HAWKER is built in Unity and targets modest hardware because we want the game to reach players on older machines, laptops, and handhelds rather than only gaming rigs. This piece from the team at Tyrian Games covers the specific hardware specs, Steam Deck performance data, Mac support plans, and the trade-offs we've made in performance tuning. We've tried to be honest about what the game needs and what it doesn't.
TL;DR
- Minimum spec is a 2018-era mid-range laptop (Intel i5-8250U or AMD Ryzen 3 2200G, integrated graphics, 8GB RAM).
- Recommended spec is a 2020-era mid-range desktop (Ryzen 5 3600 or i5-10400, GTX 1660 or RX 5600 XT, 16GB RAM).
- Steam Deck Verified is targeted at Early Access launch with 60 FPS on default settings and around four hours of battery per charge.
- Mac support via native Apple Silicon build at Early Access launch. Intel Macs supported via Rosetta translation.
- HAWKER's 2GB install size is deliberately small because we've prioritised texture optimisation over raw asset count.
Minimum and recommended PC specs
Minimum (1080p, 30 FPS, Low settings):
- OS: Windows 10 64-bit or macOS 12 (Monterey) or later
- CPU: Intel Core i5-8250U / AMD Ryzen 3 2200G or better
- GPU: Intel UHD 620 / AMD Vega 8 / NVIDIA MX150 or better
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 4GB available space (install plus save data and patches)
Recommended (1080p, 60 FPS, High settings):
- OS: Windows 10/11 64-bit or macOS 13 (Ventura) or later
- CPU: Intel Core i5-10400 / AMD Ryzen 5 3600 or better
- GPU: NVIDIA GTX 1660 / AMD RX 5600 XT or better
- RAM: 16GB
- Storage: 4GB available space
High (1440p, 60 FPS, Ultra settings):
- OS: Windows 11 64-bit or macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later
- CPU: Intel Core i7-12700K / AMD Ryzen 7 5800X or better
- GPU: NVIDIA RTX 3060 / AMD RX 6700 XT or better
- RAM: 16GB
- Storage: 4GB available space
These specs are based on our internal testing and will be confirmed closer to Early Access launch. Minor adjustments are likely as we optimise further during the EA period.
Why the minimum spec is so low
Indie games can ship at almost any spec target. We chose a low minimum deliberately. Our reasoning has three parts.
First, our target audience includes players who don't own bleeding-edge hardware. Indie roguelite players tend to play on laptops, older desktops, and handhelds more than on top-tier gaming rigs. Excluding them because we wanted to push texture resolution by 30% would be a bad trade.
Second, Unity performs well at modest specs when you tune for it. Our rendering pipeline uses specific shader choices that favour older GPUs. We've sacrificed some visual fidelity in service of broader compatibility, and the testing data suggests the game still looks good at minimum spec.
Third, handheld and Steam Deck compatibility matters to us. Designing for Steam Deck as a first-class target rather than an afterthought pushed the whole performance budget tighter, and the result is a game that runs well on a wider range of hardware.
Steam Deck specifically
HAWKER has been Steam Deck-tested throughout development. Steam Deck Verified is targeted at Early Access launch.
Current performance on default Steam Deck settings:
- 60 FPS at 1280x800 (native Steam Deck resolution)
- Around four hours of battery life per charge on default TDP
- Around five hours of battery life with TDP limited to 7W (slight performance drop)
- All UI elements pass Steam Deck readability standards
- Controller layout is fully supported including back buttons
We tested specifically for the Steam Deck reading experience. UI elements have been sized to work at the Deck's screen size and resolution. Text is readable without squinting. The shop interface, which carries more information than most action games, has been designed to work at both desktop and Deck resolutions.
Battery life is competitive with comparable indies. Hades runs around 4.5 hours on Steam Deck at default settings. Dead Cells runs closer to six. Our four-hour target sits in the normal range for indie action games of similar visual complexity.
For longer play sessions, the Steam Deck's 7W TDP cap extends battery to around five hours at the cost of occasional frame drops during combat. Most players will prefer the default setting.
Mac support details
Native Apple Silicon support at Early Access launch. We've been developing with Mac as a first-class target since early 2024, not as an afterthought. Our team includes Mac users and the build has been running on M-series hardware throughout development.
Apple Silicon performance on M1 Pro / M2 / M3 hardware is generally equivalent to mid-range PC. Frame rates at 1440p are comfortable, thermal behaviour is well-managed, and battery life on MacBooks is strong. We haven't seen the specific performance issues that plague some Unity titles on Apple Silicon.
Intel Mac support is via Rosetta translation. Performance is acceptable for most Intel Macs from 2018 or later. Players on older Intel Macs may see reduced frame rates. We won't be shipping a native Intel build because the audience is too small to justify the engineering cost.
