F1 25's path tracing demands an RTX 5080 just to hit 1080p with upscaling

[Daniel Sims]

In brief: With F1 25 set to launch in two weeks, EA has revealed new gameplay modes and technical features. The most significant addition for players with high-end PCs is path tracing. Despite its steep performance cost, EA has released a comprehensive spreadsheet detailing recommended settings for a wide range of hardware.

The system requirements on F1 25's Steam page recall the earlier days of simple "Minimum" and "Recommended" columns – before game publishers began releasing spreadsheets with four or more categories. EA's latest press release takes this further, offering seven columns to account for virtual reality, path tracing, and even 8K gameplay.

Players still using nearly decade-old GPUs like the Nvidia GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon RX 580 can achieve 60 frames per second at 1080p, but only with the low graphics preset.

Everything above 1080p, according to EA's chart, requires at least an RTX 3080 Ti – and in some cases, an RTX 5080.

Click to enlarge

The new VR column recommends those GPUs, or AMD's Radeon RX 7900 XT to achieve 90 fps at 2K per eye – matching the performance profile of the Meta Quest 2 and 3S. Meanwhile, for 4K and beyond, EA claims the RTX 4090 or 5090, paired with 32 GB of system RAM, can deliver 8K 60 fps gameplay with balanced upscaling and frame generation enabled. However, using frame generation to reach 60 fps in a racing game may noticeably affect response times.

Finally, new path tracing option, available as the "Ultra Max" graphics setting, demands an RTX 4080 Super, RTX 5080, or RX 7900 XTX just to hit 60 fps at 1080p with upscaling. This feature aims to accurately simulate lighting, shading, and reflections based on real-world locations.

Click to enlarge

Gameplay additions include enhanced AI, updated track layouts, and new features across F1 25's various modes. Developers have used LIDAR to more accurately recreate real-world tracks and have introduced the franchise's first reversed courses.

In the team management mode, players can now scout, recruit, and choose between multiple drivers. A new mode also features characters from the upcoming F1 film.

F1 25 launches on May 30 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series consoles. Early access for those who pre-order the Iconic Edition begins May 27. Preloads start May 15 on Xbox, May 20 on PC, and May 25 on PS5.

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F1 25's path tracing demands an RTX 5080 just to hit 1080p with upscaling

 

[toooooot]

This game is not even a looker. Mediocre graphics, relatively small base.
I would understand if this was done in one of those games like Forza motorsport or Grand Tourismo.
But this one... Complete waste of power.

 

[bviktor]

But but 8K something.

I'm so happy Sony finally dropped the ball and ended 8K production.

Wake me up when we finally hit 60 FPS @ 2160p. I'll be generious, it can be with or without DLSS, I don't care at this point, I just want butter smooth gameplay and visuals.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Wake me up when we finally hit 60 FPS @ 2160p. I'll be generious, it can be with or without DLSS, I don't care at this point, I just want butter smooth gameplay and visuals.

We have that already… assuming you have a decent GPU… so… wake up?

 

[Watzupken]

This is just silly. No wonder game sales for big developers are tanking. Essentially they are tone deaf, tripling down on features that gamers don’t care or can’t afford to run, while regurgitating the same game play and story over and over again each year.

 

[candle86]

Yep need for speed most wanted 2005 looks better than this

 

[Theinsanegamer]

We have that already… assuming you have a decent GPU… so… wake up?

Well....the game needs a 5080 to hit 60 FPS at 1080p with upscaling....thats not 4k, nor native....sooo....

wake up and learn 2 reed?

 

[Squid Surprise]

Well....the game needs a 5080 to hit 60 FPS at 1080p with upscaling....thats not 4k, nor native....sooo....

wake up and learn 2 reed?

No… that’s with pathtracing… without it, you’re fine…oh.. it’s “read” not “reed”… don’t expect people to read if you can’t spell

 

[gingerbill]

I shout at the clouds waving my fist at the 'cost' of some of the new graphics features . They are just not worth it .

Glad I enjoy games that graphics are not important. My days of buying a fast GPU are long gone and I assume wont return as the prices now are absurd.

 

[NumberNine]

Stop buying garbage games.

 

[airbornex]

So we've gone from “can it run Crysis?” to “can it run F1 at Ultra Max with path tracing and VR at 2K per eye?”

 

[ScottSoapbox]

I’m always confused by people’s anger at optional graphs settings.

You don’t have to use path tracing and you probably shouldn’t use 8K. You can play this game on a 1060 or a 5090. Everybody wins.

 

[EvilRebar]

I feel like people forget that games used to be released with aspirational settingd that did not run well on contemporary hardware.

You weren't maklxing out Crisis on release.

 

[arrowflash]

I feel like people forget that games used to be released with aspirational settingd that did not run well on contemporary hardware.

