Step 2 of 5
Working out whether your computer can run it
This is the step that saves the most wasted time, and it is almost entirely mechanical. You are going to find four pieces of information about your own machine and compare them with four published numbers.
The platform line comes first
Before any number matters, one sentence decides everything: which operating systems the game supports. An operating system is the software your whole computer runs on — Windows, macOS on Apple computers, or one of the Linux distributions.
Games are written for specific operating systems, and a game written for Windows does not simply run on a Mac. There are ways around this for some titles, and they are outside the scope of a beginners' course; the plain version is that if the publisher does not list your operating system, treat the game as unavailable to you.
For the title this course uses as its example, the published platforms are desktop Windows and desktop Linux. It is not offered for Mac. If the only computer in your house has an Apple logo on it, the general lessons in this course still apply to other games, but this example will not install for you, and no amount of checking the other four numbers will change that.
Desktop, not phone
This course is about games that run on a desktop or laptop computer. A game of this kind is not something you install from a phone's app store, and a mobile device is not a substitute for the computer the requirements describe.
The four things worth knowing about your computer
Requirements lists are long, but they are long because they are precise, not because they are complicated. Four things carry nearly all the weight.
The processor, also called the CPU, is the general-purpose part that does the thinking. It is identified by a brand and a model number, and the model number is what matters when comparing.
The memory, usually called RAM, is the working space the computer uses while programs are running. It is measured in gigabytes, and the number is the first thing to look at if a game installs but stutters.
The graphics — the GPU or graphics card — draws what you see. On many laptops the graphics are built into the processor rather than being a separate card, which is worth knowing because built-in graphics are generally the weaker option for games.
The free storage space is simply how much room is left on your drive. Online games grow over time as updates arrive, so a game that just fits today may not fit in six months.
Finding them, step by step
On a computer running a recent version of Windows, the following sequence takes about two minutes and installs nothing.
Numbered procedure — Windows
- Press the Windows key on the keyboard, type the word About, and open the result named About your PC or System.
- Read the line labelled Processor. Write down the whole line, brand and model number included, not just the brand.
- Read the line labelled Installed RAM and write down the number of gigabytes.
- Read the lines naming the edition of Windows and whether the system is 64-bit. Write both down.
- Press the Windows key again, type Device Manager, open it, and expand the entry called Display adapters. The name shown there is your graphics hardware. Write it down.
- Open This PC in the file explorer and note the free space remaining on the drive where programs are installed, which is usually C.
On a computer running Linux, the same four facts come from the system settings panel of your desktop environment, or from the terminal if you are comfortable with it. The details differ between distributions, so follow the documentation for the one you are running rather than a generic instruction.
Keep that list of six lines somewhere you can find it. You will use it again every time you consider any game, and it also answers most of the questions a support desk will ask you.
How to read a requirements table
Publishers normally print two columns. Understanding the difference between them prevents most disappointment.
| Column | What it promises | How to treat it |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum | The game is expected to start and run, generally at low visual settings. | Treat it as a floor, not a target. Meeting it exactly often means a playable but plain-looking game. |
| Recommended | The game is expected to run comfortably at reasonable settings. | This is the honest aim. If your machine sits between the two columns, expect to turn settings down. |
Two cautions. First, a requirements table is the publisher's estimate, not a guarantee, and it says nothing about what else you have running at the same time. Second, requirements change: an online game updated for years may ask more of your machine in 2028 than it does today.
We deliberately do not reprint any specific game's requirement numbers on this site, because they change without notice and a stale copy is worse than none. Read them on the vendor's own page, where they are kept current.
The internet connection
An online multiplayer game needs a working connection for the whole time you are playing, not just while it downloads. Two different things matter here and they are often confused.
Speed, measured in megabits per second, affects how long the initial download takes. Latency, often called ping and measured in milliseconds, affects how responsive the game feels while you play, and it depends heavily on how far away the server is.
For a household in Australia, the practical consequence is that a game whose servers are overseas can feel less responsive than the same game would feel in Europe, regardless of how fast your connection is. The publisher may or may not state where its servers are; if it does not, the vendor has not stated it, and the only way to find out is to try.
Also worth checking: whether you are on a plan with a data allowance. A first download of a modern game can be a substantial share of a small monthly allowance, and updates recur.
Where you get the installer matters
Install games from the publisher's own site or from an established distribution platform, and nowhere else. Sites that offer a “free download” of a game they do not publish are a well-known way of distributing unwanted software, and no checklist in this course will protect you from one.
The Australian Cyber Security Centre, the Commonwealth agency responsible for cyber security advice to the public, publishes general guidance on safe software and device practices at cyber.gov.au. It is a reasonable first reference for anything in this area, and it is free.
Equally, be sceptical of any page offering to scan your computer to tell you whether a game will run. You do not need a scan: you have the six lines you wrote down, and a requirements table. Nothing on this site examines your device, and nothing here can tell you anything about the state of your machine.
The household, at Step 2
Worked example — a hypothetical household
The four-year-old desktop turns out to be running 64-bit Windows, with a mid-range processor, 8 GB of memory, graphics built into the processor rather than a separate card, and about 40 GB free on the main drive.
They compare that against the published minimum and recommended columns on the vendor's page. The honest conclusion they reach is that the machine is likely to sit near the minimum rather than the recommended end, so they plan on lower visual settings and decide to free up more drive space before installing anything. They have spent nothing and installed nothing. This household is a hypothetical example used throughout the course.
Before you move on
Before you move on
You should now have six lines written down describing your own computer, a clear yes or no on the platform question, and a realistic expectation of whether the game will run well, run poorly, or not run at all. Step 3 assumes you have decided to proceed and turns to the account itself.
Checklist for Step 2
Work through this away from the screen
- Confirm which operating system your computer runs, and that the game lists it.
- Write down the processor line in full, including the model number.
- Write down the installed memory in gigabytes.
- Write down the name of your display adapter from Device Manager or your Linux system settings.
- Write down the free space on the drive where programs install.
- Open the vendor's current requirements table and mark each of your four figures as above, at, or below the minimum column.
- Check whether your internet plan has a data allowance, and estimate whether the download fits inside it.
- Decide where you will get the installer, and confirm it is the publisher's own site or an established platform.
- If anything is below minimum, stop here and reconsider rather than installing and hoping.
Every checklist in the course is collected on the All checklists page, formatted to print on paper.