15 Best Games To Play On A Laptop
By Shailyn Cotten
Updated
If you have access to a laptop, you have access to so many fantastic games. Even if it’s not top-of-the-range, here are some great titles to play.
Not all of us can shell out for the newest consoles, or save up for the colossal expense of a gaming PC. But chances are you probably have a laptop, whether it’s for work, school, or to binge Netflix on at the end of a long day. The real question is, can you game on your laptop?
The good news is that in a world of next-gen graphics and ray-tracing, there are still publishers producing games that can run on a laptop without a good graphics card. Here is a nice variety of games you can play on old hardware, without feeling like you’re gaming in 2001.
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Updated January 15, 2022: If your laptop doesn’t have a great graphics card, chances are you don’t have a lot of memory to work with either. Not to worry! With a decent Wi-Fi connection, a whole world of games opens up to you. We have expanded this list to include a few games that can be played on your browser as well.
15/15 Townscaper
Sometimes, you just want to build a cute little town atop the sea, no strings attached. Townscaper is a quaint city builder game minus the typical labor of city management. You just click and up pops a house. Click again, and now you’ve got a two-story brownstone.
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There is no «end goal» in Townscaper, only a desire to build something beautiful for the sake of building it, and there is something special about that. Townscaper is available on Steam, and only requires 1 GB of disk space and 4GB of RAM. Alternatively, the incredibly generous demo of Townscaper can still be played in your browser of choice.
14/15 Isleward
Isleward prides itself on being the world’s only «open-source, moddable, roguelike MMO», but most importantly, it is completely free and played entirely in your browser.
Originally launching on itch.io, and still technically in beta, this game blends old-school graphics and the nostalgia of text-based adventures with strategic turn-based battles against enemies. With options for PVP and even permadeath modes, Isleward is a surprisingly uncommon take on the MMORPG genre.
13/15 Celeste Classic
Maybe you have been dying to get your hands on Celeste or have already beaten the game, but what you might not know is that before Celeste as we know it ever existed, there was Celeste Classic. Or, as it was known when developer Maddy Thorson first released the game in 2016 for the Pico-8 virtual console… just «Celeste».
Yes, you can still play the original «mini» version of Celeste for free on itch.io in your browser, jam-packed with addictive yet groan-inducing platforming action. There is also a Celeste 2 released by the original dev team in celebration of Celeste’s third anniversary.
12/15 Catan Universe
Now you can destroy your friendships over a game of Catan without ever leaving the comfort of your home. If organizing game nights tends to be a hassle, or you have been dying to play some board games with your online pals, Catan Universe offers an online version of the classic settlers board game.
Trade, build, and rob your way to victory while playing in your browser. Catan Universe can also be downloaded from Steam, and it only requires 1 GB of disk space and 2 GB of RAM to start developing a grudge over that friend who blocked you from getting any sheep.
11/15 Sort The Court
Yes or no. The fate of an entire kingdom rests upon these two words in this goofy kingdom management RPG. As the newly appointed king or queen, your job is simple and tedious, but dire. Every day, subjects will filter through your audience room with new requests. The consequences of approving or shutting down these demands can vary widely, and the effects are not always readily apparent.
Hem and haw over tough choices to build your kingdom and hoard more gold, all while meeting a charming cast of characters including Yettu, Chester, and Pancake. How many days can you make it without bringing your kingdom to ruin? You can play Sort the Court for free on itch.io in your browser!
10/15 Among Us
If you’re worried about overburdening your teeny little laptop with oodles worth of application memory, any game that can alternatively be played on mobile is always a safe bet. Among Us has won itself a spot as king among fun multiplayer games. It can even be played cross-platform, so your friends can plot your demise from behind their iPhone screens.
A clever take on old favorites like Wolf or Town of Salem, you and up to 15 friends are crewing a spaceship. The catch? One of you is «The Imposter», possessed by an alien entity with a thirst for murder. Crew can save the day by completing all their ship tasks or catching the killer in the act.
The result is cartoonish finger-pointing madness with friends, making Among Us a great pick for laptop users.
9/15 Fortnite
Just because you are playing on a laptop doesn’t mean you are stuck playing Solitaire or Minesweeper. For those searching for a massively online game with a taste for high stakes and adventure, Fortnite is a great pick. Its unique, slightly cartoonish style makes it more compatible with PCs with lower graphic capabilities.
Anyone who plays the game more competitively would argue that playing on the lowest graphic settings is less than ideal, but for the casual gamer, it neither makes nor breaks the experience. Fortnite Battle Royale is free-to-play and cross-platform, perfect for the occasional late-night gaming session with your pals.
You might be thinking to yourself, why would anyone want to play a game published in 2011? Few games have aged as well as The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, in all of its often-times glitched and ragdoll glory.
It might seem counterintuitive, but despite the limits of its original time, Skyrim is still a very well-rounded open-world adventure.
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If your aim is to disappear inside a vast and boundless fantasy world, with a deeply customizable personal experience, then there is no reason not to love Skyrim. Slay dragons, pick fights with NPCs, or become an infamous chicken murderer. The world is quite literally yours to do what you will. Some Skyrim community members even claim your laptop can run many of the numerous mods available to spice things up a bit.
7/15 Portal 2
Portal 2 is ageless, co-op puzzle fun, and what’s better is that it will not break your laptop. As long as you have 4GB of RAM, you and a friend can outsmart GLaDOS by placing mind-bending portals to traverse the dangerous testing chambers.
Or perhaps play on your own through the story mode, guiding the silent Chell on her escape from Aperature Science Facility.
Good for hours of fun with a friend or outfoxing GLaDOS one-on-one, Portal 2 is a classic title that never gets old, ideal for laptop gamers looking to play some «oldies» but goodies.
6/15 Cuphead
What you want is a hellish challenge, and while it might not be Dark Souls, Cuphead will not disappoint. This run-and-gun bullet-hell adventure stole many gamer’s hearts (and many awards) with its classic 1930s cartoon style and old-school jazz game score.
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Chockfull with adorable and sometimes off-putting humanoid characters Cuphead is a wonderful addition to any laptop gamer’s arsenal. Play as Cuphead on a solo adventure, or with Mugman in a local co-op with a friend, as you battle through tough bosses to collect their souls to pay back your debt to the Devil himself. Great news for the hardcore gamer lamenting their lowly laptop status, as Cuphead only requires 3 GB of RAM to play.
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5/15 Runescape
So it might not be the early 2000s, but that does not mean RuneScape has lost any of its vigor. Whether you choose to take a trek down memory lane with Old School RuneScape or begin your adventure in the shinier updated version, this laptop-compatible game is an MMORPG adventure you will not want to miss.
Still free-to-play and enjoyed by millions of gamers, RuneScape offers a quintessential fantasy MMORPG experience for those eager to lose themselves in the fictional world of Gielinor.
