After years of anticipation, Hollow Knight: Silksong has finally arrived, and fans of the metroidvania genre couldn’t be more excited. Developed by Team Cherry, the sequel to the indie hit Hollow Knight brings faster combat, a larger world, and a brand-new protagonist, Hornet. But as with any modern release, players are asking the same question: what is the best system to play Hollow Knight: Silksong, and what devices ensure the smoothest performance?
In this guide, IM4G’ll break down the official system requirements, suggest optimal hardware, and recommend devices and accessories that maximize your adventure through Pharloom. Whether you’re a PC gamer, console fan, or portable handheld enthusiast, here’s everything you need to know.
Hollow Knight: Silksong Overview
Hollow Knight: Silksong puts players in the role of Hornet, a quick and agile warrior navigating through a mysterious kingdom filled with traps, quests, and over 200 unique enemies. Compared to the first game, combat is faster and more complex, requiring precision and timing.
Because of this, performance plays a critical role in your enjoyment. Low frame rates or input lag can drastically affect combat flow, making the right device and configuration crucial for an optimal experience.
What do players think about Hollow Knight: Silksong?
On Steam, Hollow Knight: Silksong has quickly built a strong reputation among players. Within just a few days of release, the game has already gathered nearly 150,000 reviews, with 79.49% rated as “Very Positive” — an incredibly impressive achievement. Here are the key themes from the community:
Smooth Performance: Many players report that the game runs flawlessly on mid-range PCs, even at higher resolutions. The optimization ensures a stable frame rate, which is crucial for fast-paced combat.
Challenging but Fair Gameplay: Steam users highlight that Silksong maintains the tough but rewarding combat style of the original Hollow Knight. Boss fights are demanding, but players praise the sense of accomplishment after victory.
Art and Sound Design: Reviewers consistently applaud the hand-drawn visuals, detailed animations, and haunting soundtrack. According to players, these elements elevate the atmosphere and immersion to a new level.
Content Scale: Fans are impressed by the sheer amount of content — over 200 enemies, dozens of bosses, and expansive maps. Many compare it favorably to full-priced AAA games despite its indie roots.
Constructive Criticism: Some Steam users mention the steep difficulty curve as intimidating for newcomers, while others point out pacing issues in certain quest lines. However, most agree these are minor compared to the overall quality.
This game has been so well-received that, at launch, it reached over 500,000 concurrent players — an impressive number for an indie title. Even at the time we are writing this post, the game still has more than 200,000 concurrent players, showing that its hype hasn’t faded despite being released several days ago.
In short, the Steam community considers Hollow Knight: Silksong a worthy successor to the original, combining the charm of indie design with the depth of a large-scale adventure.
System Requirements for PC
Surprisingly, despite featuring stunning 2D visuals with up to 25 layers for every scene in Hollow Knight: Silksong, along with impressive sound and lighting effects, the game is remarkably lightweight in terms of system requirements, making it easily accessible to players.
Minimum Requirements
If you’re planning to play Silksong on a PC or laptop, here are the minimum system requirements to run the game:
OS: Windows 10 64-bit
Processor: Intel Core i3-2100 or AMD FX-4300
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 / AMD Radeon HD 7850
DirectX: Version 11
Storage: 10 GB available space
These specs allow the game to run at lower settings with a stable frame rate, but you may notice performance dips in visually demanding areas or during large boss fights.
Recommended Requirements
For a smoother, more immersive experience, the recommended configuration is as follows:
OS: Windows 10/11 64-bit
Processor: Intel Core i5-6600K or AMD Ryzen 5 1600
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 1060 / AMD Radeon RX 580 or better
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: SSD with 10 GB available space
With this setup, you can expect fluid 60 FPS gameplay at 1080p, crisp visuals, and minimal loading times. An SSD is particularly important for quick area transitions, keeping exploration seamless.
Best Devices to Play Hollow Knight: Silksong
Gaming PC: A mid-range gaming PC is one of the best ways to enjoy Silksong. It allows flexibility with mods, graphical settings, and controller support. If you already own a GTX 1660 or RTX 2060 (or equivalent AMD card), you’ll easily handle the game at 1080p or even 1440p.
Gaming Laptops: For players who want portability, modern gaming laptops like the ASUS ROG Zephyrus, Acer Predator Helios, or Dell G15 offer powerful specs in compact designs. Look for at least an RTX 3050 Ti GPU and 16 GB RAM for optimal performance. A high-refresh-rate display (120Hz or above) further enhances the fast-paced combat.
Nintendo Switch: As with the first Hollow Knight, Silksong shines on the Nintendo Switch. Its handheld mode allows you to explore Pharloom anywhere, while docked mode ensures smooth play on a larger screen. However, Switch performance is capped at 720p handheld and 1080p docked, so expect less graphical detail compared to PC.
PlayStation and Xbox: Silksong is also available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. These consoles offer stable frame rates, fast loading, and crisp visuals. The PlayStation 5 DualSense controller’s haptic feedback adds another layer of immersion, while Xbox Game Pass availability makes it more accessible to a wider audience.
Accessories for the Best Experience
Controllers
Although Silksong plays well with keyboard and mouse, most players prefer a controller for precision platforming. Options like the Xbox Wireless Controller, DualSense, or even the Nintendo Pro Controller deliver excellent responsiveness and comfort during long sessions.
Headsets
The haunting soundtrack and subtle audio cues are integral to Hollow Knight’s atmosphere. A high-quality headset such as the SteelSeries Arctis 7 or HyperX Cloud II ensures you won’t miss environmental details or enemy sounds.
Monitors
If you’re on PC, a 1080p monitor with a 120Hz or 144Hz refresh rate offers smoother animations. Though the art style doesn’t demand 4K, higher refresh rates improve responsiveness, especially during boss fights.
Optimization Tips
Even with strong hardware, there are a few tweaks to further enhance performance:
Enable V-Sync to prevent screen tearing.
Use an SSD to reduce loading times and stutter during transitions.
Adjust graphics settings like shadows or effects if you notice frame drops.
Keep drivers updated (GPU, DirectX, Windows updates) for stability.
Consider a controller with wired connection for minimal input delay during intense battles.
Conclusion
Hollow Knight: Silksong rewards precision, timing, and exploration, making smooth performance a vital part of the experience. By meeting at least the recommended PC requirements or choosing the right console or laptop, you’ll ensure seamless gameplay.
For the best experience, invest in responsive controllers, quality headsets, and high-refresh-rate displays. Whether you’re navigating Pharloom on PC, exploring on Switch, or battling bosses on PlayStation and Xbox, the right setup transforms Silksong from a great game into an unforgettable journey.
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