The Monster Hunter Wilds PC version is set to launch at the same time as its console counterparts, meaning we won’t be stuck waiting as with past entries World and Rise. However, the recent beta test left many with concerns over the potential performance of the game. Many players found themselves unable to run the new RPG at an acceptable frame rate or encountered bizarre, low-poly monster models. Fortunately, as the second beta closes in, you can download a Monster Hunter Wilds benchmark tool right now, free on Steam, to see whether your machine is ready for the full game.
The next Monster Hunter Wilds beta begins this week, on Thursday February 6, and it’ll give us another chance to try out all fourteen weapons in Capcom’s new RPG. It’s even been revealed to be bigger than previously expected. We’ll have the opportunity to go up against the game’s flagship monster, the mighty Arkveld, along with another additional creature in the returning Gypceros.
The big caveat about the next beta is that it’s still an old build of Monster Hunter Wilds. That means if your machine struggled to run the first test, you’ll likely also have trouble here. The Monster Hunter team at Capcom said that creating a whole new build so close to launch was a difficult task, and instead wanted to just give players a second chance to try out the game ahead of the Monster Hunter Wilds release date. It has assured us that the final PC version will run better, but what if you want to check for yourself before plonking down your hard-earned cash?
Worry no more. The Monster Hunter Wilds benchmark is finally here, and you can download it for free on Steam. It includes the full range of settings, allowing you to try things out at every graphics preset or make more fine-tuned tweaks to try and reach a level of performance that you’re happy with. Then it will run through a series of different cutscenes and gameplay sequences to test how your computer handles things.
Running at 1440p on an Nvidia RTX 3080 with my trusty AMD Ryzen 5 5600X, I averaged just shy of 50fps on the game’s rather beautiful ‘ultra’ settings, although I did notice a few instances of texture pop-in during some scenes that proved rather distracting. By turning it down to the ‘high’ preset (which still looks pretty fantastic), I was able to eliminate that pop-in and reach an average of 56fps. Certainly not completely optimal, but I’m satisfied that with some more minor tweaks, I can bring it up to 60fps without sacrificing too much quality.
I’m not alone in my testing either. In the handful of hours since the benchmark launched, it’s already climbed to a peak of more than 30,000 active players – not too surprising given the concerns around how the game’s final build might run.
The Monster Hunter Wilds benchmark for PC is out now on Steam. It’s free to download, but you’ll need 26.3 GB of free space to install it. Get it here and find out how well your system handles all those beautiful beasts.
Itching to get into the hunt? Check out our updated list of all Monster Hunter Wilds monsters to see what you’ll be going up against, and decide which of the Monster Hunter Wilds weapons you’re going to pick up first.
You can also follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides, or join our community Discord to stay in the know.
