Does Alan Wake 2 support path tracing, and what GPU do I need?

Alan Wake 2 is one of the most technically demanding games on PC, featuring full path tracing (not just selective ray tracing) as its highest-fidelity rendering mode. At path tracing settings with native resolution, even an RTX 4090 struggles to hold 60 FPS at 1080p. Practical path tracing play requires DLSS 3 with Frame Generation on RTX 40-series hardware. At the recommended GPU score tier (80), expect excellent performance with ray tracing disabled or at low quality — the rasterized visuals are still exceptional. Only GPU scores of 95+ are suitable for path tracing with DLSS Quality mode.

Alan Wake 2 has no physical disc — does that affect PC installation?

Alan Wake 2 is a digital-only release distributed exclusively through the Epic Games Store. There is no disc and no Steam version. Installation requires an Epic Games account and the Epic launcher. The download size is approximately 90 GB. Because the game relies heavily on high-resolution texture streaming during transitions between the real world and the Dark Place, installing on a fast NVMe SSD is particularly important — SATA SSDs can cause noticeable pop-in during dimension-shift sequences. The Epic launcher's download verification tool can fix corrupted assets if you experience unexplained crashes.

Can I Run Alan Wake 2 on RTX 4060?

Alan Wake 2 FPS Benchmark and Performance Analysis

GPU: NVIDIA RTX 4060Game: Alan Wake 2Updated: Mar 30, 2026

Alan Wake 2 is playable on NVIDIA RTX 4060. Expect roughly 48 FPS at 1080p high; settings tuning will be important. This page breaks down expected Alan Wake 2 performance on NVIDIA RTX 4060 at 1080p high, including 1440p scaling, optimization tips, and a settings guide.

Alan Wake 2 FPS Benchmarks on RTX 4060

Resolution	Settings Preset	Avg FPS	1% Low FPS	Verdict
1080p	Competitive (Low)	60 FPS	40 FPS	Playable
1080p	High	48 FPS	32 FPS	Playable
1440p	High	29 FPS	18 FPS	Low
1440p	Ultra	22 FPS	15 FPS	Low
4K	High	17 FPS	15 FPS	Low

Benchmarks are estimated by our performance engine. Actual results may vary.

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Best Settings for Alan Wake 2 on RTX 4060

48+FPS1080p Competitive

Display Mode: Fullscreen
Resolution: 1920×1080
V-Sync: Disabled
Texture Quality: Medium
Shadow Quality: Low
Anti-Aliasing: FXAA
Effects Quality: Low
Post-Processing: Low
Ambient Occlusion: Disabled

Performance Analysis

Our projection for Alan Wake 2 on NVIDIA RTX 4060 is about 48 FPS at 1080p high. At 1440p, that typically translates to around 29 FPS with similar quality targets. This places the card in the mid tier for this title, with a playable experience profile. NVIDIA RTX 4060 can run Alan Wake 2 reliably, but smart setting choices matter for consistency.

Alan Wake 2 pushes the limits of survival horror with incredibly realistic lighting, high-fidelity shadows, and cutting-edge graphical technologies. To meet the minimum system demands, your PC should have a GeForce GTX 1070 / Radeon RX 5600 XT. For optimal performance and smooth rendering, it’s recommended to play with a GeForce RTX 3060 / Radeon RX 6600 XT.

NVIDIA RTX 4060 supports DLSS 3 Super Resolution. Enabling DLSS Quality mode in Alan Wake 2 can recover 20–35% frame rate with minimal visual difference, which is especially useful if you're targeting 60+ FPS at 1440p.

Use low/competitive settings and performance upscaling to keep gameplay smooth.
VRAM headroom is tight (8GB); avoid ultra textures to prevent hitching.
Keep ray tracing disabled for stable FPS.
Disable ray tracing and lower effects density

Final take: NVIDIA RTX 4060 offers a playable result in Alan Wake 2, with the right settings profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Alan Wake 2 support path tracing, and what GPU do I need?: Alan Wake 2 is one of the most technically demanding games on PC, featuring full path tracing (not just selective ray tracing) as its highest-fidelity rendering mode. At path tracing settings with native resolution, even an RTX 4090 struggles to hold 60 FPS at 1080p. Practical path tracing play requires DLSS 3 with Frame Generation on RTX 40-series hardware. At the recommended GPU score tier (80), expect excellent performance with ray tracing disabled or at low quality — the rasterized visuals are still exceptional. Only GPU scores of 95+ are suitable for path tracing with DLSS Quality mode.
Alan Wake 2 has no physical disc — does that affect PC installation?: Alan Wake 2 is a digital-only release distributed exclusively through the Epic Games Store. There is no disc and no Steam version. Installation requires an Epic Games account and the Epic launcher. The download size is approximately 90 GB. Because the game relies heavily on high-resolution texture streaming during transitions between the real world and the Dark Place, installing on a fast NVMe SSD is particularly important — SATA SSDs can cause noticeable pop-in during dimension-shift sequences. The Epic launcher's download verification tool can fix corrupted assets if you experience unexplained crashes.