer rather than a modern blockbuster.
How Demanding Is A Hat in Time?
Not very. A Hat in Time is a light 3D platformer with colourful, fairly simple worlds, and it targets hardware from the Windows 7 era. The official minimum asks only for a 3.0 GHz processor and 4 GB of RAM, and the recommended spec raises that to a 3.5 GHz processor and 8 GB of RAM — both paired with DirectX 9.0c and 8 GB of free storage. There is no GPU row on the official listing, which tells you a lot: integrated graphics on a modern laptop or a basic desktop CPU are often enough to play it comfortably. It is also not a CPU-heavy game in the way a simulation, strategy title or large-scale multiplayer shooter can be; its levels are compact, so a modest dual-core or quad-core processor is fine. That means 1080p, 1440p and even 4K are all achievable without a high-end card, and the advice below is about picking something sensible rather than something powerful.
ASUS ROG GM700 (2026) Gaming Desktop PC, AMD Ryzen™ 7 8700F Processor, NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 5070, 1TB M.2 NVMe™ PCIe® 4 SSD, 32GB DDR5 RAM, Windows 11 Home, GM700TZ-PS776
Chosen because it specifies AMD Ryzen™ 7 8700F Processor and NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 5070.
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msi Codex Z2 Gaming Desktop, AMD R7-8700F, RTX 5070, 32GB DDR5, 2TB SSD | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070, USB Type-C, VR-Ready, Windows 11 Home. Model A8NVP-436US
Chosen because it specifies AMD R7-8700F and RTX 5070.
View on AmazonA Hat in Time Official PC System Requirements
| Component | Minimum (official) | Recommended (official) |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows XP SP3 / Windows Vista / Windows 7 / Windows 8 / Windows 10 64-bit only | Windows 7 / Windows 8 / Windows 10 64-bit only |
| Processor | 3.0 GHz processor | 3.5 GHz processor |
| Memory | 4 GB RAM | 8 GB RAM |
| DirectX | Version 9.0c | Version 9.0c |
| Storage | 8 GB available space | 8 GB available space |
Source: the official A Hat in Time Steam store listing (app 253230), checked October 2026. Publishers can update these specs after patches.
Worth noting: the published requirements list no graphics card, and DirectX 9.0c is a very old API — a clear sign of how light this game is. The 8 GB storage figure is the full install size as well, so it will not take a big bite out of your drive.
Best GPU for A Hat in Time by Resolution
1080p
At 1080p almost anything works. Integrated graphics on a recent CPU, an older card such as a GTX 1050 or RX 560, or a modern budget GPU will all run A Hat in Time comfortably. If you want one card that covers this game and the rest of your library, the AMD Radeon RX 7600 is far more than A Hat in Time needs, which makes it a relaxed, low-effort pick rather than a requirement.
1440p
1440p does not change the picture much, because the game’s rendering load is small. A card in the AMD Radeon RX 7600 class — or current-generation options such as the RTX 5060 or RX 9060 XT — will hold high settings at 1440p without straining. You are buying headroom for other games, not for A Hat in Time.
4K
Even at 4K, A Hat in Time stays light. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is already more than enough here, and an RTX 5060, RTX 5070, RX 9060 XT or RX 9070 will do the same with plenty to spare. There is no need for a flagship card for this game, and no upscaling trickery is required to enjoy it at high resolution.
CPU, RAM and Storage for A Hat in Time
The official specs ask for a 3.0 GHz processor at minimum and 3.5 GHz at recommended, so a modern quad-core is more than enough: the AMD Ryzen 5 7600 is far beyond what this game can use, and the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D only makes sense if you also play demanding titles. The same applies to Intel’s Intel Core i5-14600K. On memory, 4 GB is the official minimum and 8 GB the official recommendation, so 16 GB is a comfortable modern baseline and a kit such as the Corsair Vengeance DDR5 32GB is simply more headroom than this game will ever touch. Storage is a non-issue: the install is around 8 GB, and while a fast NVMe drive like the Samsung 990 Pro 2TB NVMe SSD will shave a little off load times, a plain SATA SSD or even a hard drive will run A Hat in Time perfectly well.
