How To Check System Requirements For A Steam Game
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All games on Steam are not created equal. Some games are pretty old and have very basic system requirements. Other, newer titles require more RAM, more disc space, and a better GPU. If your system doesn’t meet the minimum system requirements for a game, your purchase could go to waste. If your system meets the minimum requirements for a game, you’ll be able to play with some compromise in game play. Fortunately, all Steam games explicitly mention the minimum system requirements for playing it. As long as you check the system requirements for a game, you won’t ever go wrong.
Visit the download page for the Steam game that you want to download. You can check system requirements for a Steam game on both the Steam website, and the Steam client. The Steam Client more or less just loads the website when it comes to showing you details of a game.
Visit the game page and scroll down past the description and the reviews. There’s a dedicated section called ‘System Requirements’. This section lists the minimum hardware requirements needed to play the game. It also has a ‘Recommended’ section which will tell you what hardware or software component will give you a better gaming experience.
Use the minimum system requirements for a Steam game as your base and compare them to the hardware configuration of your own system. If you have hardware components that match or that are better than those listed, you will be able to play the game.
If you’re looking to play the game at the highest settings, you’re going to have to do a little more research. Look up what hardware the developer or other players recommend for getting the best possible gaming experience.
You should also check out blogs and websites that cater specifically to news about games and gaming PCs. They too will be able to tell you what hardware you need to play a particular game at ‘high’ settings.
Games will run perfectly if you have good hardware. No game restricts you to a particular GPU make and model. It tells you what model or series at the minimum you should have and anything above that means a better gaming experience. If you’re looking to build a gaming PC, check out what games you want to play, and find hardware requirements that allow you to play your games at their best/highest settings. That will, in most cases, allow you to play most other games.
If you’re an avid gamer you’re likely going to want to go for the latest/newest hardware that’s available but for an average or hobbyist player, a system that meets the general requirements of popular games will last a few years.
How to Check if Your Mac Can Run a Game
While most people prefer to use consoles or Windows PCs for gaming, some of us do play games on our Macs.
And one of the reasons gamers avoid playing games on Macs is the limited library of games available on macOS. Another reason is that many Macs do not have enough specs to run some of the latest AAA games comfortably.
However, there are games your Mac can run. Here, we’ll show you how to streamline your search so you can easily discover them based on your Mac’s specs and operating system.
Check Your Mac’s Specs
The very first thing to do before you start gaming on your Mac is to learn its strengths and limits. And there’s no better way to do this than to look at its hardware specs yourself.
Hardware specifications (specs) summarize your computer’s internal components, like OS version, RAM, processor, total storage space, etc. You can now compare this information with the requirements for playing a game.
Here’s how to check your Mac’s specs:
- Move the cursor to the menu bar at the top of your screen.
- Click the Apple logo and select About This Mac.
- A small window with an image of your Mac will appear.
Here, you can see your computer’s chip, memory, serial number, and macOS version. You should also click More Info to see other important information like available storage space and display resolution in System Settings. Now, Google the requirements of the game you would like to run and compare them to see if you meet them.
Typically, a game’s requirements fall under two categories: minimum and recommended. If your Mac meets the minimum requirements, then you can run the game—but not in the most fluid way. It means you’ll have to compromise graphics or speed.
You should aim towards ensuring your Mac meets the recommended requirements, so you can play the game as designed. But we do have some tips to improve your Mac gaming experience.
Use a “Can I Run It?” Website
Some websites can save you the time it takes to check your specs and Google game requirements.
Instead, these websites scan your computer’s hardware and check them against a list of games, then tell you which ones your Mac can run.
One of the most popular tools for this is System Requirements Lab’s Can You RUN It. Here, they install a Detection program onto your computer, which will check to see what you can run. However, it doesn’t seem well-adjusted to Macs because it blacklists games that we know you can run on a Mac.
You can also use other websites like PC Game Benchmark, which allow you to choose your specs from a dropdown menu or a website that has compiled a list of game requirements (like Technical City).
Use the Filters on Your Game Download Platform
Game download platforms and launchers are important for buying, downloading, and managing games in this digital age. There are various digital distribution platforms and launchers, some of which can be downloaded on a Mac. If you have a dedicated gaming Windows PC and would like to see some of the finest of these apps, you should check out our list of the best game launchers for PC.
Using the filters on these launchers, you can narrow the library down to only games your Mac can run. We’ve arranged below a few of the popular ones on Mac, and we’ll show you how you can use the filters or simply identify which ones are compatible with your device.
Finding Compatible Games on the App Store
While it may not occur to you first, the App Store is a good place to look for games for your Mac. There are all sorts of games there with a wide range of genres. If you own an Apple silicon Mac, you can even download and play iPhone and iPad games.
Even though the App Store says your Mac can run an iPhone/iPad app, you might still experience crashing or freezing if it’s not yet optimized for Macs.
