Can Your PC Run The Games You Want to Play? Here's How to Find Out!

Article by George Norman (Cybersecurity Editor)

on 07 Dec 2015

Before you frantically search for a game’s release date, before you look up online reviews and gameplay videos, before you ask your friends if you should get a game or not, before you get all excited and hyped up about a game, you should make sure that your PC can run that game.

Since there’s nothing worse than getting a game that your PC can’t run, here are a couple of simple methods you can employ to see if your Windows-powered PC can run the game you want to get.

1. Check the game’s system requirements

Your hardware configuration determines how well a game will run – and if it will run at all. If your PC meets a game’s system requirements, you’ll be able to play that game. It’s as simple as that.

You should know that there are two types of system requirements:
  • Minimum system requirements – the game will run, but it won’t run very well. It may hang or freeze, the visuals will be set to low quality.
  • Recommended system requirements – the game will run smoothly and will delight you with stunning visuals.

Ideally, you’ll want your PC to meet the recommended system requirements. How do you do that? Quite simple actually: take a look at the game’s recommended system requirements and compare them with your PC’s hardware.

You’ll find the system requirements on the game’s official website or, better yet, you can just Google them. If you’re not familiar with your PC’s hardware, I recommend you try Speccy, Piriform’s advanced system information tool for Windows. Speccy will provide detailed information about your computer’s CPU, RAM, graphics card, and other hardware components. It can even display the Windows product key.

Go get Speccy right here on FindMySoft or directly from Piriform.


2. Try the 'Can You RUN It' web and desktop app

Visit the Can You RUN It website and use the search box to find a game, like Fallout 4 for example.




Type in the game’s name, click “can you run it” and you will see three options:



Choose “view requirements” and you’ll be presented with Fallout 4’s minimum and recommended requirements.




Choose "automatic detection" and Can You RUN It will evaluate your PC’s hardware and software. For this to work, you need to have the latest Java release and you have to give your permission to download a Java Plug-in component.




Choose "desktop app" and you’ll get to download a simple application. Once the download completes, you will have to install the application. A simple setup wizard will help you with the installation process and will offer to run the application once the installation completes. When the application runs, it quickly scans your PC’s hwardware and software.

Once the scan completes, the Can You RUN It website will refresh and will tell you if your PC can run the game or not.




It will also tell you what hardware components you must upgrade if you want to play the game.



As you can see, my work PC cannot run Fallout 4. No matter, my home PC can.


In related news…

Google recently unveiled the year’s most popular apps and 2015’s best Android games.

This infographic explains why it is a good idea to play games at the office.



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