4/15 Stardew Valley
Whether you are looking for a low-budget casual gaming option or some farming on the go, Stardew Valley is a great title for laptop gaming. This insanely popular pixel-style farming simulator is perfect for fans of the genre or anyone keen for a little slice of quiet escapism.
RELATED: Stardew Valley: Complete Guide And Walkthrough
With hundreds of playable hours of farming, fishing, cave exploration, and romance, Stardew Valley is a bang for your buck that will not break your brick.
Escape to your grandpa’s farm and learn the peace of small-town life from behind your laptop screen. You can even share a farm with your friends in Online Play and while away the days farming together.
3/15 Civilization 5
For fans of the board game Settlers of Catan looking for a more solo, strategizing experience, Civilization 5 rolls around to ensnare laptop users for hours of play. The epitome of «just one more turn» gameplay, this turn-based strategy game lets you create your own empire, starting from the prehistoric era all the way up to modern times.
The map is procedurally generated, which means every player has a uniquely original experience that never gets old. Conquer this digital world one tile at a time without worrying that your laptop will melt processing the weight of whole civilizations… literally.
2/15 Undertale
Every gamer should experience Undertale with unspoiled eyes at least once in their lives, and because this 16-bit pixel RPG is available even on mobile, everyone can.
You might have heard the Undertale hype and wondered if it is deserved. It is more than just Undertale’s one-of-a-kind spin on the classic RPG combat experience which sets it apart.
With charming characters, disarming humor, and challenging bullet-hell turn-based battles, Undertale will warm the heart of even the most skeptic gamer. Help the fallen Child through a monster-filled Underground, and make a few friends along the way. Or discover a few sinister secrets. The beauty of Undertale is that it is all up to you.
1/15 Minecraft
No matter your RAM or available memory, you can run Minecraft on your PC. It can even be run on a basic Raspberry Pi, albeit on a much smaller scale. This is a laptop-friendly sandbox game with endless procedurally generated adventures to be had.
There’s something for every kind of gamer in Minecraft. Do you enjoy building and customizing cool houses and buildings? Or maybe managing resources procured through dangerous mining expeditions? The beauty of sandbox games is unlimited options and variety, and no sandbox game is quite as accessible as Minecraft.
NEXT: Mobile Games That Are Worth Playing
The best laptop games | PCGamesN
What are the best laptop games? PC gaming isn’t always done at a desk, reclining languorously on an ergonomic leather throne, gazing upon a gaming monitor the size of your front window as hundreds of snazzy LEDs light up your peripheral vision. As anyone who has attended a LAN can attest, hauling your heavy box of tricks around is not for the faint of heart (or arm, or back) and so you might be feeling resigned to taking a break from gaming in the event life takes you on a trip away from home.
Don’t do that. Never stop gaming. Take your laptop with you and play games on the train. Play games on the beach. Play games in the laundry cupboard as you hide from your relatives. We’ll guide you through which games for laptops you will be able to run, and that won’t cause you endless frustration trying to control them with a trackpad.
You don’t necessarily need the best gaming laptop to play our selection, but some of these games do require an internet connection.
This is fine if you’re gaming at your relatives’ house, sitting in your childhood bedroom under your Maths Challenge certificates, but if you’re stuck in a hotel room and can’t understand the wifi instructions because they’re in Portuguese, many of these games are also playable offline.
Here’s our selection of the best laptop games:
- Magic the Gathering: Arena
- Albion Online
- Untitled Goose Game
- Stardew Valley
- Runescape
- Hearthstone
- Dota Underlords
- Minecraft
- Disco Elysium
- Rogue Legacy
- Papers, Please
- Into the Beatch
- The Walking Dead
- The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
Magic the Gathering: Arena
Magic the Gathering: Arena is one of the best card games for PC. Although it can take a while to get the jist of the rules, it’s rich lore and beautiful artwork are just some of the reasons to learn how to play Magic the Gathering: Arena.
And best of all, MTG: Arena doesn’t demand a high-end PC to play, you can still enjoy the same tantalising animations and pristine art from the comfort of your couch.
MTG: Arena receives many updates and expansions, with a range of different modes from draft games to brawl. You can play against the computer until you get the hang of things, but if you ever need a helping hand learning what each card does, check out the guides to MTG: Arena keyword abilities and keyword actions.
Play Magic: The Gathering Arena for free.
Albion Online
Albion Online is not your average laid back laptop-couch experience. This sandbox MMO places an unrivalled emphasis on combat, whether that’s against monsters in PvE, in massive guild vs. guild brawls, or just two players duking it out for bragging rights.
Albion Online is one of the best MMOs on PC, although you should expect a hefty loot grind to keep pace with the game’s dedicated community. With no traditional class system you are the gear that you wear, which becomes especially important when venturing into the game’s PvP zones where you drop everything on death.
Be prepared to lose hundreds of hours in Albion’s massive map, building up resilience to Albion’s unforgiving loot-drop system, where one minute you could be strolling around in an immaculate suit of armour, and the next you’re scrabbling together rusty weapons and ragged tunics.
Untitled Goose Game
One of the best indie games to emerge from 2019, Untitled Goose Game is something incredibly special. You play as a disgruntled goose. Your job? Wreak havoc on a community of unsuspecting, innocent villagers, by sneaking around pubs, gardens, and market stools, stealing prized objects and honking incessantly.
Set in a quaint English village, the low-poly, simplistic, yet highly effective artstyle means it’s the ideal laptop game to spend the afternoon bothering the locals – it’s pretty good for relieving stress, too.
Stardew Valley
Created by solo developer ConcernedApe, Stardew Valley is a love letter to farming games like Harvest Moon. You escape the grey drudgery of life as a faceless corporation grunt and head for the countryside to transform your grandfather’s farm, and the nearby town, into a bountiful haven, with the help of fantastical forest sprites called Junimos.
Thanks to its charming, homemade pixel art, the tranquil pace, and the fact you only really need directional keys and a right and left click, Stardew Valley is the perfect laptop game.
Even better, Stardew Valley is a great co-op game – team up with up to three friends and build a farm together in multiplayer mode. As of the Stardew Valley 1.4 update, you can even play on a Four Corners map with your friends, which splits the farm into distinct regions, each with their own advantages. The update adds a cornucopia of new features and cosmetic items, but if you’re looking to add Japanese buildings or Pokemon reskins to your game to recreate a Pokemon game on PC, you’ll need our guide to the best Stardew Valley mods.
Runescape
Runescape is an MMORPG that’s been improving and expanding for 18 years. By gaming standards that should mean it’s weary and decrepit, but even now it’s brimming with personality, fresh ideas and, astonishingly, players. For the most part it’s standard MMORPG fare: start with nothing and grind away for the best and most colourful gear in the game.
As it’s been going for so long however, it also has hundreds of quests and content waiting for new players to dive into. And if you need any help getting to grips with things then just ask – Runescape boasts an exceptionally helpful and positive community.
