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Kernel Hearts vs Path of Exile
| close | close |
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| shopping_cart Where to Buy | |
| info General Information | |
| Release Date | |
| Sep 17, 2026 | Oct 23, 2013 |
| Developer | |
| Ephemera Games | Grinding Gear Games |
| Publisher | |
| Whitethorn Games | Grinding Gear Games |
| Genre(s) | |
| Action RPG, Roguelike, Hack and Slash, Co-Op | Action Role-Playing (Action RPG), Hack and Slash, Loot-based |
| Engine | |
| Unreal Engine 5 | Proprietary Engine (DirectX 11/12/Vulkan) |
| stars Ratings & Price | |
| Content Rating | |
| Teen | M (Mature 17+) |
| Avg. User Rating | |
| 4.6 / 5.0 | 4.5 / 5.0 |
| Current Price (USD) | |
| $19.99 | Free |
| tune Key Specs | |
| Quick Highlights | |
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| sports_esports Gameplay & Mechanics | |
| Companions/Followers | |
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| Key Collectibles | |
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| Key Themes | |
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| colorize Combat & Gear | |
| Weapons Overview | |
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| Armor / Gear Sets | |
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| Outfits/Customization | |
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| trending_up Progression & Upgrades | |
| Skills & Progression | |
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Combines aerial combos, parries, elemental Kernel Chips, passive memory upgrades, and super-powered Magical Girl Transformations. |
N/A |
| public World & Exploration | |
| World & Level Design | |
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The Tower of Babel features procedural vertical sectors: Ashen Foyer, Sunken Cloisters, Gilded Spires, and Celestial Apex. |
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| Playable Vehicles | |
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| Notable Fauna/Mounts | |
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| book Story & Characters | |
| Main Characters | |
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| Example Missions | |
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| people Multiplayer | |
| Multiplayer Details | |
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Features 1 to 4 player online drop-in/drop-out co-op with dynamic enemy scaling, team revives, and global speedrun leaderboards. |
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| extension Editions & DLC | |
| Available Editions | |
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Standard Edition ($19.99 USD) includes the full game; Digital Deluxe Edition ($29.99 USD) adds the digital soundtrack, artbook, and celestial weapon skins. |
N/A |
| Post-Launch Content / DLC | |
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Roadmap outlines free seasonal tower floors, additional M.A.H.O.U. operatives, an Endless Boss Rush mode, and cosmetic crossover outfits. |
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| help_outline FAQ | |
| Frequently Asked Questions | |
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| build Technical Details | |
| Graphics & Visual Fidelity | |
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Rendered in Unreal Engine 5 with vibrant cel-shaded anime models, dynamic volumetric lighting, and dramatic transformation VFX. |
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| Audio & Soundtrack | |
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High-octane electronic synth-rock and melodic metal soundtrack with full English and Japanese voice acting for all operatives. |
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| User Interface (UI/UX) | |
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Anime-cyberpunk HUD featuring health/overdrive gauges, combo hit counters, active Kernel Chip slots, and floor minimap. |
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| Accessibility Options | |
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Includes difficulty modifiers, damage intake scaling, auto-combo toggles, colorblind filters, and full controller remapping. |
N/A |
| video_library Media Links | |
| Gameplay Video | |
| launchWatch | launchWatch |
| Walkthrough/Guide | |
| launchView | launchView |
| settings_applications System Requirements | |
| 1080p (Full HD) - Recommended (High Preset, 1080p/1440p @ 60-120 FPS) CPU: Prevents combat stutters. CPU (Laptop): Ensures smooth transformation animations. GPU: Powers high settings and lighting. GPU (Laptop): Handles max settings on mobile displays. RAM: Prevents asset streaming hitches. Storage: Eliminates floor load times. | |
