Cities: Skylines
PC requirements, performance and Steam Deck status
- Minimum
- Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- Recommended
- Radeon RX 560 · Ryzen 7 2700X
- 60 fps 1080p high
- GeForce GTX 1630 (~60 fps, est.)
- Steam Deck
- Steam Deck Playable · ~68 fps ultra (est.)
- Genres
- Simulation, Strategy
- Release
- Mar 10, 2015
- Developer
- Colossal Order
- Publisher
- Paradox Interactive
Cities: Skylines is a modern take on the classic city simulation. The game introduces new game play elements to realize the thrill and hardships of creating and maintaining a real city whilst expanding on some well-established tropes of the city building experience.
City BuilderSimulationBuildingManagementStrategySandboxSingleplayerEconomyModdableResource Management
View on Steam →Will Cities: Skylines run on your PC?
What you need for Cities: Skylines
Cities: Skylines needs about a GeForce GTX 1630 for 60 fps at 1080p high and a Radeon RX 6400 at 1440p (pcgaming.io estimate, medium confidence, ±20%, model v0, data updated 2026-09-24).
| Target | Graphics card (at least) | Processor (at least) |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p · 60 fps · High | GeForce GTX 1630 | Core i3-9100F |
| 1080p · 144 fps · Medium | Radeon RX 6500 XT | Ryzen 5 5500X3D |
| 1440p · 60 fps · High | Radeon RX 6400 | Core i3-9100F |
| 1440p · 120 fps · High | Radeon RX 9050 4GB | Core i7-10700K |
| 4K · 60 fps · High | GeForce RTX 3050 6GB | Core i3-9100F |
Slowest current desktop parts (2020+ GPUs, 2019+ CPUs) our model expects to reach each target. Best GPUs for Cities: Skylines →
Estimated FPS on popular graphics cards (high preset)
| Graphics card | 1080p | 1440p | 4K |
|---|---|---|---|
| GeForce GTX 1650 | 100 | 70 | 42 |
| GeForce GTX 1060 6GB | 140 | 98 | 59 |
| GeForce RTX 2060 6GB | 210 | 147 | 88 |
| Radeon RX 6600 | 230 | 161 | 97 |
| GeForce RTX 3060 12GB | 250 | 175 | 105 |
| GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU | 260 | 182 | 109 |
| Radeon RX 7600 | 290 | 203 | 122 |
| GeForce RTX 4060 | 295 | 207 | 124 |
| GeForce RTX 3070 | 300+ | 241 | 145 |
| GeForce RTX 4070 | 300+ | 300+ | 183 |
| Radeon RX 7800 XT | 300+ | 300+ | 204 |
| GeForce RTX 5070 | 300+ | 300+ | 210 |
| Radeon RX 9070 XT | 300+ | 300+ | 273 |
| GeForce RTX 4080 | 300+ | 300+ | 284 |
| GeForce RTX 5090 | 300+ | 300+ | 300+ |
Estimated FPS from our model (v0), based on the game's published requirements and relative GPU/CPU performance. Not measured. Real results vary with drivers, patches, and scenes. Values above 300 fps show as 300+. Data updated 2026-09-24.
Cities: Skylines system requirements
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows® 10 Home 64 Bit | Windows® 10 Home 64 bit |
| Processor | Intel® Core™ I7 930 | AMD® FX 6350 No specific model named. Estimated from the legacy requirement. | Intel® Core™ I7 2700K | AMD® Ryzen 7 2700X |
| Graphics | Nvidia® GeForce™ GTS 450 (1 GB) | AMD® R7 250 (2 GB) | Intel Iris Xe G7 (Tiger Lake) | Nvidia® GeForce™ GTX 580 (1.5 GB) | AMD® Radeon™ RX 560 (4 GB) |
| Memory | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Video memory | 1 GB | 5 GB |
| Storage | 4 GB | 4 GB |
| DirectX | Version 9.0c | Version 11 |
Source: Steam.