Read more: The best MMOs and MMORPGs on PC
The veteran age of the game means it still runs perfectly on any just about any rig imaginable, the only caveat being that you’ll need a reasonable internet connection to play it. It’s also very easy-going with regards to its control scheme – so long as you can click and use your number keys you’ll be on a level playing field with everyone else.
Hearthstone
A collectable card game (or CCG for all you youngsters out there) set in Blizzard’s enormous Warcraft universe. You fight against other players using decks of cards made up of magic spells, weapons, and minions that will fight for you. Using these and your chosen character’s special abilities, you must hammer away at your opponent’s 30 health points until they’re defeated.
It’s got a huge player base and an ever-evolving metagame, not to mention plenty of inventive expansions to keep it feeling fresh and interesting.
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It’s a magnificently simple game, mostly static thanks to the fact that it’s a card game, and even when the magical effects fly it still won’t so much as threaten to bog down your laptop. The drag-and-drop card gameplay makes it absolutely perfect if you’re playing on a touchscreen laptop or a tablet, but it also works flawlessly with a trackpad. This recommendation does come with one proviso though: you’ll need an internet connection to play, even against the AI characters.
Dota Underlords
The Dota 2 custom game, Dota Auto Chess, skyrocketed in popularity as fans discovered the joys of autobattler games – you choose from a small random selection of heroes each round, and arrange them on your board to do battle with one of your opponents, gaining gold each turn and competing for the best team composition in a contest to be the last one standing.
Underlords is Valve’s own take on the genre, introducing innovations like the presence of a powerful Underlord on each team which you’ll need to optimise carefully to best suit your squad.
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Thanks to its easy-to-use interface and streamlined graphics, Dota Underlords will run easily on any laptop, and while rounds do have a time limit, even using a trackpad to drag and drop your units shouldn’t slow you down too much.
Minecraft
Minecraft is one of the most popular games in the world, and it’s easy to see why – its simplicity leaves room for you to embark upon any kind of adventure you choose, whether you’re exploring, building, farming, fighting, or delving deep into one of the many Minecraft mods available. Its simplicity also means it runs flawlessly on most machines, making it one of the best laptop games without a doubt. Even if you’re on the road without an internet connection, the joys of starting fresh in new Minecraft seeds will keep you occupied for hours as you traverse the endless blocky landscape, dodging dangerous Minecraft mobs, discovering Minecraft villages and taming Minecraft foxes.
Disco Elysium
Disco Elysium is a role-playing game written by a novelist, where you take the reins and guide its red-eyed, beleaguered enigma of a protagonist through the investigation of a murder case in the tattered city of Revachol. From the off, the narrative grips you with both hands and shakes you until you laugh. You won’t be punching and kicking your way through the streets, however, unless you imagine your detective as some kind of flamboyant martial artist, fighting the air as a form of locomotion, which would probably suit him.
Instead, your battles are fought in conversation – by putting points into attributes and skills such as Empathy, Suggestion and Rhetoric, you’ll be able to roll to see whether you’ll successfully use these characteristics to reach deeper and uncover the truth. A dream come true for those of us who love to see our specific skill balance unlock unique interactions in a dialogue tree – and for those of us without a powerful gaming PC, as Disco Elysium’s contemplative pace and the isometric, painterly graphics make it a perfect laptop game.
Rogue Legacy
A platformer with roguelike elements, Rogue Legacy sees you march a little knight into the bowels of a randomly generated dungeon on a mission to defeat five bosses. Run, jump, hit things: it’s largely what you’d expect from a 2D side-scroller. Get killed and your character is gone for good. Of course there’s a twist. Your hero is replaced not by a bog-standard clone, but by their heir: a new character who retains some genetic traits from their parent. Traits include dwarfism, ADHD, and I.B.S. Some traits make your next playthrough agonisingly difficult, like nearsightedness making anything in the distance blurry, others are there for laughs, like I.B.S. making your character fart with every jump.
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The 2D pixel art ensures that Rogue Legacy runs smoothly on even the weakest, tiniest netbook. Rogue Legacy can also be played entirely with the keyboard, meaning no smashing the trackpad into oblivion because it’s nowhere near as effective as a mouse.
Papers, Please
A game about playing a border control officer in a corrupt communist country. Check passports and visa papers of immigrants to make sure they meet the requirements for entry. Make mistakes and your pay will be docked. Fail to pay rent, bills, and medical expenses and your family will get ill and die. Sounds simple, but some immigrants may be worth making mistakes for…
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At barely 50mb in size Papers, Please is tiny. Its pixel-art visuals are simple enough for any processor to fathom. A trackpad will do the trick to start with, but in later levels where time is pressing and there’s lots of paperwork you might want to make the leap to a proper mouse.
Into the Breach
One of the best turn-based strategy games, Into The Breach puts you in control of a team of mechs, attempting to defend civilians and buildings from giant insectoid monsters called the Vek. The enemy’s movements are telegraphed the turn before, and each level is relatively short, but the stakes are high – you’re the hero trying to protect civilians who are cheering you on, and if you lose a building to the Vek, you lose one of the nodes that power your squad – lose too many, and it’s game over.
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You’ll need to take time to puzzle out how to push back the oncoming threat optimally to avoid casualties – you don’t have to kill all the enemies, just delay them. The pace, pixel art, and easy combat controls make this a game perfect to hop into on your laptop.
The Walking Dead
A beautifully harrowing tale everyone should experience, The Walking Dead is an adventure game that plays out like an interactive TV show. You play Lee, a convicted criminal who’s about to go through the toughest period of his life as he’s thrown into a zombie apocalypse rather than a prison cell. It’s violent, shocking, and touching on a moment-to-moment basis.
Don’t decay: Check out our guide to the best zombie games
Thanks to its emphasis on story, a lot of The Walking Dead is watching and listening to characters talk and reason with each other. The more action-orientated sections only require a few stabs at the Q or E key to complete, making controlling Lee on a laptop surprisingly easy.
Its comic-book visuals also keep hardware requirements very low, so most modern laptops should be up to the job of running it without issue.
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
If you’re looking for a game to occupy your time while you’re travelling, The Binding of Isaac will keep you busy for hundreds of hours completing runs that are different every time. You play as Isaac, escaping from a biblical sacrifice through the basement of his home, traversing randomly generated dungeons and picking up items and power-ups along the way. The pixel art isn’t demanding on your machine, but might be a little hard on your stomach if you’re squeamish – The Binding of Isaac doesn’t shy away from the gory and macabre. Good news for laptop gamers, though – you don’t even need a mouse to play. Movement and combat is controlled solely by the keyboard, making it an ideal game to play on your laptop.
These are some of the very best games for laptops, but if you want to push the limits of your portable pal have a look through the best free PC games – if they make your laptop overheat and burn your legs at least you won’t have paid for the privilege.
Alternatively, if you’ve got a high end machine, have a look at the best management games for more entertainment you can spend hours with on the road.