memoryCPU: Intel Core i7-10700 / AMD Ryzen 5 3600 developer_boardGPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (6 GB) / AMD Radeon RX 5700 (8 GB) laptop_macCPU (L): Intel Core i7-11800H / AMD Ryzen 7 5800H laptop_windowsGPU (L): NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile (6 GB, 95W TGP) layersRAM: 16 GB saveStorage (Tier): 15 GB available space (NVMe SSD) | — |
| 1080p (Full HD) - Recommended (Targets 1080p, High settings, ~60 FPS) (High Preset, 1080p resolution, aiming for 60 FPS in typical gameplay, though drops are expected in intense endgame content.) CPU: Official recommended desktop CPU. Strong single-core performance is key. CPU (Laptop): A strong mobile CPU is needed to handle the game's processing demands and maintain a stable framerate. GPU: Official recommended desktop GPUs. While these can run the game, a more powerful modern card is suggested for a smoother experience. GPU (Laptop): Good laptop GPUs for a solid 1080p experience. The RTX 3050 offers access to driver-level features that may be beneficial. RAM: 16GB RAM is officially recommended and is highly advised for smoother gameplay, especially when multitasking. Storage: An SSD is officially recommended for this tier to ensure fast loading and reduce stutter. | |
| — | memoryCPU: 3.2 GHz Quad Core developer_boardGPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 560 laptop_macCPU (L): Intel Core i7-9750H / AMD Ryzen 7 4800H or better. laptop_windowsGPU (L): NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Laptop (4GB) / RTX 3050 Laptop (4GB). layersRAM: 16 GB saveStorage (Tier): 40 GB SSD |
| 1080p (Full HD) - Minimum (Low/Medium Preset, 1080p @ 60 FPS) CPU: Handles game logic and AI. CPU (Laptop): Quad/six-core mobile processor. GPU: Baseline 1080p 60 FPS rendering. GPU (Laptop): Delivers steady 1080p 60 FPS. RAM: Minimum operational memory. Storage: Standard game install. | |
memoryCPU: Intel Core i7-9750H / AMD Ryzen 5 2600 developer_boardGPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6 GB) / AMD Radeon RX 580 (8 GB) laptop_macCPU (L): Intel Core i5-10300H / AMD Ryzen 5 4600H laptop_windowsGPU (L): NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile (4 GB) / AMD Radeon RX 5500M layersRAM: 8 GB saveStorage (Tier): 15 GB available space (HDD/SSD) | — |
| 1080p (Full HD) - Minimum (Targets 1080p, Low settings, ~30-60 FPS) (Low Preset, 1080p resolution. Framerate can be highly variable.) CPU: Official minimum desktop CPU requirement. A modern quad-core processor is the baseline. CPU (Laptop): Estimated entry-level laptop CPUs for minimum playability. GPU: Official minimum desktop GPU from the developer. These are very old cards, and a more modern entry-level card is highly advisable. GPU (Laptop): Estimated laptop GPUs for minimum settings. Expect dynamic resolution to be active frequently. RAM: 8GB RAM is the official minimum requirement. Storage: An HDD is technically sufficient for the minimum spec, but an SSD is strongly recommended. | |
| — | memoryCPU: 2.6 GHz Quad Core developer_boardGPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti or AMD Radeon HD 7850 laptop_macCPU (L): Intel Core i5-8300H / AMD Ryzen 5 2500U or better. laptop_windowsGPU (L): NVIDIA GeForce MX350 / GTX 1050 Mobile (2GB). layersRAM: 8 GB saveStorage (Tier): 40 GB HDD |
| 1440p (QHD/2K) - Enthusiast (Max Quality Preset, 1440p @ 144 FPS) CPU: Sustains high framerates. CPU (Laptop): Desktop-grade mobile consistency. GPU: Native QHD rendering at max settings. GPU (Laptop): Desktop-class 1440p performance. RAM: High bandwidth ensures fast streaming. Storage: Instant room and floor generation. | |
memoryCPU: Intel Core i5-12600K / AMD Ryzen 7 5700X developer_boardGPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 (8 GB) / AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT (12 GB) laptop_macCPU (L): Intel Core i7-13700H / AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS laptop_windowsGPU (L): NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile (8 GB, 140W TGP) layersRAM: 16 GB saveStorage (Tier): 15 GB NVMe PCIe SSD | — |
| 1440p (QHD/2K) - High (Targets 1440p, High settings, ~60 FPS) (High Preset, 1440p resolution, aiming for 60 FPS.) CPU: A powerful modern CPU with high single-thread performance is crucial to avoid bottlenecks at 1440p. CPU (Laptop): High-performance laptop CPUs are essential for a consistent 1440p experience in a CPU-bound game like PoE. GPU: Desktop GPUs capable of a strong 1440p/60FPS experience. A modern card like the RTX 4060 Ti would provide a more consistent framerate. GPU (Laptop): A high-TGP RTX 4060 or RTX 3070 Laptop is the ideal target for 1440p. A future RTX 5060 Laptop would offer an even smoother experience. RAM: 16GB RAM is the minimum for smooth 1440p gaming; 32GB can help reduce stutters in extremely demanding situations. Storage: A fast NVMe SSD is recommended for the best loading times and performance at 1440p. | |