If you want to see if your Mac can run a game on the App Store, all you have to do is scroll to the information segment of the game. So, follow these steps:
- Open App Store by clicking the icon on the Dock.
- Search the game you want by using the search bar on the top left.
- Click the name of the game to open up its page.
- Scroll down past the game summary, screenshots, ratings, reviews, and achievements, but stop at Information.
- Here, you’ll find the game’s size, age rating, languages, and compatible hardware/software.
- Click the dropdown arrow on Compatibility and see what OS and hardware can run the game.
The App Store makes it easy for you to find what games your Mac can run by simply taking it off your Mac’s App Store gallery. However, you can still take a look to see if you have enough space to run whatever game you would like to download.
Finding Compatible Games On Steam
Steam is by far the most popular game download platform and manager for computers. If Steam is completely new to you, we have an article that explains more about what Steam is and how to install it.
A large chunk of the library on Steam can’t run on macOS, but a reasonable selection can.
You can filter this selection by following these steps:
- Open Steam and head to Store.
- Click on Categories at the top of the page.
- Click on macOS in the Special Selections column on the left.
From there, you can scroll lower to find the full list of macOS games. You can apply other filters to the list, such as genre, ratings, discounts, multiplayer, and so much more. If you search for a game on Steam, you should check to see if your Mac can run it by scrolling down to the System Requirements section.
Finding Compatible Games On Epic
Epic Games is a relatively new game launcher that is rising quickly in popularity. It’s the home of Fortnite and one of the only ways to play it on a Mac. Epic Games also has a macOS filter, and here’s how to use it:
- Open Epic Games Launcher and select Browse from the top menu near the search bar.
- Look right to find the Filters menu and scroll down till you see a dropdown section called Platform.
- Select Mac OS from the filter, and all the games on the page will be for Macs.
- Now, choose an individual game and scroll down to see its system requirements.
- Switch to the MAC OS tab and compare the requirement with your system’s.
Check Game Forums and Lists
Forums can be a great place to see what games your Mac can run. And the help of an entire community of fans can help you troubleshoot problems or maximize your gaming experience. Most major games have at least one Reddit page.
You can also use game lists like this one on Mac Gamer HQ, where they have compiled benchmarks based on what Mac you’re using. With this, you can select your Mac’s specs and see what games it can run.
You Might Be Better Off Gaming Elsewhere
While it is entirely possible to have a good gaming experience on a Mac, the software and hardware limitations don’t make it an ideal machine for gaming.
However, you can still make your Mac game-finding experience easy by using the tips we’ve suggested above.
Remember, if you run into any trouble or confusion, you can always consult other users on a forum to see what they think.
How can I check if a game is compatible with a computer?
Hello dear friends!
In today’s blog post, we’ll talk about how to check your game for PC compatibility. Many fans of computer games are interested in the question of how games are checked for compatibility with a computer. Experienced users and gamers, of course, will not find anything new for themselves in this article. They thoroughly know the characteristics of their computer and the requirements of the games they are going to run. nine0006
But for novice users, this article will be very useful, since these tips are designed just for beginners. As for the compatibility mode for older programs with Windows 10, I recommend reading article «Compatibility mode in Windows 10.
How to enable this mode?» .
The first way to check the game for compatibility
with a computer: compare system requirements.
Checking the compatibility of the game with the computer can be done by comparing the system requirements from the developers and the characteristics of your computer. nine0006
The minimum and recommended requirements for any game can be found online. The minimum system requirements refer to the PC configuration on which the game can run. High graphics settings and good performance are out of the question. Therefore, it is not worth focusing on these requirements.
Recommended system requirements is a list of «iron» on which you can already safely play this or that game. It is on these requirements that it is recommended to pay attention and compare them with your configuration. nine0006
If you don’t know the technical specifications of your computer, you can easily find them using standard operating system (Windows) tools.
To do this, go to the properties of the computer: on the desktop, right-click on the icon «This computer» ( «My computer» or «Computer» ) and select item «Properties» in the context menu. Window System or System Properties will open (see figure below). nine0006
Here you will find the description of the processor, the amount of RAM, the type of operating system and more. For more accurate data, you can go to «Device Manager» , which is located on the left side of the window «System» (see figure above). It contains detailed information about all the components of the computer, as well as installed drivers, which may cause problems with the launch of some games.
If checking games for compatibility with a computer using the above method does not suit you, then let’s move on to the second option. nine0006
The second way to check the game for compatibility
with a computer: a special site.
One resource will help you decide how to check the game for compatibility with your computer. There is one wonderful site on the network with which you can automatically check compatibility. The site lives at this address: systemrequirementslab.com .
The site has a search box where you need to enter the name of the computer game you are interested in. Nearby is a button labeled «Can You Run It» which translates to «Can You Run It» . We click on this button.