Great games for your non-gaming laptop
No graphics card, no problem. These games work great on a typical middle-of-the-road laptop.
Dan Ackerman
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1 of 25 Sarah Tew/CNET
There’s never been a better time to be a PC gamer. Tons of great games. Amazing graphics hardware. Virtual reality. Thinner and fancier gaming laptop designs. But if you’re stuck using a standard laptop (or desktop) with only Intel’s built-in integrated graphics instead of a dedicated GPU from Nvidia or AMD, finding games that will work well is a little tougher.
We tested a wide range of PC games for this updated list, using a few different laptops with seventh- and eighth-gen Intel Core i5 CPUs and Intel HD 620 graphics.
These weren’t especially high-end configurations, but they weren’t bottom-of-the-barrel either. Your mileage will vary depending on your PC setup, so use this list as a general guide.
The standard here is that the game installs without errors, and runs smoothly enough for a satisfactory casual gaming experience. My strong preference is for that to happen at full 1080p resolution, but in a couple of cases, I dropped the resolution for better performance. Either low, medium or high in-game graphics settings are acceptable.
For our latest suggestions, see our new top five game picks for for nongaming laptops list.
Disclaimer: CNET may get a share of revenue from the games featured in this guide.
2 of 25 Giant Bomb
A remade version of the near-forgotten 1999 cult classic that was one of the very first «open world» games. It still has a pretty retro, low-res look, so it worked fairly well on our Core i5 laptop when set to «normal» graphics options and knocking the resolution down one step from full HD, with frame rates in the low 20s most of the time.
Get it on Amazon.
3 of 25 LucasArts
Have these Star Wars classics from 1993 and 1995 aged gracefully? No, not really. But thanks to a recent rerelease, you can now play them on modern PCs. It’ll be a real nostalgia shot for gamers of a certain age, and the digitized live-action footage is a blast. The best thing about playing 25-year-old games is that they run great on even modest hardware.
Get it on Steam.
4 of 25 Epic Games
The Unreal Engine from Epic powers many of the games made today, but the original game from 1998 still has its charms as a more sophisticated brother to the better-known Doom. The Gold edition, usually available for somewhere between free and $10, works great. But depending on your PC, it might need an Epic-approved patch found at oldunreal.com.
Get it on GOG.
5 of 25 GameSpot
A cool little survival strategy game that looks and feels a lot like the isolated arctic horror of The Thing. This time it’s more glowy alien things than shape-changing monsters, but there’s still a lot of crafting, surviving and sneaking for your small band of survivors.
It ran great at medium detail settings.
Get it on Steam.
6 of 25 TinyBuild
This deliberately lo-fi game takes place in an open-world-style spaceport, with shades of Blade Runner and Luc Besson. Yes, much of the game is literally picking up trash (you are a janitor, after all), but there are countless people to talk to and mysteries to explore. There’s also an existential feeling that you’re at the mercy of an essentially random universe.
Get it on Steam.
7 of 25 Epic Games
Part of the reason this 100-person online shooter has become so popular is that you can play it on almost any device, including the iPhone and iPad, and lower-power, nongaming laptops.
Get it for free from Epic.
8 of 25 GameSpot
This creepy 2010 game still holds up in the scare department and is more about walking slowly through a spooky castle than fast-paced action. As this is one of the older games on our list, it ran great, even with all the graphics options set to high.
Fortunately, it’s been updated many times over the years to include features such as Xbox controller support.
Get it on Steam.
9 of 25 2K
A true modern classic, and still one of our favorite games. The PC version is just old enough to run, and look really good on basic hardware like this, as long as you turn the detail settings down to low (medium still felt a bit choppy).
Get it on Steam.
10 of 25 Double Fine
A 2014 adventure game that takes its cues from the classic adventures of earlier decades. That makes sense since this Kickstarter sensation comes from the mind of designer Tim Schafer (Psychonauts, Grim Fandango). Aside from the screen resolution, there are no graphics settings to mess with, and no problems running the game.
Get it on Steam.
11 of 25 Bethesda
It’s hard to believe this open-world RPG was released in 2011. It still feels fresh and exciting, and fans are still building new add-on levels and mods for it. It also runs great at medium settings and 1080p resolution on our test laptop.
Get it on Amazon.
12 of 25 Bethesda
This post-apocalyptic adventure works on a wide range of PCs and also has a near-endless supply of fan-made mods you can download. At 1080p and «low» graphics settings, it’s a little choppier than Skyrim, but the slowed-down combat system means you should be able to get away with it. I’d say this one is on the borderline, but playable. Trade up to a gaming PC and VR headset for the cool (and sold-separately) VR version.
Get it on Steam.
13 of 25 Campo Santo
A moody mystery-adventure-exploration game that takes place in the Wyoming wilderness. To say more would be too spoiler-ish, but I get a bit of a Twin Peaks vibe from it. For such a simple-looking indie game, it’s not especially well optimized for low-end PCs, and I found it choppy but playable with graphics options set to low. Dropping the resolution to 1,600×900 helped a lot.
Get it on Steam.
14 of 25 Devolver Digital
Gods Will Be Watching is a retro-style point-and-click adventure-puzzle game with a sci-fi setting.
It tackles big philosophical topics and ethical quandaries. It’s also pretty funny.
Get it on Steam.
15 of 25 Double Fine
It took 17 years for this 1998 LucasArts classic to get a (slightly) modernized rerelease in a special remastered version. It recounts a film-noir-style mystery involving a skeletal detective solving a case in an underworld universe inspired by the Dia de Muertos.
Get it on Steam.
16 of 25 Valve
The go-to game when you’ve got a bunch of PC gamers looking for some co-op action, this zombie classic is still a fast-paced fun time. It’s often on sale, so pick up four copies and share with your friends. L4D2 (as it’s sometimes called) runs great at full resolution and high settings.
Get it on Steam.
17 of 25 Square Enix
An inventive episodic adventure game telling a high-school-set story that incorporates influences from superhero movies. Great voice acting and writing, and it plays well at low or medium settings and full HD resolution.
Try the first episode for free on Steam.
18 of 25 Bandai Namco
A creepy side-scrolling walk through a small child’s nightmares, with a lot of the same spooky feeling as the acclaimed Limbo. Runs decently at 1080p and medium detail settings.
Get it on Steam.
19 of 25 Shiver Games
A quirky, love-it-or-hate-it puzzle game in which a demonic child causes the death of several snooping adults. It’s a low-budget game, and not terribly well optimized, so I had to drop it to medium settings at full HD to run smoothly.
Get it on Steam.
20 of 25 Bloober Team SA
This indie sci-fi game gets its Blade Runner feel not only from its dystopian urban futurism, but also from lead voice actor Rutger Hauer. Its performance on our casual laptop is just on the borderline of acceptable, but it ran mostly fine at low detail settings and FHD resolution. Fortunately, it’s a slow-paced exploration game, so a little lag creeping in isn’t a big deal.
