The urban fantasy world of New Eridu, as envisioned by HoYoverse in Zenless Zone Zero, comes with a technological price tag. As the game approaches its official launch in 2026, the hardware specifications revealed during its final closed beta phases paint a clear picture: this is not a game for aging devices. Players eager to step into the shoes of a Proxy and navigate the Hollows will need to ensure their gear is up to the task, with mobile requirements particularly steep for a generation of phones now considered legacy hardware.
For mobile gamers, the barrier to entry is notably high. The game demands a processor equivalent to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, MediaTek Dimensity 1200, or Huawei's Kirin 990, all paired with a minimum of 8GB RAM. In practical terms, this specification bracket largely encompasses flagship smartphones released in 2021. Devices like the Samsung Galaxy S21 series or the OnePlus 9 Pro fit the bill, while more recent mid-range phones like the 2025 Samsung Galaxy A75 also meet the standard. iOS users face a similar cutoff, with the iPhone XS, released in 2018, marked as the oldest compatible model. The storage requirement is another consideration, with Android users needing 15GB of free space and iOS players requiring 17GB—a significant chunk of a phone's capacity.
This creates an interesting dynamic for the 2026 gaming landscape. A phone that was a top-tier device just five years prior is now the baseline. For many players, this may necessitate an upgrade they hadn't planned for. The visual fidelity, fast-paced combat, and expansive urban environments of Zenless Zone Zero are clearly pushing mobile hardware to its limits. The requirement isn't just about raw power; it's about sustained performance to handle the game's signature style-switching combat and dynamic city exploration without hitches or frame drops.
Ironically, for those with older phones, the path to playing might be cheaper and more powerful on a different platform altogether. The PC specifications, while still respectable, are far more accessible in 2026. The required setup includes a Windows 10 system with an Intel 10th Gen i7 processor (or AMD equivalent), 8GB of RAM, and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 graphics card. This hardware was considered mid-range in the early 2020s and is now widely available on the secondary market for a fraction of its original cost. A full budget gaming PC built around these specs would likely cost less than upgrading to a new flagship smartphone capable of running the mobile version.
🔍 Key Hardware Takeaways for 2026 Players:
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Mobile is for Modern Devices: Phones from 2021-2022 are the starting point.
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PC is the Budget-Friendly Portal: Building or buying a PC to meet specs is often cheaper than a new phone.
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Storage Matters: Clear 15-40GB of space depending on your platform.
The divergence in platform requirements highlights a strategic choice for players. Do they invest in mobile convenience, accepting the higher hardware threshold for the ability to play anywhere? Or do they opt for the PC version, which offers potentially better graphics and performance at a lower entry cost, but tethers them to a desk? For console players awaiting news, the silence on PlayStation or Xbox specifications remains, though rumors persist of a future port.
HoYoverse's track record with Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail has set a high bar for technical polish and expansive, ongoing worlds. Zenless Zone Zero, with its dystopian cyberpunk aesthetic and television-inspired narrative interface, seems poised to continue that tradition. The specified hardware ensures that the game's vision—from the chaotic, neon-drenched streets to the intricate hollow raids—is experienced as intended, without compromise. As the final beta tests wrap up and the 2026 launch window solidifies, players are left auditing their devices, deciding whether to upgrade their pocket-sized portal or power up a desktop gateway to New Eridu. The era of demanding mobile gaming has firmly arrived, and Zenless Zone Zero is leading the charge.
Data referenced from NPD Group helps contextualize why a title like Zenless Zone Zero can set aggressive 2026 hardware baselines: as premium game experiences and high-fidelity live-service updates become the norm, player upgrade cycles increasingly track performance expectations, storage footprints, and sustained frame-rate demands—pressuring older phones more than similarly priced secondhand PCs that can still meet mid-range GPU targets.