Cities: Skylines on handheld PCs
Valve rating: Steam Deck Playable
Steam Deck · playable
- !Launcher interaction issues
- !Default controller configuration not fully functional
- !Controller glyphs do not match Steam Deck device
- !Interface text is not legible
- ✓Default configuration is performant
Steam Machine · playable
- !Launcher interaction issues
- !Default controller configuration not fully functional
- !Controller glyphs do not match device
- ✓Default configuration is performant
SteamOS · playable
- !Game startup functional
- ✗Launcher interaction issues
- ✗Default controller configuration not fully functional
| Handheld | Native resolution | Estimated FPS | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam Deck OLED | 1280×800 | 68 ultra | Steam Deck Playable |
| ROG Ally X | 1920×1080 | 76 ultra | Steam Deck Playable · faster GPU |
| ROG Xbox Ally X | 1920×1080 | 88 ultra | Steam Deck Playable · faster GPU |
| Legion Go 2 | 1920×1200 | 79 ultra | Steam Deck Playable · faster GPU |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | 1920×1200 | 79 ultra | Steam Deck Playable · faster GPU |
Each handheld at its own screen resolution, on the best preset that holds 30 fps. Steam Deck verdicts are Valve's rating.
Details
- Controller support
- Keyboard & mouse
- DLC
- 76
- Steam achievements
- 135
- Metacritic
- 85
- Features
- Single-playerSteam AchievementsSteam Trading CardsSteam WorkshopSteam CloudIncludes level editorRemote Play on TabletFamily Sharing
- Languages (10)
- English, French, German, Spanish - Spain, Polish, Portuguese - Brazil, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Korean, Japanese
Latest news & patches
- Patch Notes for 1.21.1-f9Patch2026-04-15
- Patch Notes for patch 1.21.1-f8Patch2026-04-07
- Patch Notes for patch 1.21.1-f7Patch2026-03-17
- Race Day, Iconic Brutalism, and Renewed History is live!2026-03-10
- Race Day Patch 1.21.1-f4 - State of Mods and Patch 101Patch2026-03-09
- Dev Diary - Iconic Brutalism by Cristolisto2026-03-09
Official announcements via Steam.
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FAQ
Can Cities: Skylines run on a GTX 1650?
Yes. The GeForce GTX 1650 is well above Cities: Skylines's recommended spec. We estimate ~100 fps at 1080p high (range 80–120, medium confidence, ±20%), GPU-limited. For 60 fps at 1440p, use the high preset (~70 fps on high). Its 4 GB of video memory is below the 5 GB the game recommends. Every preset on the GTX 1650.
Can Cities: Skylines run on Steam Deck?
Yes, with issues. Valve rates Cities: Skylines Steam Deck Playable. At the Steam Deck OLED's native 1280×800 we estimate ~68 fps on the ultra preset (range 54–82, medium confidence, ±20%). 60 fps is reachable on the ultra preset. Presets for 30/40/60 fps on Steam Deck OLED.
What graphics card do I need for Cities: Skylines at 1440p?
For 60 fps at 1440p high, our model points to a Radeon RX 6400 or faster: ~70 fps (range 56–84, medium confidence, ±20%). At 1080p high a GeForce GTX 1630 is enough. 4K at 60 fps needs a GeForce RTX 3050 6GB. All are the slowest current desktop cards per target. Best GPUs for Cities: Skylines by brand.
Can I run Cities: Skylines on a laptop?
Yes, with a fast enough GPU. Of the 30 laptop GPUs we list, the GeForce GTX 1650 Laptop GPU is the slowest expected to reach 60 fps at 1080p high: ~80 fps (range 64–96, medium confidence, ±20%). Cities: Skylines on the GeForce GTX 1650 Laptop GPU.
How much RAM does Cities: Skylines need?
The publisher's Steam listing asks for 8 GB of RAM minimum and 16 GB recommended for Cities: Skylines. For the graphics card it lists video memory of 1 GB at minimum and 5 GB recommended.
How much storage does Cities: Skylines take?
Cities: Skylines needs 4 GB of free storage according to the publisher's recommended spec on Steam. The minimum operating system is Windows® 10 Home 64 Bit.