Get it on Steam.
21 of 25 Night School Studio
One of my favorite game experiences from the past several years, this talky 2D adventure takes a boatload of teens to a deserted island. Think less horror film, more David Lynch. With almost no visual settings to mess with, just run the game at full HD resolution and you’ll be fine.
Get it on Steam.
22 of 25 Starbreeze
This co-op crime caper is essentially the same as Left 4 Dead, with bank robbers and cops replacing zombies and survivors. Even though it’s a few years old, there’s a nearly nonstop flood of content updates and the game plays great on medium-to-high settings.
Get it on Steam.
23 of 25 Valve
Even though this mind-bending puzzle game has been out since 2012, it still feels fresh and inventive. Fans keep making amazing new levels and posting them online, so the game literally never ends. Runs like a dream, even at high detail settings.
Get it on Steam.
24 of 25 Steam
This game’s highly unusual presentation is both deeply weird and refreshing.
Using only a sonar gun, paint the walls of a deep, dark cave with tiny points of light, while exploring ancient mysteries. Because the visuals are so limited, it runs great at FHD and high detail settings. It also works in VR (but you’ll need a real gaming PC for that).
Get it on Steam.
25 of 25 Sarah Tew/CNET
We’ll keep this list updated as we discover more games that work on laptops with basic integrated graphics. Got a favorite to add? Let us know!
For a more high-end PC game experience, check out this updated list of the best performing gaming laptops, as tested by the CNET Labs team.
Gaming on an old non-gaming laptop: making the impossible possible
This content has been written by a website visitor and has been rewarded.
So, I had a Toshiba Satellite P855-S5312 laptop. An old reliable electronic comrade who has survived many ups and downs. In gratitude for the faithful service, I installed 12 GB of RAM and a 240 GB SSD in it, which at one time allowed me to pretty much add the “old man” agility.
The laptop is 6 years old, and it still has its own battery, which lasts an hour and a half. In my previous (gaming) laptop, for comparison, the battery “died” in less than one year … In general, I am satisfied with my Satellite. And I’m not looking for a replacement yet.
Notebook specifications Toshiba Satellite P855-S5312
recommendations
Call Of Duty 4 — Modern Warfare on average, without feeling much discomfort. But if everything is still quite good with old projects, then the laptop cannot cope with slightly more modern games. Its «limit», as I wrote earlier, is GTA IV, Saints Row. The Third and Far Cry 3 are almost on the minimum. Moreover, in order to play these and similar games with an acceptable level of gameplay comfort, it is necessary to perform some hardware settings that are not obvious to the average user.
What is the problem? For other game projects, the problem is absolutely similar and «automatically» solved in exactly the same way.
So, on a laptop with default parameters, we launch the GTA IV game with these very modest settings:
After starting, we enjoy a normal game for several minutes with a frame rate acceptable for this case (around 45-24 fps depending on the scene) :
Suddenly, at one terrible moment, the frame rate drops by 2 times (from 27 to 12 fps in this case), and the game turns into a chilling slideshow screen, interesting only to mazo lovers:
Why it is happened? Let’s figure it out using monitoring tools:
As you can see, the laptop processor reached very high frequencies (3.1 GHz in Turbo Boost mode) on both cores. On the core, where this frequency was used most actively, a very high temperature value of 96°C (only 9 degrees did not reach the critical temperature of 105°C for this processor). And although the processor has not formally gone into throttling, it is obvious that the standard cooling system is not designed for a large long-term load on this CPU.
But if the processor did not go into throttling, what is the cause of the problem? We draw attention to another important aspect in the screenshot (highlighted in a circle): the power consumption limit for the integrated ring bus, which transfers data between the central processing unit (CPU) cores and the integrated graphics processing unit (GPU), has been exceeded. The GPU monitoring graph clearly shows what caused the fps drop problem: during the game, the GPU frequency dropped sharply from the maximum 1100 MHz to the minimum 350 MHz (and this frequency usually does not recover until the game is restarted) — hence the sharp drop in performance:
Well, the problem is fixed, now it remains to figure out how to fix it.
Solution
First of all, I refused to use the Turbo Boost mode in the laptop by disabling it in the BIOS: ). And the fps in the games remained absolutely the same — the «limiter» of performance in the laptop is the built-in video card, and not the processor.
But by disabling Turbo Boost, I got significantly less heating of the computer (when you work with a laptop on your lap, this is especially noticeable), and at the same time, the periodic “howls” of the cooler, which reacted with increased speeds to heat generation, accompanying the spontaneous overclocking of CPU cores to 3, almost completely disappeared. 1 GHz. In general, getting rid of Turbo Boost, I got almost the same pluses for myself.
If you do not know how to get into the BIOS of your laptop, or for some reason do not want to disable Turbo Boost there, you can use the alternative option — disabling Turbo Boost in terms of power supply. To do this, right-click on the image of the battery on the «Taskbar», select «Power Options», then — «Configure power plan», then — «Change advanced power settings». Then in the power scheme, find the item «Processor power management», and in it — the section «Maximum processor state». Change the value here from 100% to 99 — and now the processor will operate at a maximum at the nominal frequency (for the i5-3210M it is 2.
5 GHz), without using the Turbo Boost auto-overclocking technology that is too “hot” for a laptop. This setting in Power Options works for all Turbo Boost CPUs, not just the i5-3210M, so if you have a different CPU it will work too.
Will we achieve the desired result by getting rid of Turbo Boost?
No!
You can play without Turbo Boost for a little longer, but the final result will be the same as in the previous case — the frame rate will suddenly drop catastrophically. Monitor the situation:
It is clearly seen that although the CPU no longer reaches critical temperatures, exactly the same thing happened — the power limit for the intraprocessor ring bus was exceeded, and the GPU monitoring graph shows the same picture: a sharp drop in the GPU frequency from 1100 to 350 MHz.
Obviously, to solve the problem, you need to look for ways to lower the frequency of the integrated GPU in order to reduce the load on the processor chip itself.
But how to lower the frequency of the Intel HD Graphics 4000, even if MSI Afterburner is not able to control the frequency of this GPU?
Look for a workaround. If you look at the specifications of the Intel HD Graphics 4000, you can see that the nominal frequency for this GPU is 650 MHz. Surprising as it may seem. But 1100 MHz is its maximum dynamic frequency. Now the question is how to get rid of this dynamic frequency in games? There is a solution!
Helped
There are two ways to go. First: we go into the Intel graphics settings driver and set the performance settings to the “Max battery life” level for the “Working from network” and “Working from battery” modes.
Alternative way: go into the actual power saving mode (how to do this, it is written above) and set the “Intel Graphics Power Plan” parameter to “Maximum Battery Life” when running on battery and from the mains, respectively (by default in the system, according to at least for mains power, «Balanced» mode selected):
Note: settings in the Intel driver and in the system power plan change synchronously, you do not need to change them in both places — it is worth changing in one place , in another they will change automatically.
