Does Returnal support ray tracing on PC?

Yes, the PC version of Returnal supports ray tracing on compatible Nvidia and AMD hardware, enabling more realistic reflections and lighting. Enabling ray tracing will noticeably impact performance and is best paired with a GPU at or above the RTX 2080 Ti / RX 6800 XT tier.

Why is an SSD required to play Returnal on PC?

Returnal's fast-paced roguelike design demands nearly instant respawns and rapid loading of complex environments. The game's asset streaming system relies on the high read speeds of an SSD; using a traditional hard drive is not supported and would cause stuttering, long load times, or crashes.

Can I Run Returnal on RTX 3060 Ti?

Returnal FPS Benchmark and Performance Analysis

GPU: NVIDIA RTX 3060 TiGame: ReturnalUpdated: Apr 26, 2026

Yes, NVIDIA RTX 3060 Ti can run Returnal. Expect roughly 59 FPS at 1080p high; settings tuning will be important. Not sure whether NVIDIA RTX 3060 Ti can keep up with Returnal? Below you'll find our performance projection at 1080p high along with 1440p scaling data.

Returnal FPS Benchmarks on RTX 3060 Ti

Resolution	Settings Preset	Avg FPS	1% Low FPS	Verdict
1080p	Competitive (Low)	74 FPS	49 FPS	Playable
1080p	High	59 FPS	39 FPS	Playable
1440p	High	40 FPS	25 FPS	Low
1440p	Ultra	30 FPS	19 FPS	Low
4K	High	21 FPS	15 FPS	Low

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

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Best Settings for Returnal on RTX 3060 Ti

59+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

NVIDIA RTX 3060 Ti is estimated around 59 FPS at 1080p high in Returnal. At 1440p, that typically translates to around 40 FPS with similar quality targets. This places the card in the mid tier for this title, with a playable experience profile. NVIDIA RTX 3060 Ti can run Returnal reliably, but smart setting choices matter for consistency.

Returnal is a visually demanding roguelike third-person shooter built on Unreal Engine 4, featuring highly detailed environments, large particle effects from its bullet-hell combat, and rapid scene transitions that stress both CPU and GPU. The game requires an SSD due to its seamless, fast-paced gameplay loop and quick respawn cycles that rely on rapid asset streaming. Ray tracing support and high-fidelity lighting push the recommended GPU tier significantly higher than the minimum.

NVIDIA RTX 3060 Ti supports DLSS 3 Super Resolution. Enabling DLSS Quality mode in Returnal 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.
Keep ray tracing disabled for stable FPS.
Disable ray tracing and lower effects density

Bottom line: Returnal on NVIDIA RTX 3060 Ti is playable, and optimization has a measurable impact.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Returnal support ray tracing on PC?: Yes, the PC version of Returnal supports ray tracing on compatible Nvidia and AMD hardware, enabling more realistic reflections and lighting. Enabling ray tracing will noticeably impact performance and is best paired with a GPU at or above the RTX 2080 Ti / RX 6800 XT tier.
Why is an SSD required to play Returnal on PC?: Returnal's fast-paced roguelike design demands nearly instant respawns and rapid loading of complex environments. The game's asset streaming system relies on the high read speeds of an SSD; using a traditional hard drive is not supported and would cause stuttering, long load times, or crashes.