Ace Combat 8 Steam reviews: why critics and players disagree
Ace Combat 8 Steam reviews and critic scores tell two very different stories about Wings of Theve. Critics have been almost unanimous that it is the strongest entry in the series. Steam players have been far less generous. When we opened the game's Steam page on 2 October 2026 it showed a Mostly Positive rating, with roughly 78% of 3,316 user reviews positive. That is a respectable number for a $69.99 release, but it sits well below the critical consensus, and the reasons are specific rather than vague.
The disagreement is not really about how the game flies. Even many of the unhappy Steam reviews praise the flight model and the campaign. The complaints are about how the PC version was packaged and tuned: a pre-order bonus that behaves differently from what the store page promised, ray tracing that cannot be switched off, and controller support that is narrow. Those are fixable problems, but they are also the kind that drag a score down in the first week, when most reviews are written.
What critics are saying: 86 to 90 on Metacritic
A gagadget roundup of the launch reviews puts Metacritic scores between 86 and 90 and the OpenCritic average at 88/100, with 98% of critics recommending the game. Those are strong numbers for a franchise that went quiet for years after Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, and they are the figures the publisher will lean on in its marketing.
Two named reviews give a sense of the range. DualShockers scored it 95/100 and called it 'a love letter to combat aviation in all its forms', adding that the dogfight mechanics are 'the most exciting of the current console generation'. Push Square gave it 80/100, calling Wings of Theve 'the most accomplished game in the series' while flagging 'muddled story beats' and 'modest graphics on base PS5'. Note the platform detail: both of those verdicts come from console play, so they say little about how the PC build behaves.
“I was shocked to find out that ACE COMBAT ZERO was actually a DLC executable that is dependent on ACE COMBAT 8.”
The pre-order bonus mix-up behind the Steam backlash
The loudest complaint is about Ace Combat 0: The Belkan War, a remaster of the PS2-era classic that Bandai Namco offered as a pre-order bonus on every platform. Kotaku reported on 29 September 2026 that the Steam store page originally described the bonus as a standalone application, separate from the Ace Combat 8 full game, in line with the console versions. On PC it turned out to be a DLC executable that depends on the main game.
That matters because of size. According to Kotaku, you must download the full 150 GB game just to reach the roughly 4 GB bonus game, which hurts anyone who wanted a small, portable install for a handheld, and it also affects how achievements are tracked. The quote we lead with, from a Steam reviewer, captures the tone: the objection is less about the bonus itself than about being told one thing and shipped another. We could not find a Bandai Namco statement on the bonus specifically, so we cannot say whether the store text will be corrected.
Ace Combat 8 PC requirements: ray tracing is not optional
The Steam page lists the minimum spec as Windows 11, an Intel Core i7-10700K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600X, 16 GB of RAM, and a GeForce RTX 2060 6 GB or Radeon RX 6600 XT 8 GB, with 150 GB of storage. The recommended spec asks for a Core i7-12700K or Ryzen 5 5600X, 32 GB of RAM and an RTX 3070 8 GB or Radeon RX 6800 16 GB. Valve's listing adds one line that explains many reviews: the game requires an SSD, a hardware ray tracing capable graphics card, and DirectX 12 with Shader Model 6.6 or higher.
The stated targets are modest for the minimum tier: 1080p with upscaling at 30 fps on Low settings, and 1080p with upscaling at 60 fps on Medium for the recommended tier, with the page warning that frame rates might drop in graphics-heavy scenes. Notebookcheck reports that players on weaker cards cannot turn ray tracing off, and that the lighting, reflections and shadows come at a cost in memory use. Players also report frame drops in busy dogfights, and a fixed upscaling setup that cannot be tuned like in most PC games.
Controller support and the Bandai Namco response
For a flight game, input matters as much as frames per second, and this is the second PC pain point. Notebookcheck summarises the Steam feedback as 'only specific throttle and joystick combos are compatible, and input remapping is limited'. The Steam page does list full controller support and DualSense and DualShock compatibility, so standard gamepads should work, but HOTAS owners are the ones reporting trouble.