What will this setting give us? Now the maximum frequency of the GPU will never rise above 650 MHz. But on the other hand, at this GPU frequency, you can play as long as you like! The GPU will never «sink» to a meager 350 MHz, and fps will not drop to critically low values. Of course, compared to the maximum frequency of the GPU, the average fps in games will slightly decrease (by about 10-12%). But on the other hand, the minimum frame rate (namely, the minimum frame rate, the cause of friezes / delays and discomfort in the game) will be about 40% higher! That is, in the same GTA IV with the above fps settings, it will sometimes sag to 20-19fps, but the gameplay will remain incomparably smoother than with the «problematic» 12 fps.
Total
Sorry that the article turned out not quite about overclocking. Rather, the opposite is true. But I really hope that my research will be useful to laptop owners for running good old games.
However, you should not think that the opportunities to play here are limited exclusively to old projects under Windows.
It is worth installing something like BlueStacks on your laptop, and you will open a large and «amazing world of Gumball» bucket games. (If we talk specifically about BlueStacks, then I recommend installing the third rather than the 4th version on laptops like mine — it will be both faster and less buggy). However, this is a completely different story …
This content was written by a site visitor and has been rewarded.
Must the laptop meet the requirements of the game or program
Let’s see what the expression means: a program or game meets (or does not suit) the system requirements.
A computer is a close relationship between hardware (hardware or hard) and software (software). Ideally, the hardware should fit the software and the software should fit the hardware, much like a shoe size should fit a foot.
You can’t run far in tight, narrow shoes. Also, a weak laptop (or a weak PC — a personal computer) may not be able to cope with a «cool» game or program.
Contents:
1) Why do I need to consider the requirements of the game or program for the PC
2) If the laptop does not meet the requirements of the paid game (program)
3) Where to look for the requirements of the game to the computer?
4) Searching for requirements inside the World of Warcraft game
5) Searching for World of Warcraft requirements via the Internet
6) Comparing the requirements of the game with the capabilities of a laptop
7) Summary
Due to its compact size, the connection between hardware and software is closer and more rigid in a laptop than in a desktop computer. Notebook manufacturers «who are in a lot of things»: each manufacturer tries to «sew» as many different features as possible into its hardware due to the great competition in the laptop market, so the connection between hardware and software in a laptop is further enhanced.
Why consider the PC requirements of a game or program
It often happens that a “capricious” game or other “advanced” program with high requirements for the “hardware” of a laptop (computer) is installed on a weak laptop.
Such a program has a good appetite, but a laptop (computer) is not able to “feed” it (that is, provide it with the necessary resources) and, as a result, it begins to “suffocate”.
Many modern computer games, as well as programs like Skype, Photoshop of the latest versions, and many others can be attributed to «capricious», demanding programs.
Laptops, netbooks, sometimes tablets, smartphones, that is, compact devices that combine many different functions, are especially affected by the requirements of modern programs. At the same time, the laptop may not be old at all, but it is simply not initially designed at all to “pull” a powerful game or program.
Previously, there was a division into gaming computers (for home, if there is a need for such a PC) and office computers (for office work). Gaming computers are powerful, with a good video card, a large amount of RAM, enough free hard disk space, etc. Office computers are much weaker than gaming computers and, accordingly, cheaper.
When it comes to laptops, a gaming laptop is still a rarity and compared to a similar gaming PC, a gaming laptop usually loses to it.
True, it is worth making an allowance for the fact that now many modern games have become terminal (network) in the sense that the main processing of the game process is NOT on the user’s computer (laptop), which acts only as a terminal, but on servers on the developer’s side or game holder. In this case, perhaps, the main requirement is a good Internet, that is, even here, this or that game or program still has its own requirements for the user’s capabilities.
Developers of games or programs write requirements for a user’s laptop or computer for a reason. Users of a game or program often do not read or watch these requirements, but in vain.
The requirements of the game or program must be taken into account by the user in order for the game or program to function normally on a laptop or computer, as well as to avoid various problems that cause user frustration and irritation.
Unfortunately, things don’t always end in disappointment.
If the laptop does not qualify for a paid game (software)
Many games have paid options. After the purchase of such a game, sometimes an automatic check occurs for the compliance of the computer (laptop) with the requirements of the game. Such a check is put into the game by the game developers, and this check is automatically launched immediately after the purchase of the game and its first installation on a laptop or computer.
As a result of such a check, it may turn out that the computer of the client who bought the paid version of the game, for example, has little memory, or a weak video card, or slow Internet speed, or there is no CD-ROM to work with the disc, or there is another reason for non-compliance with the requirements games.
Then the game is simply NOT installed on an «unsuitable» laptop (or PC) and, moreover, the purchased version of the game cannot be installed on any other computer.
This is especially true for games installed from a paid disk.
Alas, this can happen not only with games, but also with any other paid programs. For example, after purchasing an electronic dictionary, which is very important for foreign language learners, an analysis of the capabilities of a laptop (or PC) can be automatically carried out.
If the laptop does not meet the requirements set by the developers of the electronic dictionary, then «write — it’s gone.» And it is no longer possible to install a previously purchased dictionary on another computer. For another computer, you will need to buy a new license for the dictionary.
Where can I find the computer requirements for the game?
You can search in two ways:
- locally — inside the game (program),
- globally — via the Internet, using a search engine.
It should be noted that the search results will find the same requirements, regardless of how they are searched, or at least they should be the same.
Let’s analyze both options using World of Warcraft as an example. I want to emphasize that the proposed methods are suitable not only for games, but also for ANY program, for example, for Skype.
We are looking for requirements inside the game World of Warcraft
We are looking for requirements for the game inside the game itself:
1) We go to the game site (without authorization, that is, without registering on the site).
2) There we find the search bar, which often looks like a magnifying glass and is usually located in the upper right corner of the site (Fig. 1):
Pic. 1. Magnifying glass to search for information on the game site
3) After clicking on the magnifying glass icon, a search bar will appear in which you should enter the query: world of warcraft requirements, as shown in fig. 2.
Fig. 2. Entering the query «world of warcraft requirements» into the search bar inside the game
4) In the search results, among others, a link to system requirements will also appear (Fig.
3):
Fig. 3. As a result of a search on the game website, system requirements were found
Below in fig. 5 shows the found system requirements of the game.
Requirements can be searched not only locally on the game website, but they can also be searched on the global Internet.
Searching for World of Warcraft requirements via the Internet
To search for requirements globally, you need to enter a query into the search engine. For example, in a Google search engine, you can type the query «world of warcraft requirements» (1 in Fig. 4):
Fig. 4. We are looking for the requirements of the game to the computer globally, that is, through the search engine
Links are displayed on the entered request, click on the first of them (2 in Fig. 4). Let’s get the system requirements: minimum and recommended for Windows and Mac operating systems.
