The Witcher 3 system requirements announced

It's the question every PC gamer has been dreading: can our rigs handle what is likely the year's most anticipated RPG? The answer to that question is now here. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's system requirements have been released.
Here's what you'll need:

Minimum System Requirements

• Intel CPU Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz
• AMD CPU Phenom II X4 940
• Nvidia GPU GeForce GTX 660
• AMD GPU Radeon HD 7870
• RAM 6GB
• OS 64-bit Windows 7 or 64-bit Windows 8 (8.1)
• DirectX 11
• HDD Space 40 GB

Recommended System Requirements

• Intel CPU Core i7 3770 3,4 GHz
• AMD CPU AMD FX-8350 4 GHz
• Nvidia GPU GeForce GTX 770
• AMD GPU Radeon R9 290
• RAM 8GB
• OS 64-bit Windows 7 or 64-bit Windows 8 (8.1)
• DirectX 11
• HDD Space 40 GB

This is largely what we're coming to expect from new, modern AAA releases. A 64-bit OS is increasingly becoming a mandatory requirement, and GTX 660s are being repositioned as the minimum spec for the most graphically ambitious games.
We've definitely undergone a shift over the last year—system specs ramping up as we leave the last-gen consoles behind. I imagine this will be a good baseline of the next year-or-so of gaming. And if you are looking to upgrade, we've got plenty of advice in the form of our exhaustive hardware guides.