Step 2 of 5

Step 2 — Working out whether your computer can run one

This step teaches you to read a published system requirements list, find the matching facts about your own machine using tools that are already installed, and judge honestly what will happen when the two are close. Nothing in it requires you to download a diagnostic program, and this course never asks you to.

Why this comes before everything else

Almost every unhappy first week with an online game traces back to hardware that was never going to be comfortable. The download finishes, the game starts, and the picture stutters badly enough that the player blames themselves or the game. Ten minutes of checking beforehand prevents it.

The anatomy of a requirements list

Every publisher states system requirements in roughly the same shape, usually in two columns headed minimum and recommended. Six lines do nearly all the work.

Operating system. The version of Windows, macOS or Linux the client supports. This is the one line that is genuinely pass or fail: if your version is older than the one listed, the client may refuse to start at all.

Processor. The central chip, usually given as a model name from one of two manufacturers, with wording like "or better". Processors are hard to compare across generations, so treat the named model as a rough era marker rather than an exact threshold.

Memory. The amount of RAM, in gigabytes. Falling short here causes the game to stall while the system shuffles data to disk. It is also the easiest and cheapest part of a desktop computer to add to, though many laptops cannot be upgraded at all.

Graphics. The chip that draws the picture, and the most important line for whether a game feels smooth. It is covered in its own section below.

Storage. The disk space the installation needs. Published figures are a starting size; patches add to it over time.

Network. Usually just a note that a broadband connection is required. Some titles state a minimum speed. What matters more for online play is steadiness, which is discussed further down.

Minimum and recommended are not grades

Readers often treat the two columns as a pass mark and a merit. They are better understood as two different promises. The minimum column describes the configuration on which the publisher believes the game will start and remain playable with the picture quality turned down. The recommended column describes what the publisher considers a comfortable experience at ordinary settings.

The practical rule is simple. If your computer clearly exceeds the recommended column, proceed. If it sits between the two, proceed with your expectations adjusted and your picture settings low. If it falls below the minimum column on the operating system or memory lines, do not proceed on that machine. Those two lines are the ones that cause outright failure rather than disappointment.

Finding your own specifications

Every operating system can tell you what it is running on, using a panel that is already installed. The exact wording differs between versions, so the procedure below is written in general terms and will survive the next update to your system.

1. Identify the operating system. On Windows, open Settings and look for the About page under System. On macOS, choose About This Mac from the Apple menu. On Linux, open your desktop environment's Settings and find the About or Details page. Write down the name and the version number.
2. Write down the processor. The same panel shows a processor line. Copy it exactly, including the model number and any letters after it. Those letters often distinguish a laptop chip from a desktop one.
3. Write down the installed memory. The same panel shows installed RAM in gigabytes. Record the whole figure, not the amount currently free.
4. Identify the graphics hardware. On Windows, open Settings, then System, then Display, then Advanced display. On macOS the About This Mac panel lists it directly. On Linux, the About page usually names it. Record the name, and note whether it is built into the processor or a separate card.
5. Measure free disk space. Open your file manager, find the drive the game would install to, and read the free space. Record it in gigabytes and leave a generous margin, because a patch needs room to unpack as well as to land.
6. Note the connection. Write down whether the computer connects by cable or wi-fi, and whether your internet plan has a monthly data allowance. You wrote the allowance down on the homepage checklist; copy it here so both facts sit together.

That is the whole description. Six lines, written once, usable for every title you ever consider. Keep it where you will find it again.

The graphics question, explained once

Graphics hardware comes in two broad forms, and knowing which you have explains most of what you will see.

Integrated graphics are built into the same chip as the processor and share the computer's memory. They are common in thin laptops, office desktops and many machines bought for study or work. They handle video, browsing and older or simpler games well.

A separate graphics card is its own component with its own memory. It is usual in desktop computers assembled for gaming and in larger laptops sold for the same purpose. It is the difference between a modern three-dimensional game being comfortable and being a slideshow.

A game that lists a separate card in its minimum requirements will usually run badly or not at all on integrated graphics, whatever else the machine has. This is the single most common reason a computer that feels fast for everything else is not suitable for a large game.

Disk space and data allowance

Two numbers are easy to confuse. Disk space is the room the game occupies on your computer. Data allowance is how much your internet plan lets you download in a month. A large game consumes both, and running out of either stops you.

For disk space, take the vendor's stated install size and plan for noticeably more. Patches accumulate, and the update process itself needs working room. If the drive you intend to use is more than about four-fifths full before you begin, clear space first or choose a different drive.

For data, the first installation is the expensive event, and every major patch is a smaller repeat of it. If you are on a plan with a monthly limit, schedule the first download for the start of a billing period and check whether your provider offers an off-peak period that is counted differently. If several people share the connection, tell them before you start.

Connection quality and distance

For online play, steadiness matters more than raw speed. A connection that delivers a modest speed consistently produces a better match than a fast one that pauses. The measure people use is latency: the time a message takes to reach the server and come back, written in milliseconds.

Two things you control affect it. A cable between the computer and the router is steadier than wi-fi, particularly in a house with thick walls or many devices. And a computer that is downloading something large in the background will play worse, because the connection is busy.

One thing you do not control also affects it: where the servers are. Australia is a long way from most of the world, and a server hosted in Europe or North America will feel slower than one hosted in or near Australia no matter what you pay your internet provider. Many publishers run servers in several regions and let you choose; whether a specific title does is a question for its own support pages.

If you want a general grounding in keeping a home connection and the devices on it in good order, the Australian Cyber Security Centre publishes plain-language guidance for individuals and families at cyber.gov.au. It is a government body, and its advice is general rather than specific to any game.

What to do when it is a close call

Suppose your machine sits between the two columns. You have four honest options, and none of them is wrong.

Proceed with low settings. Nearly every modern game lets you reduce resolution, detail and effects. Starting at the lowest settings and raising them one at a time is the fastest way to find your machine's comfortable level.

Use a different computer in the house. The desktop in the study may be better suited than the laptop on the kitchen table, even if it is older.

Upgrade one part. On a desktop computer, adding memory or replacing a graphics card is usually possible. On most laptops it is not. Price the part in Australian dollars from a local retailer before deciding, and weigh it against your monthly figure from the homepage checklist.

Decide not to. This is a legitimate outcome of Step 2, and the course is written so that stopping here costs you nothing.

The example household at Step 2

Before you move on

Step 3 leaves the hardware behind and looks at the two questions a household usually asks next: is this title suitable for the person who will play it, and how does money get spent inside it after installation?

Checklist for Step 2