Below (Figure 5) are the game requirements for a Windows laptop (or PC):
5.
System requirements World of Warcraft
Similarly, you can search for the requirements of any other program for a user’s laptop (PC): either on the program’s website or through a search engine on the Internet.
Game requirements found. The next step is to compare the requirements of the game with the capabilities of the laptop (computer).
Compare the requirements of the game with the capabilities of a laptop
Compare the requirements of the game with the capabilities of different laptops:
- with Windows 8,
- and then with Windows 7 and
- laptop with Windows XP.
1) The first example with the capabilities of a laptop with Windows 8
To find information about a computer (laptop) in Windows 8, you need to go to Control Panel — System and Security — System.
6 shows that this laptop meets the requirements of the World of Warcraft game in terms of RAM. This is only one parameter that suits the requirements of the game, so let’s not rush to conclusions.
Fig. 6. Specifications of Windows 8 laptop
This is not shown in the pictures, but a Win 8 laptop will not work due to the lack of a DVD-ROM drive to work with disks.
Fig. 7. Free space on hard drive C: too small for game
Also presented laptop does not meet the requirements of the game due to the fact that there is not enough free hard disk space — only 20 GB (Fig. 7), and the game requires 45 GB (Fig. 5).
2) Second example: Windows 7 laptop capabilities
The Windows 7 laptop meets the requirements of the game in terms of RAM and processor (Fig. 8).
Fig. 8. Windows 7 laptop settings
3) Third example: Windows XP 9 laptop capabilities0129
Let’s compare the requirements of the game with the capabilities of an old laptop with Windows XP.
Fig. 9. Notebook system with Windows XP
The amount of RAM in this laptop is only 500 MB (Fig. 9), which is 4 times less than the minimum required amount in the game — 2 GB (Fig.
5). The laptop categorically does NOT meet the system requirements of the game.
Results
Some games or programs, in particular their paid versions, automatically check the capabilities of a laptop (PC), shown above in fig. 6, 7, 8, 9. And then they compare these capabilities with the requirements of the game (or program).
But, of course, there are programs and games that do not have such a check.
What happens when the requirements of the program (game) are high, but the capabilities of the laptop are modest?
In this case, the user does not get the result he expected when installing such a program on his laptop or PC.
This can manifest itself in a variety of ways, for example, when starting a game, a laptop can quickly discharge the battery even with a 220V power supply. To this extent, the energy cost of running a laptop with a game installed and running on it can be high.
With unsatisfactory (weak) capabilities of a laptop or PC, a “heavy” program or game may run slowly, freeze, slow down the operating system, and also slow down heavily when programs are launched on schedule.
For example, when an antivirus is launched according to a schedule, the picture on the screen in a running game can be “inanimate”, slow, moving in jerks, etc. This is not the worst thing, but quite unpleasant when working.
And even more unpleasant and undesirable can be a complete freeze of the laptop (PC) operating system, overheating of the laptop (PC), emergency shutdown of the laptop (PC) when overheating, etc.
Therefore, the conclusion can be drawn such that the «hardware» of a laptop (PC) must meet the requirements of a particular program or game, that is, the «hardware» must be at the level of «software» (software). With a weak laptop (computer), it may be worth picking up games with low system requirements. For «heavy» programs like Photoshop, Skype, you can also find analogues with small requirements.
Related:
1. Why does the computer turn off by itself
2. When watching videos on a laptop, the sound stutters
3. About the influence of computer games on the human psyche
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How to check which games will go to the computer. How do I know if a game can be run on a PC?
Many users who love to play computer games, but do not have enough money to constantly buy the most powerful components, carry out a platform change and upgrade the computer, are wondering «how to know if the game will run on my computer.» This is especially important with the release of new products. Since you want to play the continuation of your favorite games, there is always a desire to find out if the game will go to the PC.
How to know if a game will work
The computer player has several ways to find out if a game will work in order to decide whether or not to buy this game on a digital distribution service or on disk.
The most correct and real result can be obtained by downloading the demo version of the game and running it on a computer. If you have problems with the Internet, then you can refer to the official information of the game developer. Before publishing a game, developers publish the minimum requirements and recommended computer requirements for running the game. Thus, the user can find out if the game will run on the computer.
Services to find out if the game will run
There are special sites on the Internet where enthusiasts collect information about games. These services allow you to compare the configuration of the user’s computer and the requirements for the game selected by the user. Next, the service makes a comparison and gives an answer whether the game will run on my PC and with what settings. I’m not 100% inclined to believe the results of such sites, but with a high degree of probability you can find out the answer to the question. Of the most famous services, I want to highlight 2.
What are the minimum PC requirements
Minimum requirements — a computer configuration that will allow you to run the game with minimal or almost minimal graphics settings and a more or less acceptable frame rate for a comfortable game.
To find out if the game will run on my computer, the recommended requirements from the developer will help. This is the level of a personal PC that will allow you to comfortably play at (30 frames per second) on medium or close to high graphics settings. By comparing the parameters of their own PC and the recommended requirements, the user will decide for himself whether it is possible to run the game on my computer
How to know if the game will go
These published requirements often do not reflect the real state of affairs, as they can be very high. In this case, the game will require a computer, which may be significantly weaker than the minimum system requirements. In general, the PC requirements reflect the level of quality of the game — its graphics and optimization.
However, the most likely way to check if the game will run on my computer is to search the game forums for messages from users with computers of a similar configuration.
The question of how to check if a game will run on a computer arises nowadays not only among gamers with weak technology, but also among owners of fairly strong hardware. Computer manufacturers are rapidly conquering new heights of technological progress, and entertainment developers are trying to keep up with them.
Literally in half a year, the latest gaming hardware may no longer be able to pull the novelty of the industry at maximum settings. That is why it is important to be able to identify games by system requirements and compare them with the parameters of your machine.
Why know the system requirements
A novice player may not even think about the fact that a purchased or downloaded game simply won’t start on his computer. This unfortunate news may discourage any desire to continue spending time in the world of digital entertainment.
That’s why you need to know how to check if the game will run on the computer. Not everyone knows how to check system parameters, but you still need to understand them. These aspects are not of interest to those who simply want to have a good time. At the present time, technological progress is moving forward with great strides. Therefore, it is advisable to check the relevance of your own computer regularly.
What requirements are taken into account when checking
Before distributing games by system requirements, you need to determine their priority. Starting from 2012-13, most of the projects were transferred to the Windows 7 operating system or a higher version. It makes no sense to consider previous operating systems, since their support has been completely discontinued.
The next parameter is the processor. The model, number of cores and clock speed are important here. For example, if you buy a new generation processor now, it will last another year or two.
RAM is considered in gigabytes and at the moment below six bars for a comfortable game is no longer recommended.
Last on the list, but not least, is the graphics card. It is she who takes on the greatest load during the game. Before you check if the game will run on your computer, you should determine how old your graphics processor is. Otherwise, the tests will always show negative results.
