Can a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 run Metro Exodus?

Yes — with compromises

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 clears the minimum bar for Metro Exodus but sits under the recommended spec. It is playable at around 48 FPS at 1080p on high, and you will get a smoother result on the medium preset.

48FPS @ 1080p
30FPS @ 1440p
17FPS @ 4K

High preset, upscaling off, paired with a AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D-class processor.

How the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 measures up

RequirementNVIDIA GeForce GTX 980MinimumRecommendedResult
GPU performance score 17 7 21 Minimum
Video memory 4 GB 2 GB 8 GB Minimum
Ray tracing — Not supported Game has no RT N/A
Upscaling FSR Not supported N/A

Recommended settings

For 60 FPS at 1080p

Use the medium preset. High settings fall short here, so drop the preset before touching resolution.

At 1440p

Around 30 FPS on high — this card is happier at 1080p for this title.

At 4K

Around 17 FPS — not a realistic target for this pairing.

VRAM headroom

At 4GB you are under the 8GB this game recommends. Lower the texture setting one notch first — it costs the least visual quality per gigabyte saved.

How other cards handle Metro Exodus

Graphics cardTier1080p FPSvs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980
AMD Radeon R9 Fury C 54 ▲ 6 FPS Compare
AMD Radeon RX 590 C 51 ▲ 3 FPS Compare
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 8GB D 48 ▼ 0 FPS Compare
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 D 48 ▼ 0 FPS Compare
AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB D 45 ▼ 3 FPS Compare
AMD Radeon R9 390X D 45 ▼ 3 FPS Compare

Frequently asked questions

Can the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 run Metro Exodus?

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 clears the minimum bar for Metro Exodus but sits under the recommended spec. It is playable at around 48 FPS at 1080p on high, and you will get a smoother result on the medium preset.

What FPS will I get?

On high settings with upscaling off: roughly 48 FPS at 1080p, 30 FPS at 1440p and 17 FPS at 4K. These are modelled estimates — see our methodology.

What settings should I use?

Start at the medium preset at 1080p.

Will my processor hold this back?

These figures assume a processor fast enough not to limit the card. If yours is older, run the bottleneck calculator — this title leans on the GPU, so a modest CPU deficit costs less.