Best GPU for Playing Metro Exodus on PC

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti is the best overall GPU on the market right now, and if you want to push Metro Exodus' visuals to their limits while also playing at a silky-smooth framerate, you'll need one. The cost is, admittedly, quite steep. Nevertheless, Metro Exodus looks and feels like a game ahead of its time, so its highest settings demand the very best.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti

Unrivaled power

Who should buy this GPU?

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If you want to play through Metro Exodus at resolutions above standard 1080p, like on Ultra or Extreme settings, and you don't mind paying a very pretty penny, then this GPU is perfect for you. Metro Exodus is arguably one of the best-looking games on the market today, so the power of the RTX 2080 Ti definitely won't go to waste.

Is it a good time to buy this GPU?

It depends on how you look at it. Right now, the RTX 2080 Ti has little in the way of competition at this price point, making it your best choice if you want a premium Metro Exodus experience as soon as possible. That being said, once competition arrives, NVIDIA may lower the price of the 2080 Ti, so it might be worth it to either wait and see, or to choose a less expensive RTX alternative. In addition, only Metro Exodus and Battlefield V currently support the special features RTX cards provide, so you won't be able to use ray tracing and Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) in other titles for quite some time.

What's so special about the RTX 2080 Ti, anyway?

Aside from the ridiculously unaffordable Titan RTX, which costs $2,500, the RTX 2080 Ti is the best premium GPU on the market, hands down. It blows all other graphics cards out of the water in terms of speed and power, and like every other GPU in NVIDIA's RTX line, it allows you to enable both ray tracing and DLSS in games that support it. The former feature overhauls a game's lighting and makes it significantly more realistic, while the latter is a new type of anti-aliasing technique that looks comparable to regular anti-aliasing while also being significantly less taxing on your system.

The RTX 2080 Ti blows all other graphics cards out of the water.

Ultimately, it doesn't get any better than the RTX 2080 Ti, and it likely won't for a fairly long time. This card really is a beast, and it will be able to handle the newest games well for several years. While the 2080 Ti is an expensive choice, you get what you pay for. It still may be worth waiting to see what NVIDIA's competitors cook up and if it ends up causing the 2080 Ti to drop in price, however. In addition, you can still achieve great results in Metro Exodus with some of the cheaper RTX graphics cards.

Alternatives to the RTX 2080 Ti

Metro Exodus

Metro Exodus (Image credit: Deep Silver)

While the RTX 2080 Ti is superb, the other cards in the RTX line can, in many ways, offer a comparable performance — all while being significantly less expensive.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070

Powerful, yet affordable

The RTX 2070 is the middleman between the weaker RTX 2060 and stronger cards like the RTX 2080 Ti. It can't smoothly handle Metro Exodus and RTX features at the highest settings possible, but if you're willing to stick to High instead of Ultra or Extreme, you can achieve a stable 60 FPS with ray tracing on in standard 1080p resolution. Running at resolutions higher than this will reduce the FPS, but turning DLSS can somewhat help counter this.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060

A solid choice

Of all the RTX cards, the RTX 2060 is by far the cheapest at just $350. This comes at a cost, though: you won't be able to play Metro Exodus on High settings with ray tracing and a smooth 60 FPS. Instead, you'll see an average FPS of anywhere between 45 and 50. This is still very playable, but it's lower than what most players typically prefer. Even so, Metro Exodus with ray tracing enabled looks incredible, and the RTX 2060 is a great choice if you want to experience ray tracing but don't have a lot of money.

Bottom line

Overall, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti is by far the best GPU available right now to use with Metro Exodus. It's very expensive, but the investment is arguably worth it since you won't need to worry about upgrading your GPU again for a long time. Plus, Metro Exodus is an incredible looking game even without using the highest settings and resolutions. Getting a card that allows you to crank everything up to the max, all while utilizing ray tracing, will make your Metro experience even more phenomenal. For more buying options, check out our guide to the best graphics card options on the market now.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti

Unrivaled power
Brendan Lowry

Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he's been an avid fan since childhood. You'll find him doing reviews, editorials, and general coverage on everything Xbox and PC. Follow him on Twitter.