FPS parameter
To understand the comparison of the system requirements of the game with the computer, manufacturers have introduced the FPS characteristic. It is responsible for how well the performance of the system satisfies the established design.
It is important to understand that if the test shows the minimum bar when asked if the game will run on my computer, but the FPS number is 10, then there is no point in trying to install it. You will lose time, and a comfortable game will be impossible.
The average recommended number of this parameter is 30, and the optimal one is 60.
If testing shows numbers close to this, then you can safely install the game. Of course, much still depends on optimization, and even the verification program cannot take everything into account, but in 90% of cases, you can safely rely on the number of FPS.
The first way to check
You can find out if the game will go to the computer in manual mode. To do this, you first need to know the system requirements of the project. When downloading or buying from a digital store, they are included, so you just need to open this page and take a look.
Next go to the «Start» menu and launch the console called «Run». In the window that appears, enter the dxdiag command and wait a few seconds. In the first tab, all parameters will be highlighted, except for the graphic one. Information about it in all details is in the following tabs.
The user simply looks and conditionally compares the models with those written under the game itself. Of course, there are inaccuracies in this method.
A person will never be able to take into account all the details, at the same time, the program that determines whether the game will go to the computer is more accurate in the calculations. This applies to the average gamer, because computer masters have their own calculation algorithms.
The second way to check
There is a service called Can you run it. It offers three ways to match requirements. One of them is the usual display of recommended parameters. This option was considered in the above method.
The second way to check if the game will run on a computer is to install a special script in the browser that will collect information about the computer. The developers assure that personal data cannot be read in any way. After that, in the list selection window, enter the project of interest to the user.
The test runs automatically and takes a few seconds to process. Next, a column with three indicators will appear in the window: minimum, recommended and maximum.
The mark will be at a certain level, and the player will determine how suitable the system is for the desired entertainment. You should also not forget about the FPS parameter, because its amount corrects the system data.
If a person does not want to check online, the service offers to download special software. A small utility will collect computer data and compare it with its database. The results in both cases will not differ from each other. Millions of users use these tests every day, and there have been no complaints about the service yet.
A similar resource is the Game-O-Meter. It uses similar testing mechanisms, but does not offer to install additional software. It is also worth noting that the Java runtime environment must first be installed on the computer, otherwise the check will not start.
Conclusion
The question of how to determine whether a game will run on a computer is relevant because this knowledge saves time. Current games take up over twenty gigabytes, and downloading all the files from the network, even with a high Internet connection, takes precious hours.
In this case, the installation process can last two or three times longer than the download.
For some people, these processes may take a free evening, and if the game does not start, then it can be considered corrupted. In order to avoid such troubles, it is better to spend half an hour testing and find for yourself the game that will surely suit your personal computer.
The virtual gaming world is growing by leaps and bounds. Hundreds of thousands of interesting and colorful games are waiting for their user. With the growth of product quality, the demand for computer power increases. Because of this, the question arises: how to check if the game will go to the computer?
Features
Developers specify the requirements for each of their gaming products. Usually two types of characteristics are indicated:
- minimum — on which the game will run on a PC;
- recommended — allow you to unleash the graphical capabilities and enjoy the gameplay to the fullest.
Product requirements can be viewed on the media or the official website of the game developers.
Important! You can view the characteristics of your computer using the DirectX Diagnostic Tool. Type dxdiag in the Windows 10 search bar. Also, you can in other ways.
Benchmark will help you check the performance information of your computer for the game. This is a program that determines the performance of the components of the computer. There are several solutions:
Compatibility check
Microsoft works closely with graphics manufacturers and game developers. This means that there is practically no incompatibility of popular products with the new OS. If everything is in order with the requirements for the game, it may not start due to:
- Outdated (or unfinished new) video card driver — update the driver.
- System bitness mismatch — Run the installer according to the Windows bitness.
- If the game is released before the release of the new OS — run it in compatibility mode with the previous version.
Performance check via Steam
The popular Steam platform offers its own alternative solutions for checking the compatibility of the game with a computer or laptop:
If you have any questions about determining the characteristics or performance. Describe what you’re having trouble with so we can help.
Instruction
The best way to find out if a game will run on a computer is to first find out the year it was released and compare it with the year the computer was built. If your system is a few years old, but you want to install a recently released game, you will most likely have difficulty launching it. At the same time, most entertainment programs still run even on older computers, however, during the gameplay, the user will encounter inevitable “brakes”.
Check the system requirements before installing the game. If you purchased it on disc or other external media, look for these instructions on the cover (usually located on the back side next to the product description).
When downloading a game product from the Internet, the requirements are also most often indicated in the description. If you got a game without a description, look for information about it on various sites and forums, and, most likely, you will find the information you need.
Please note that a typical list of requirements includes the type and frequency of the processor, the amount of RAM, the frequency and memory of the graphics adapter (video card) suitable for the game, the operating system, and the version of the DirectX multimedia libraries. Often there is a division of system requirements into minimum and recommended. The former correspond to a system configuration that is sufficient to run the game with minimal graphics settings, while the latter show a computer configuration on which you can enjoy the game to the fullest.
Compare the game requirements with your hardware specifications to see if the game will run on a PC. There are various ways to do this, and the easiest of them is to open the system properties.
Right-click on the «My Computer» icon, click «Properties». In the window that opens, examine the characteristics of the computer, which indicate the type and power of the processor, the amount of RAM and the name of the operating system. To find out which video adapter you have, click on the «Device Manager» button and open the corresponding sub-item in the general menu. As for additional system components, such as DirectX, they can usually be installed or updated right during the installation of the game.
Install the game on your computer if the system meets all requirements. After launch, go to its parameters and set it in such a way that the application works without «brakes». If your computer is not too old, you can still try to install and run the game without knowing its system requirements. It is not uncommon for situations when even a computer that is not suitable in configuration can cope with fairly complex gaming applications. It is also worth reading the opinions of other users on various forums and sites, who often share tips on how to make the game run on a weak computer.
Many gamers are interested in the question of how games are tested for compatibility with a computer. Experienced 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. These tips are for beginners.
First way: 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.
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. There can be no talk of high graphics settings and good performance. Therefore, it is not worth focusing on these requirements. The recommended system requirements are 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.
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, you need to go to There you will find a description of the processor, the amount of RAM, the type of operating system and much more. For more accurate data, you can go to the «Device Manager», which is located in the next tab of the «Computer Properties» window. 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.
The second way: a special site
There is one wonderful site on the net that can be used to automatically check compatibility. In the search bar you need to write Systemrequirementslab.com.
The site has a search box where you need to enter the name of the game you are interested in.
Below the search is a button labeled «Can you run it?», which translates to «Can you run this?». We click on it.
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, so we exclude it.
Convenient method
The next option is the Desktop App. It also won’t come in handy, because there is a third and easiest way. Click on the line that says 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 in green or red.