Recommended PC Builds for A Hat in Time
1080p build: AMD Radeon RX 7600 + AMD Ryzen 5 7600 + 16 GB DDR5 — already far above the official requirements, this runs A Hat in Time with everything turned up at 1080p while leaving room for newer games.
1440p build: AMD Radeon RX 7600 + AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D + 32 GB DDR5 + 2TB NVMe SSD — more than this game needs at 1440p, but a balanced modern setup if you play a mix of titles.
4K build: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 + AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D + 32 GB DDR5 + fast NVMe SSD — comfortably handles A Hat in Time at 4K; the processor and memory here are for other games rather than this one.
Is It Worth Upgrading Your PC for A Hat in Time?
Honestly, no — not for this game alone. The official requirements are low enough that most PCs built in the last decade can already run it, so if A Hat in Time is your only reason to spend money, you are better off keeping it. If you are upgrading anyway for newer titles, the graphics card still delivers by far the biggest jump in gaming performance, so start there. A mid-range CPU from the last several years will not hold you back in this game, and 8 GB of RAM already meets the recommended spec. Adding memory or moving the game to an SSD are inexpensive quality-of-life upgrades, but neither is necessary here. Target the weakest link in your build only if you need the extra performance elsewhere.
Can You Play A Hat in Time on a Laptop or Handheld?
Yes, easily. Because the game asks for so little, mainstream laptops running on integrated graphics can handle A Hat in Time at 1080p, and a gaming laptop with something like an RTX 4060 is massively overpowered for it — you would be buying that GPU for other games. Handhelds such as the Steam Deck and the ROG Ally cope with this kind of older, lightweight 3D platformer without difficulty, making A Hat in Time a good portable pick. Battery life and heat are the main considerations on any laptop, and the install is small enough (around 8 GB) that you do not need a large drive or memory card to carry it with you.
How to Boost FPS in A Hat in Time
A Hat in Time predates modern upscaling features such as DLSS, FSR and XeSS, so there is no upscaling toggle to lean on here — performance comes from the game’s own graphics options and your chosen resolution. If the frame rate is low, reduce the resolution first, then turn down shadow quality and other effects, which tend to be the most expensive settings in a game like this. On a laptop, make sure the game is actually running on the discrete GPU rather than integrated graphics, keep your drivers up to date, and close background applications. Capping the frame rate to match your monitor can also make motion feel steadier. Because the game is so light, most systems will not need to change anything at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my PC run A Hat in Time?
Almost certainly. The official minimum is a 3.0 GHz processor, 4 GB of RAM, DirectX 9.0c and 8 GB of free storage, with no graphics card listed, and the recommended spec only raises the processor to 3.5 GHz and the memory to 8 GB. Any reasonably modern PC — including one relying on integrated graphics — should run A Hat in Time.
Is A Hat in Time demanding on PC?
No. It is a light 2017 3D platformer that runs on hardware from the Windows 7 era, and it stays undemanding at 1080p, 1440p and 4K alike.
What GPU do I need for A Hat in Time at 1440p 60fps?
Very little. A card such as the AMD Radeon RX 7600 is far more than required for high settings at 1440p in A Hat in Time, and much older or cheaper cards can handle it too. Choose a card in this class only if you want headroom for other games.
How much RAM does A Hat in Time need?
4 GB is the official minimum and 8 GB is the official recommendation, which is a modest amount by modern standards. 16 GB is a comfortable baseline for a new build, but A Hat in Time itself will not use more than a fraction of it.
Do I need an SSD for A Hat in Time?
No. The game installs in around 8 GB and runs fine from a hard drive; an NVMe drive like the Samsung 990 Pro will only trim load times slightly.