There are three ways to check games for computer compatibility on this site. The first option is to match the system requirements for the game manually with your computer configuration. The site page will display all the necessary information, with the help of which you must independently determine compatibility. This method is similar to the first.
The third way to check the game for compatibility
with PC: special software .
There is a program to check the compatibility of games with a computer. It must be downloaded to your computer, installed and run. The check is carried out directly from your hard drive.
The next way to check the game for compatibility with a computer is to check it with the Detection App (Desktop App). In order to download the program, you need to go to the site systemrequirementslab.com and select the menu item «My Computer Details» on the main page.
Then on the next page you must click on the button «View Computer Details» . Next, a window should open for downloading the installation program «Detection.exe» . Download it to your computer and install the program «Detection App» .
After installing the program, click on the line with the inscription Begin Detection . While games are being tested for compatibility with a computer, the device may freeze several times, so do not be alarmed.
At the end of the test, the result will be displayed on the screen with a comparative characteristic of system requirements and computer configuration.
Each component will be tested for compatibility and marked green or red. At the end of the analysis, you will see the recommended graphics and resolution settings for the selected game and the percentage. nine0006
As a result, you can find out the weaknesses of the computer and replace obsolete elements.
The fourth way to check the game for compatibility
with a computer: Nvidia service.
The manufacturer of the best video cards in the world has developed its own service for this procedure. Checking the compatibility of the game with the computer Nvidia is carried out on the official website of the company. To do this, go to section «Check my PC» . To work correctly, you need the Java package installed. nine0006
Now you know how to check the game for compatibility with your computer and you can check your computer for compatibility at any time if necessary.
If you’re interested in knowing how to enable Legacy Compatibility Mode in Windows 10, I recommend reading article «Compatibility Mode in Windows 10. How do I enable this mode?»
That’s all for now! I hope you found something useful and interesting for yourself in this note. If you have any thoughts or considerations about this, then please express them in your comments. See you in the next posts! Good luck!
Will the game run on the computer
You can buy a new game, download it for several hours, expecting that you will finally plunge into the gaming reality, but the game does not start.
We tell you how to avoid such a situation and not waste time and money. The first step is to check if your computer meets the system requirements of the game. How to do it?
Option 1: Compare game system requirements with computer specifications
For each game on the official sites, the system requirements for the computer are indicated:
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minimum, at which the game will start with low graphics settings and without additional effects such as realistic lighting or imitation of particles flying in the air;
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recommended when the graphics will be displayed in full resolution.
Using the example of Far Cry 5 and a computer built in 2018 with Windows 7 installed, we will analyze compatibility. This method will work for other versions of Windows as well.
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How to find computer specifications:
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Press the key combination Win + R on the keyboard. A menu for launching programs will open on the screen — enter dxdiag in it and click OK.
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The «DirectX Diagnostic Tool» window will appear, in which you can view the main characteristics of the computer. In the «System» tab, find the lines «Operating system», «Processor», «Memory» and «DirectX Version».
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Computer running Windows 7 64-bit, Intel Pentium G3260 processor, 4 GB RAM and DirectX 11
3. To view your graphics card model, in the DirectX Diagnostic Tool window, click the Display tab. In the «Device» section in the «Name» line, look at the model of your video card.
The computer has an NVIDIA GeForce GT 730 graphics card
You can also use third-party programs for verification, for example, the AIDA64 application.
On the main screen in the left menu in the «Computer» section there is a sub-item «Summary information». Characteristics and information about the operating system of the computer will appear in the program window. Find the lines: “Computer type”, “Operating system”, DirectX, “CPU type”, DIMM and “Video adapter”. If your computer has two or more sticks of RAM, there will be several items with the name DIMM.
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Comparing the characteristics of the computer with the system requirements of the game
Now let’s compare the characteristics of our PC with the minimum requirements of the game Far Cry 5.
The computer fits exactly in terms of «Operating system» and DirectX, but it lacks RAM: Far Cry 5 needs at least twice as much. Next, we compare the performance of the processor and video card. There are sites where you can compare all the characteristics with each other. The Intel Core i5-2400 is 33% more powerful than the Pentium G3260.
Video card R9270 from the list with minimum requirements turned out to be 403% more powerful than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 730. It remains to see if there is enough free memory on the computer to install the game. On the keyboard, press Win + E, «Explorer» will open. In the right menu, find the partition with disks — it can be called «My Computer», «This Computer» or simply «Computer» depending on the version of Windows. You will need to install the game on the disk that has enough memory, in our case you need 40 GB.
Bottom line: in order for the game to start and work without crashes, the computer must meet all five points of the minimum system requirements for the game. On the computer from the example, Far Cry 5 will not start: it does not have enough RAM, processor power, and video card.
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Option 2: Online Services
There are a number of sites that offer to check the compatibility of the desired game with your computer data. To do this, just select the game from the drop-down menu, enter the technical characteristics of the computer and run the test.