Bandai Namco has so far responded on stability. Per Notebookcheck, the publisher's guidance focuses on crash reports and recommends updating GPU drivers and making sure you have enough free storage and virtual memory. No timeline for fixes to ray tracing options, controller remapping or the bonus packaging has been published that we could find, so treat any promised patch as unconfirmed.
Ace Combat 8 price, editions and what to do now
Steam lists the Standard Edition at $69.99 and a Deluxe Edition at $89.99, which includes the base game, a cosmetic set and a premium pass voucher. Separate DLC is also listed: a playable F-14A aircraft at $4.99 and a cosmetic customization set at $9.99. The game is developed by Bandai Namco Aces Inc. and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc., and it also appears on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Sources disagree on the exact release day: Steam shows 1 October 2026, while outlets such as Notebookcheck and gagadget cite 2 October, with early access beginning on 29 September, so check your own region's store.
Our read is straightforward. If your PC clears the ray tracing and SSD bar and you play on a standard controller, the critical consensus suggests a strong game and the Steam score is mostly noise from launch-week frustration. If you own a HOTAS setup, a mid-range card from before the RTX 20 series, or you wanted the Belkan War bonus on a handheld, wait for patch notes. Steam's refund policy and a few weeks of updates cost you nothing, and they will show whether Bandai Namco treats the PC build as a priority.
Frequently asked
What are the Ace Combat 8 Steam reviews like?
Steam rates Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve as Mostly Positive, with roughly 78% of 3,316 user reviews positive when we checked on 2 October 2026. Critics are warmer, with Metacritic scores of 86 to 90 and an OpenCritic average of 88/100. Steam players praise the flight model and campaign but complain about a pre-order bonus that needs the full 150 GB game, mandatory ray tracing, performance dips in busy dogfights and limited controller remapping.
What are the Ace Combat 8 PC requirements?
The minimum spec on Steam is Windows 11, a Core i7-10700K or Ryzen 5 3600X, 16 GB of RAM, a GeForce RTX 2060 or Radeon RX 6600 XT, and 150 GB of SSD storage. Recommended is a Core i7-12700K or Ryzen 5 5600X, 32 GB of RAM and an RTX 3070 or RX 6800. The game requires a ray tracing capable graphics card and DirectX 12 with Shader Model 6.6 or higher. Targets are 1080p upscaled at 30 fps on minimum and 60 fps on recommended.
How much does Ace Combat 8 cost on Steam?
The Standard Edition costs $69.99 on Steam and the Deluxe Edition costs $89.99, which adds a cosmetic set and a premium pass voucher. Steam also lists a playable F-14A aircraft as DLC at $4.99 and a cosmetic customization set at $9.99. The game launched in early October 2026 on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Prices were checked on 2 October 2026 and may differ by region or change with sales.
Why is the Ace Combat 0 pre-order bonus causing complaints on PC?
Kotaku reported on 29 September 2026 that the Steam page described the Ace Combat 0: The Belkan War bonus as a standalone application, matching the console versions. On PC it turned out to be a DLC executable that depends on Ace Combat 8, so players must download the full 150 GB game to reach the roughly 4 GB bonus. Reviewers say this hurts handheld use and achievement tracking, and it helped drag the Steam rating down.
Can you turn off ray tracing in Ace Combat 8 on PC?
Based on Notebookcheck's reporting of Steam feedback, players with less powerful graphics cards say they cannot disable ray tracing, and that the lighting, reflections and shadows add to memory use. Steam's own listing says a hardware ray tracing capable graphics card is required. Upscaling also cannot be fine-tuned the way it can in many PC games. Bandai Namco has not announced a change, so assume ray tracing stays mandatory for now.
Does Ace Combat 8 support flight sticks and HOTAS on PC?
Support is limited. Steam lists full controller support plus DualSense and DualShock compatibility, so ordinary gamepads should be fine. For flight sticks, Notebookcheck summarised player feedback as 'only specific throttle and joystick combos are compatible, and input remapping is limited'. If a HOTAS setup is why you are buying, wait for patch notes or check the Steam discussion pages for your exact hardware before spending $69.99.