How to read PC system requirements: minimum vs recommended

Every PC game on a store page comes with a block of text headed “System requirements”. It is the developer’s statement of what the game needs, and it is the first thing to check before buying or downloading. This guide explains what each line means, where to find the matching information about your own PC in Windows, and in what order to compare them. The Windows steps come from Microsoft’s own support pages; the example is a real Steam listing.

What do minimum and recommended requirements mean?

Most store pages show two columns.

• Minimum is the lowest configuration the developer lists for the game.
• Recommended is a stronger configuration the developer suggests.

Both are the developer’s own statements, and there is no common standard behind them. A store page usually does not say which graphics settings, resolution or frame rate each column is meant to give. Some developers publish a more detailed table on their own site or in an announcement, and when they do, that is the better guide.

A PC that sits between the two columns is normal. The question to answer is whether yours meets the minimum on every line, and how far above it you are on the lines that matter most for performance.

What does a real requirements list look like?

Here is Forza Horizon 5 on Steam, as the store listed it on September 30, 2026.

Line	Minimum	Recommended
System	64-bit processor and operating system	64-bit processor and operating system
OS	Windows 10 version 18362.0 or higher	Windows 10 version 18362.0 or higher
Processor	Intel i5-4460 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200	Intel i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 1500X
Memory	8 GB RAM	16 GB RAM
Graphics	NVidia GTX 970, AMD RX 470, or Intel Arc A380	NVidia GTX 1070, AMD RX 590, or Intel Arc A750
DirectX	Version 12	Version 12
Network	Broadband internet connection	Broadband internet connection
Storage	110 GB available space	110 GB available space

That layout is typical. The rest of this guide goes through it line by line.

How do I find my PC’s specifications?

Windows shows most of what you need in two places.

Settings > System > About. Microsoft’s instructions: right-click Start, choose Settings, select System, then About. Under Device specifications you will find the processor, the amount of RAM installed, and whether Windows is 32-bit or 64-bit. Under Windows specifications you will find the edition and version of Windows.

Task Manager > Performance. Since the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update in 2017, Task Manager has listed each graphics processor on its Performance tab, with its utilisation and its video memory. Microsoft’s DirectX team explained the memory figures when the feature launched: dedicated memory is reserved for the GPU, and on a separate graphics card it is the card’s own video memory, its VRAM; shared memory is ordinary system memory that either the GPU or the processor can use.

For storage, go to Settings > System > Storage. With more than one drive, open Advanced storage settings > Storage used on other drives to see each drive.

For the DirectX version, type dxdiag in the search box, open it, and read the DirectX version on the System tab.

Which lines should I check first?

Some lines are hard limits: if you fall short, the game will not start or will not install. Others are a matter of how well it runs. Check the hard limits first.

1. Is my system 64-bit?

“Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system” is now standard. The About page tells you whether your Windows is 64-bit. If it says 32-bit, the game will not run, whatever the rest of the hardware.

2. Is my Windows version new enough?

Requirements name a Windows version, sometimes with a build number, as in “Windows 10 version 18362.0 or higher”. The About page shows your version under Windows specifications. If it is older, you will need to update Windows first.

3. Is my graphics card on the list, or better?

The graphics line usually names one card from each maker, NVIDIA, AMD and, more recently, Intel, as equivalents. Find your card’s name in Task Manager and compare it with the listed models. Model names are not a reliable guide on their own: numbering schemes differ between makers and have changed over the years. When your card is not one of those listed, compare the makers’ own specifications for your card and the listed one.

Look at video memory too. The dedicated memory figure in Task Manager is your card’s VRAM, and some developers list a minimum amount of video memory alongside the card.

Microsoft’s own explainer is useful here: an integrated GPU, built into the device’s motherboard, is usually less powerful but more power-efficient, and suits some gaming; a discrete GPU, a separate card on a desktop, is the one intended for demanding work, gaming included. Laptops can have both. If Task Manager lists two GPUs, compare the discrete one with the requirements.

4. Do I have enough storage, and does it need to be an SSD?

The storage line is the free space the developer says the game needs. Some requirements also say “SSD required” or “SSD recommended”. Microsoft describes solid-state drives as the most common storage today, smaller and faster than hard disk drives, which are found mainly in older machines.

5. How does my processor compare?

Like the graphics line, the processor line usually names one model from Intel and one from AMD. Compare your processor, as shown on the About page, with them. The same caution applies as for graphics cards: when yours is not listed, compare the makers’ specifications rather than the model names.

6. Do I have enough RAM?

Memory is the easiest line to read: the About page shows the installed amount, and the requirement is a number in gigabytes. Microsoft’s general guidance for everyday use is at least 4 GB, 8 GB for a device to stay usable over time, and 16 GB or more for demanding work. A game’s requirement can be higher: Forza Horizon 5, above, lists 8 GB minimum and 16 GB recommended.

What is in the “Additional notes” line?

Many requirements end with a free-text line, and it often holds the most useful detail on the page. Two examples from Steam on September 30, 2026:

Game	Column	Additional notes, as listed
Black Myth: Wukong	Minimum	HDD supported, SSD recommended; specifications tested with DLSS/FSR/XeSS enabled
Black Myth: Wukong	Recommended	SSD required; specifications tested with DLSS/FSR/XeSS enabled
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024	Minimum	Network speed of 10 Mbps
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024	Recommended	Network speed of 50 Mbps

Each of these changes how the rest of the list reads, and none of it appears in the standard lines above.

• Storage type can differ between columns. Black Myth: Wukong runs from a hard disk at the minimum level, but its recommended configuration requires an SSD.
• The figures can assume upscaling. Black Myth: Wukong’s developer says both columns were tested with DLSS, FSR or XeSS switched on. Those are upscaling technologies that render the game at a lower resolution and scale the image up, so the listed hardware was measured with that help.
• A connection speed can be part of the requirement. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 does not stop at “broadband”: it gives a network speed for each column, 10 Mbps at minimum and 50 Mbps recommended. Check your connection against that as you would any other line.

The same Black Myth: Wukong listing also shows video memory in the graphics line, “GeForce GTX 1060 6GB / Radeon RX 580 8GB”, which makes the VRAM comparison direct: check the dedicated memory figure in Task Manager against it.

What about the DirectX line?

On current Windows, DirectX itself is not something you install. Microsoft says Windows 10 and 11 already have the latest version. When a game lists “DirectX: Version 12”, the practical question is whether your graphics card supports that version, which the card maker’s specifications state.

What about the network line?

“Broadband internet connection” means the developer lists an internet connection as a requirement. Whether the game can also be played offline is a separate question, which the store page may answer elsewhere.

A short checklist

1. 64-bit Windows, as shown in Settings > System > About.
2. Windows version equal to or newer than the one listed.
3. Graphics card at least equal to a listed model, with enough dedicated video memory.
4. Free space above the listed storage, on an SSD if the game says so.
5. Processor at least equal to a listed model.
6. RAM at or above the listed amount.

If every line meets the minimum, the game should start. How well it runs depends on how far above the minimum you are, and the recommended column is the best guide the developer gives. If a purchase on Steam turns out not to run well, our guide to Steam refunds explains the two-week, two-hour rule.