You weren't maklxing out Crisis on release.

The difference is that Crysis looked the part for how difficult it was to run at release time.

Games released in the last 3 years or so, don't.

 

[todestriebu]

F1 2077.

To the first comment of "lol this isn't even forza, no one plays" , Forza Motorsport 8 is a disaster in terms of online users. F1 2024 has ~5 times of players right now, and ~4 times in other metrics according to SteamDB. *Forza Horizon 5 is much better than that.

I do (subjectively) think the recent F1 games look better than FM8. And I do hope the path tracing part justifys the ridiculous level of performance hit. Which is very unlikely.

 

[Macar]

EA confirms : you have to choose between performance (>90 fps) and ray tracing. Only the most high-end GPUs will be able to do both.

For the moment it's a win-win situation, because there's such a big difference in performance between RT on and off, that low-end GPUs can run the game just fine.

Let's hope the devs will not impose ray tracing only. It would be a disaster.

If we're talking about the game itself, I personally prefer an F1 mod on Assetto Corsa.

 

[Kirby1]

That makes sense for path tracing. Path tracing should be expected not to run on anything but the more high end GPUs.

 

[whateversa]

I would play only at 3440x1440 100fps on high. Ultra is often only visibly different when doing a side by side comparison with high, so I just don't believe in ultra settings anymore (unless it was an old game that my GPU could easily handle).

 

[Macar]

F1 2077.

To the first comment of "lol this isn't even forza, no one plays" , Forza Motorsport 8 is a disaster in terms of online users. F1 2024 has ~5 times of players right now, and ~4 times in other metrics according to SteamDB.

I'm not sure it's the same on Xbox. And you're forgetting the Xbox store and game pass on PC.
But ok, there are more players on F1 (and that not a good news).

 

[kingmustard]

"Are system requirements charts getting out of hand?"

No, they are not. Path tracing is extremely expensive but you do not have to play with path tracing at all.

 

[kanaaka]

The specs seems odd, I mean RX 7900 XTX? that card can't even matching 40 series RT, maybe much closer to 3080 series maybe a little worse. That RTX 5080 is absolutely night and day compared to the 7900 XTX in Path Tracing workload, yet they're in the same minimum requirements.

Maybe the Path Tracing 1080p with upscaling IS using the 7900 XTX, because there's no way 7900 XTX have the same Path Tracing Result with the 5080

 

[Lionvibez]

The specs seems odd, I mean RX 7900 XTX? that card can't even matching 40 series RT, maybe much closer to 3080 series maybe a little worse. That RTX 5080 is absolutely night and day compared to the 7900 XTX in Path Tracing workload, yet they're in the same minimum requirements.

Maybe the Path Tracing 1080p with upscaling IS using the 7900 XTX, because there's no way 7900 XTX have the same Path Tracing Result with the 5080

A 7900XTX gives 3090 to 3090TI RT performance in games that isn't favoring NV hardware not below 3080 series.

And to be honest this game looks kinda meh for these hardware requirements.

 

[hwertz]

"Are system requirements chats getting out of hand?"

Maybe? But there's nothing wrong with giving the user more info than "minimum" and "recommended". I don't have a VR setup but it's nice to have a seperate listing for those who do, and people who just want to play the game versus "I demand 4K at high refresh rate". And apparently in this case 8K.

@bviktor, surprised to see that Sony did not make any 2025-model 8K TVs or monitors. I mean, there's almost no use for them, but I kind of assumed once they were on the market they'd just keep making them to meet demand. One good reason at the moment, the current HDMI is only fast enough to run 8K30 without resorting to video compression, which is not lossless. It'd be pretty disappointing to spend all that money on an 8K TV and HDR, only to find you get video artifacts with the right (or perhaps call it "wrong") video content, and it's unavoidable since it's inherent to the HDMI spec it's using.

 

[Kirby1]

A 7900XTX gives 3090 to 3090TI RT performance in games that isn't favoring NV hardware not below 3080 series.

And to be honest this game looks kinda meh for these hardware requirements.

RT and PT are not the same thing. No way the 7900XTX can do actual path tracing in this game at any reasonably playable settings. If that's what they're claiming, then either they are wrong or this game makes extremely mild usage of path tracing.

I'm a fan of AMD, but the performance to do PT just doesn't exist in the 7000 series.

 

[kanaaka]

A 7900XTX gives 3090 to 3090TI RT performance in games that isn't favoring NV hardware not below 3080 series.

And to be honest this game looks kinda meh for these hardware requirements.

yeah, and this PT as far as we know is favoring Nvidia. RX 7000 series path tracing performance are non-existent, it just shouldn't on the same requirements alongside the RTX 5080. Aside from the game looks, the specs requirements still odd as I pointed it out.