| — | memoryCPU: Intel Core i5-12600K or AMD Ryzen 5 5600X developer_boardGPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (8GB) or AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT (12GB). (Future-proof: RTX 4060 Ti) laptop_macCPU (L): Intel Core i7-12700H / AMD Ryzen 7 6800H or newer. laptop_windowsGPU (L): NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop (8GB) / RTX 4060 Laptop (8GB). (Future-proof: RTX 5060 Laptop) layersRAM: 16 GB saveStorage (Tier): 40 GB NVMe SSD |
| 2160p (UHD/4K) - Ultra (Ultra Quality Preset, 4K (2160p) @ 120 FPS) CPU: Eliminates bottlenecks in 4-player co-op. CPU (Laptop): Flagship mobile processor. GPU: Immense rasterization throughput for 4K. GPU (Laptop): Drives native 4K external displays. RAM: Ample headroom for uncompressed 4K. Storage: Sub-second load times throughout runs. | |
memoryCPU: Intel Core i7-13700K / AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D developer_boardGPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 (16 GB) / AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX (24 GB) laptop_macCPU (L): Intel Core i9-14900HX / AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX laptop_windowsGPU (L): NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile (16 GB, 175W TGP) layersRAM: 32 GB saveStorage (Tier): 15 GB NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD | — |
| 2160p (UHD/4K) - 4K Ultra Settings (Targets 2160p/4K, High settings, ~60 FPS) (High Preset, 2160p (4K) resolution, aiming for 60 FPS.) CPU: A top-tier desktop CPU with the best possible single-core speed is recommended to minimize CPU bottlenecks at 4K. CPU (Laptop): The highest-end laptop CPUs are needed to pair with flagship GPUs for the most stable 4K experience possible. GPU: High-end 40-series desktop GPUs are needed for a chance at a stable 4K/60FPS experience, though performance will still vary wildly depending on in-game action. A future RTX 5080 would be a much better target. GPU (Laptop): Flagship laptop GPUs are required for a playable 4K experience, but users should still expect frame drops in the most demanding endgame scenarios. RAM: 32GB of fast RAM is highly recommended to provide sufficient headroom and minimize stuttering at 4K. Storage: A fast NVMe SSD is essential for the best possible experience at 4K. | |
| — | memoryCPU: Intel Core i7-13700K or AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D developer_boardGPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti (12GB) or AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT (20GB). (Future-proof: RTX 5080) laptop_macCPU (L): Intel Core i9-13900HX / AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX or newer. laptop_windowsGPU (L): NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop (12GB) / RTX 4090 Laptop (16GB). layersRAM: 32 GB saveStorage (Tier): 40 GB NVMe SSD |
| save Overall Storage | |
| Spec: 15 GB available space Note: SSD recommended for fast procedural floor generation. Type: Unknown | Spec: 40 GB available space (SSD Strongly Recommended) Note: While the game will run on an HDD, an SSD is strongly recommended by the developers to significantly reduce loading times, which are frequent, and to prevent in-game stuttering caused by slow asset loading. Type: SSD |
| desktop_windows Operating System | |
| Spec: Windows 10 / Windows 11 (64-bit) Explanation: 64-bit Windows required for DirectX 12. | Spec: Windows 10 / Windows 11 (64-bit Required) Explanation: A 64-bit version of Windows 10 is the current standard requirement. Windows 11 is fully supported. |
| gamepad DirectX Version | |
| Spec: DirectX Version 12 Explanation: Required for dynamic lighting and particle VFX. | Spec: DirectX 11 / DirectX 12 / Vulkan Explanation: The game officially supports DirectX 11 as the default renderer. Beta versions of DirectX 12 and Vulkan are also available in the graphics options, which can offer better performance on some hardware configurations, though stability may vary. |
| info_outline Other Game Notes | |
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| build Optimization Details | |
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| laptop Laptop Considerations | |
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info_outline Feature details based on available data. System requirements and performance estimates may vary.
laptop_chromebook Laptop Recommendations
Common Recommendations (Handles All Compared Games)
For Kernel Hearts Specifically
For Path of Exile Specifically
info_outline Laptop recommendations are estimates based on available component benchmarks and game requirements. Actual performance may vary depending on settings, drivers, cooling, power limits, etc. Prices and availability subject to change. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.