Planet Zoo 2 system requirements: what PC do you actually need?

Here is the sheet as Frontier published it on Steam. RAM does not move between tiers (16 GB), and neither does storage (40 GB). What changes: the CPU goes from 6 to 8 cores, the GPU from an RTX 2060 to an RTX 3070, and the SSD becomes mandatory.

Frontier also spells out what each tier is worth in game on its official help page: minimum runs above 30 fps on Medium with a well built zoo, recommended holds 30 fps on High. There is no published 60 fps tier.

Frontier says it plainly on its help page: a creative management sim needs more processing power as the zoo fills up, and the graphics card matters less. The telltale sign, per the studio: lowering graphics settings does not change your frame rate.

In practice, a fresh zoo runs fine on almost any minimum-tier PC. The CPU starts to struggle hours later, once habitats, aquariums and paths are full. If your tower pairs a strong GPU with an old quad-core, that is where it shows.

Steam’s recommended tier asks for 8 cores (i7-10700K or Ryzen 7 5800X). A current Ryzen 7 7700 or Core i5-14600K clears that bar. To compare today’s chips, our best gaming CPU 2026 guide ranks them by price.

Often not. Per the original Planet Zoo Steam page (2019), recommended was an i7-4770K or Ryzen 5 1600 with a GTX 1070. Both parts sit below the Planet Zoo 2 minimum.

Storage scales up too: 16 GB for the first game, 40 GB for the sequel, preferably on SSD. Only RAM stays put, at 16 GB recommended for both. If your PC was built around Planet Zoo 1, plan on at least a CPU and GPU upgrade.

An SSD is recommended at minimum and required at recommended. On a hard drive, large parks load slowly and textures pop in late. If your PC still runs an HDD, it is the cheapest part to fix: our SSD vs HDD for gaming guide covers what to buy.

Windows 10 is listed at minimum, but Frontier warns on Steam that it cannot guarantee ongoing compatibility since Microsoft ended support. Recommended lists Windows 11 only.

On a laptop, Frontier suggests extra cooling so the CPU can hold its higher clocks. A laptop that runs hot throttles within minutes, and the CPU is exactly what matters here. To choose, read our desktop vs laptop for gaming comparison.

Around $875, you cover the minimum with headroom: Ryzen 5 5600 or Core i5-12400F (both above a Ryzen 5 3600), 16 GB, an NVMe SSD and an RTX 3060 or RTX 4060. That is enough for mid-sized zoos on Medium.

Between $1,200 and $1,525, you reach Steam’s recommended tier: an 8-core such as the Ryzen 7 7700, 32 GB if a browser stays open, and an RTX 5060 Ti or RX 7700 XT. That is the right tier for large zoos on High. Filter those towers in the PC4Games comparison tool.

Up to $1,850, spend the extra on the CPU rather than the GPU. An RTX 4080 will not help a CPU-bound zoo. For memory, our how much RAM for gaming guide explains when 32 GB is worth it.

No. On Steam, the standard edition costs $49.99 and the Deluxe adds 6 extra animal species and decorative signs. Requirements are identical for both.

According to Steam, the game uses Denuvo Anti-tamper. The Frontier Workshop lets you download community blueprints, so keep a few gigabytes free beyond the 40 GB if you plan to grab a lot of them.