Rainbow Six Siege Vulkan: What is it and should you use it? cover image

Rainbow Six Siege Vulkan: What is it and should you use it?

Here’s all you need to know about the Rainbow Six Siege Vulkan launcher. Check whether your system meets the minimum system requirements for Ubisoft’s FPS title.

Vulkan is a Graphics Application Programming Interface (API) available for Rainbow Six Siege. Vulkan enables Rainbow Six Siege players with lower-end systems to experience significantly better gameplay. The option to choose the Vulkan launcher allows players to make an informed choice based on their PC specifications.

Rainbow Six Siege is a game that relies heavily on system specifications. Rainbow Six Siege players often want the best FPS at the best graphics quality to ensure top-tier gameplay for an FPS game that usually involves multiple other elements. Unfortunately, their performance and statistics will also directly depend on their system specifications. 

How to launch Rainbow Six Siege on Vulkan?

  • In your Ubisoft connect library, open Select Rainbow Six Siege. (even if you have purchased R6 elsewhere)
  • Click Play and you should get a drop-down menu
  • In the drop-down menu, select ‘Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege - Vulkan’

The Vulkan launcher reduces the load on your computer’s CPU, sometimes applying more load to the GPU. This helps your computer run the base game smoothly while utilizing the Graphics card to alleviate some of the load from the game.

What are Rainbow Six Siege’s minimum system requirements?

While the Vulkan launcher will significantly improve your gameplay experience, your system requirements should ideally still meet the minimum requirements. The minimum system requirements for Rainbow Six Siege is as follows:

Minimum requirements:

  • Operating System: 64-bit version of the following operating systems: Windows 7 SP1 / Windows 8 / Windows 8.1 / Windows 10
  • Processor: Intel Core i3 560 @ 3.3 GHz or AMD Phenom II X4 945 @ 3.0 GHz *
  • RAM: 6 GB
  • Video card: Nvidia GeForce GTX 460 or AMD Radeon HD5770 (1024 MB VRAM)
  • Hard Drive: 85.5 GB
  • DirectX:  11
  • Sound: DirectX Compatible Sound Card with latest drivers
  • Supported controllers: Compatible with X-Input.  
  • Multiplayer: Broadband connection with 256 kps upstream 

Recommended requirements:

  • Operating System: 64-bit version of the following operating systems:  Windows 7 SP1 / Windows 8 / Windows 8.1 / Windows 10
  • Processor: Intel Core i5-2500K @ 3.3 GHz or AMD FX-8120 @ 3.1 GHz *
  • RAM: 8 GB
  • Video card: Nvidia GeForce GTX 670 or AMD Radeon HD7970 / R9 280X or better (2048 MB VRAM)
  • Hard Drive: 85.5 GB
  • DirectX: 11
  • Sound: DirectX Compatible Sound Card with latest drivers
  • Supported Controllers: Compatible with X-Input.  
  • Multiplayer: Broadband connection with 512 kps upstream

The Vulkan API will enable us to make improvements on workload through Dynamic Texture Indexing to reduce CPU cost, and Dynamic Resolution and AsyncCompute to reduce GPU cost. These features are already used on consoles, and the Vulkan API will allow us to do the same for PC.

Should I use Rainbow Six Siege Vulkan?

The answer depends on your system configuration. For higher-end systems, it is advisable not to use Vulkan. But for lower-end systems, using the Vulkan launcher can provide a significant boost to the gameplay experience as well as FPS and the smoothness of the gameplay.

So use the Vulkan launcher only if you notice a clear difference in FPS and video settings. Otherwise, sticking to the regular DirectX launcher is often the better choice