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Of the four big free anime games on PC, Zenless Zone Zero is the easiest to run (GTX 970, 8 GB RAM, 75 GB) and NTE: Neverness to Everness is the hardest (i7-10700, 16 GB RAM, GTX 1660). Genshin Impact sits close to ZZZ, and Wuthering Waves sits in the middle, except for its 150 GB of storage.
Here's the short version:
- Lowest GPU bar: Zenless Zone Zero (GTX 970).
- Best for laptops: Genshin Impact (lists Intel Iris Xe).
- Most RAM at minimum: Wuthering Waves and NTE (16 GB).
- Most storage needed: Wuthering Waves (150 GB).
- Toughest CPU: NTE (8-core i7-10700).
Minimum specs side by side
All figures are the publishers' own (Steam pages, and HoYoverse for Genshin), checked October 8, 2026:
| Minimum | Zenless Zone Zero | Genshin Impact | Wuthering Waves | NTE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Core i5 7th gen | Core i5 6th gen / Ryzen | Core i5 9th gen / Ryzen 7 2700 | Core i7-10700 |
| RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| GPU | GTX 970 | GTX 1050 / Iris Xe | GTX 1060 / RX 570 / Arc A380 | GTX 1660 / RX 5600 |
| DirectX | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 |
| Storage | 75 GB | 110 GB | 150 GB | 110 GB |
| HDD OK? | Yes (SSD recommended) | Not specified | Yes (SSD recommended) | Not specified |
Recommended specs side by side
| Recommended | Zenless Zone Zero | Genshin Impact | Wuthering Waves | NTE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Core i7 10th gen | Core i7 7th gen / Ryzen 5000 | Core i7 9th gen / Ryzen 3700 | Core i7-12700 |
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | 32 GB | 32 GB |
| GPU | GTX 1660 | GTX 1060 6 GB | RTX 2060 / RX 5700 XT / Arc A750 | RTX 3060 / RX 6700 |
| Storage | 75 GB | 110 GB | 150 GB (SSD required) | 110 GB |
The recommended column shows the biggest gap: ZZZ stays at 8 GB of RAM, while Wuthering Waves and NTE both jump to 32 GB.
GPU: which card do you need?
Ranked from the lowest minimum to the highest: ZZZ (GTX 970), Genshin (GTX 1050, or Iris Xe), Wuthering Waves (GTX 1060), NTE (GTX 1660).
Note that the GTX 970 is an older but stronger card than the GTX 1050, so ZZZ and Genshin are close. The real step up is the GTX 1660 for NTE.
RAM: the line between "budget" and "mid-range"
This is where the four split into two groups:
- 8 GB is enough: Zenless Zone Zero and Genshin Impact.
- 16 GB minimum: Wuthering Waves and NTE.
For a lot of budget laptops and older prebuilt PCs, 8 GB of RAM is the deciding factor. If that's your setup, the first two are the realistic choices without an upgrade.
CPU: NTE is the outlier
Three of the four ask for a mainstream Core i5. NTE asks for an 8-core Core i7-10700. On an older quad-core PC, NTE is the one game here likely to be held back by the processor rather than the graphics card.
Storage: plan for more than the number
From smallest to largest: ZZZ (75 GB), Genshin and NTE (110 GB), Wuthering Waves (150 GB). All four grow with updates, and updates need temporary space while they apply. Keeping all four on one drive would take roughly 445 GB at the listed sizes — more than a 256 GB drive and close to half of a 1 TB drive.
Which one should you pick for your PC?
- Old desktop (GTX 970-class card, 8 GB RAM): Zenless Zone Zero.
- Recent thin laptop (Iris Xe, 8–16 GB RAM): Genshin Impact.
- Mid-range desktop (GTX 1060–RTX 2060, 16 GB RAM, big SSD): Wuthering Waves.
- Recent PC (8-core CPU, 16 GB+ RAM, GTX 1660 or better): NTE — or any of the four.
Play Zenless Zone Zero free on PC · Play Genshin Impact free on PC · Play Wuthering Waves free on PC · Play NTE free on PC
For what each game is actually like to play, see our main guide to the best free anime games on PC.
The bottom line
If your PC has 8 GB of RAM, pick between Zenless Zone Zero and Genshin Impact. With 16 GB and a GTX 1060-class card, Wuthering Waves opens up, as long as you have 150 GB on an SSD. NTE is the one to save for a recent PC with an 8-core CPU.
FAQ
Which is easier to run, Genshin Impact or Wuthering Waves?
Genshin Impact. Its minimum is 8 GB of RAM and a GTX 1050; Wuthering Waves needs 16 GB of RAM and a GTX 1060.
Which anime game runs on the lowest-end PC?
Zenless Zone Zero, with a GTX 970, 8 GB of RAM and 75 GB of storage at minimum.
Is NTE harder to run than Wuthering Waves?
On CPU and GPU, yes: NTE asks for an i7-10700 and a GTX 1660, versus a 9th-gen i5 and a GTX 1060. Wuthering Waves needs more storage (150 GB vs 110 GB).
Sources
- Zenless Zone Zero on Steam — Cognosphere (checked October 8, 2026)
- Genshin Impact system requirements — HoYoverse Support (checked October 2026)
- Genshin Impact system requirements — Game8 (updated August 8, 2025)
- Wuthering Waves on Steam — Kuro Games (checked October 8, 2026)
- NTE: Neverness to Everness on Steam — Perfect World Games (checked October 8, 2026)
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