Apple's transition away from Intel is nearly complete and our Mac testing has focused on Apple Silicon accordingly. macOS 12 (Monterey) is the minimum, macOS 13 (Ventura) or later is recommended.
Linux support
Steam Play (Proton) compatibility is targeted. Native Linux support is under evaluation during Early Access.
Proton has worked well on our internal testing against Ubuntu, Arch, Fedora, and SteamOS. We're not aware of specific compatibility issues. Native Linux support would require additional engineering and QA effort that we'd rather spend on content during Early Access. We'll reassess for 1.0.
Linux players should be able to play HAWKER reliably via Proton from Early Access launch forward. We'll be monitoring the ProtonDB reporting for any issues and we'll prioritise fixes to engine-level bugs that affect Linux play.
Graphics settings and what they do
HAWKER's graphics settings are deliberately simple. We've tried to avoid the modern-AAA menu with forty toggles nobody understands. Our menu has seven settings.
Resolution (native or custom). We support up to 4K natively though the art direction is intended for 1080p to 1440p viewing.
Framerate cap (30, 60, 120, or uncapped). 60 FPS is the target for most hardware. 120 is supported on modern monitors. The uncapped option works best on high-refresh displays.
Texture quality (Low / Medium / High / Ultra). The biggest performance lever. Most players on recommended spec should use High.
Shadow quality (Off / Low / Medium / High). Shadow calculation is our most GPU-intensive effect. Low is fine and preserves readability.
Effects quality (Low / Medium / High). Controls particle effects, blightstorm visual complexity, and some post-processing.
Anti-aliasing (Off / FXAA / TAA). TAA is recommended for most setups.
V-Sync (Off / On). Standard toggle. Leave on unless you're using G-Sync or FreeSync.
No ray tracing toggle because we don't use ray tracing. The art direction doesn't benefit from it and the performance cost isn't justified for an indie at our scale.
A first-hand Hawker design note
One specific thing we learned during our 2025 Steam Deck testing was about UI readability. Our shop interface, designed originally for 1080p desktop monitors, showed item names at a size that was fine on a 24-inch screen and unreadable on a seven-inch Deck. A tester pointed this out on a Deck-specific session: "The shop tooltips work but I have to lean in. It's tiring over a long session."
We rebuilt the shop UI with two size tiers: a compact desktop version and a Deck-specific version that increases text size by roughly 25%. The Deck version auto-enables when the game detects it's running on Steam Deck. It's the kind of small thing that separates a Verified-level port from a fine-on-paper port. Players notice.
This is the design principle we applied to most Deck work. Don't just test that the game runs. Test that the game is pleasant to play. The two are not the same.
Install size and storage
HAWKER's install size is roughly 2GB at Early Access launch. We expect this to grow to around 3.5GB at 1.0 as content is added during EA.
This is small by modern standards. The average indie game ships at 5-10GB. AAA titles routinely exceed 100GB. Our 2GB target reflects specific optimisation choices: compressed texture formats, shared asset libraries across biomes, and audio compression tuned for speech intelligibility rather than audiophile specs.
Small install size matters for Steam Deck players (who have limited storage), laptop players, and players in regions where bandwidth is costly. It's one of the ways we try to respect player time and money without the player having to think about it.
FAQ
What are HAWKER's minimum system requirements?
Minimum spec is Intel i5-8250U or AMD Ryzen 3 2200G, 8GB RAM, integrated graphics, running Windows 10 or macOS 12. Install size is around 2GB.
Will HAWKER run on Steam Deck?
Yes, with Steam Deck Verified targeted at Early Access launch. 60 FPS on default settings with around four hours of battery per charge.
Does HAWKER support Mac?
Yes, native Apple Silicon support at Early Access launch. Intel Macs supported via Rosetta translation.
Does HAWKER support Linux?
Via Steam Play (Proton) at Early Access launch. Native Linux support is under evaluation for 1.0.
Does HAWKER have ray tracing?
No. Our art direction doesn't use ray tracing and the performance cost isn't justified for an indie at our scale.
How big is the HAWKER install?
Around 2GB at Early Access launch, growing to around 3.5GB at 1.0 as content is added during EA.
Spoiler wall
Specs and performance numbers above apply to the demo and Early Access builds. 1.0 performance data will be published closer to that release.
Closing
HAWKER is built to run well on the hardware you probably already have. Minimum spec is modest, Steam Deck is fully supported, Mac is first-class, and the install is small. We've made these choices deliberately because we want the game to reach as many players as possible without compromising the visual and mechanical identity. If you've got a machine from the last five years, HAWKER will run on it.
Next read: HAWKER release date and Early Access guide, or HAWKER demo guide.
Further reading
For related context see HAWKER release date and Early Access guide.