Step 2 — Working out whether your computer can run it

The operating system question comes first

An operating system is the software that runs your computer itself — Windows, macOS or Linux — as opposed to the programs that run on top of it. A game is built for particular operating systems, and if yours is not on the list, nothing else about your machine matters.

This is not a question of the computer being fast enough. A powerful Mac and a modest Windows desktop can face the same published requirements, and the Mac can still be unable to run the game while the Windows machine runs it comfortably. The game simply was not built for that system.

The game named in this course, Crossout, is offered for desktop computers running Windows or Linux. The publisher's promotion terms state that macOS is not supported. If the computer you have in mind is a Mac, the honest answer for that particular game is no, and the rest of this step is still useful for the next game you look at.

There are tools that claim to run Windows software on other systems. They are outside the scope of a beginners' course, they are not supported by publishers, and an online game may refuse to run under them. If you are starting out, treat the supported list as the whole list.

Finding your own specifications

You are looking for six numbers. Every desktop operating system shows them somewhere in its settings; the exact menu names change between versions, so the instructions below describe what to look for rather than a fixed path.

1. Operating system and version. On Windows, the settings app has a page describing the system, giving the edition and version. On Linux, a settings panel usually names the distribution and release; the command uname -a in a terminal gives the kernel version.
2. Processor. Listed on the same page as the operating system. Copy the whole line, including the model number — "Intel Core i5-8400" is useful, "Intel i5" is not.
3. Installed memory. Shown in gigabytes on the same page, often labelled RAM.
4. Graphics. On Windows, the display settings have an advanced page naming the display adapter. On Linux, a settings panel usually names it too. Again, copy the full model name.
5. Free disk space. Open the file manager, look at the drive the computer starts from, and note free space in gigabytes.
6. System type. Note whether the system is 64-bit. Almost every current machine is, and almost every current game requires it.

Write those six lines down once. They do not change, and you will use them every time you look at a game for the next several years.

What each specification actually means

The distinction in the last row is worth holding on to. A slow connection does not make the picture look worse; it makes the game respond late. A weak graphics card does not make the game respond late; it makes the picture choppy. The two problems feel similar and are fixed in completely different ways, which is why Step 4 returns to telling them apart.

Reading a minimum and recommended list

Most games publish two columns. Minimum describes the machine on which the publisher expects the game to start and be playable, usually at low settings. Recommended describes a machine on which the publisher expects a comfortable experience at ordinary settings.

Two habits make these columns much more useful:

• Compare like with like. A processor two generations newer than the one listed is usually ahead of it even if the model number looks smaller. The model number alone does not rank across generations.
• Treat minimum as a floor, not a target. If your machine matches the minimum column exactly, expect to run at low settings and expect the occasional pause. That is the arrangement the column describes, and it is not a fault.

Where to find the list: the publisher's own website, on the download or support page. Requirements published by third parties are often copied from older versions. Go to the source, and note the date if one is shown — a game that has been running for years may have requirements that have moved since launch.

Finally, note the list is a prediction, not a guarantee. The only complete test is installing and running the game, which in this category costs nothing but time and disk space.

Storage, downloads and your connection

Two storage numbers matter and they are different. The download size is what crosses your connection. The installed size is what the game occupies on disk once unpacked, and it is usually larger. Some installers also need temporary room while they work, so leaving a few gigabytes of headroom beyond the stated figure is sensible.

On a metered or mobile connection, the download size is a cost. Check your plan before starting a large download, and prefer a fixed connection if you have one. An online game also downloads updates afterwards, sometimes substantial ones, so this is a recurring cost rather than a single one.

If the computer starts from a mechanical hard drive rather than a solid-state drive, the game will still run; loading screens will simply be longer. That is a comfort difference, not a compatibility one.

• Before you beginConfirm free space is comfortably above the installed size.
• DownloadExpect the time to depend on your connection, not your computer.
• InstallExpect disk activity and a slow machine while it unpacks.
• First runExpect a further update, and possibly a shader or asset preparation pass.
• OngoingExpect updates on a schedule set by the publisher, not by you.

Laptops, integrated graphics and heat

A laptop with the same model numbers as a desktop will usually perform below it. There is less room for cooling, and when components get hot they slow themselves down to stay safe. This is normal behaviour, not damage.

Integrated graphics means the graphics capability is part of the processor rather than a separate card. Many ordinary laptops and office desktops are built this way. They can run plenty of games, but they sit at the bottom of the range, and a requirements list naming a separate card is telling you something.

Three practical habits for a laptop: run it from mains power rather than battery, because many laptops reduce performance on battery deliberately; give the vents clear air rather than a doona; and expect fan noise under load, which is the cooling system doing its job.

If your machine falls short

Work through these in order of cost, lowest first.

1. Free up disk space. Costs nothing and solves the commonest blocker.
2. Update the graphics driver from the graphics hardware maker's own site. Costs nothing and sometimes changes performance noticeably.
3. Close everything else, particularly browsers with many tabs, which consume the memory the game wants.
4. Lower the game's settings once installed, starting with resolution and shadows.
5. Add memory, if the machine allows it and memory is the shortfall. This is the cheapest useful hardware change on many older desktops.
6. Accept the answer. Some combinations do not work, and spending hundreds of dollars to run one free game is rarely a decision anyone is glad about later.

There is no obligation in any of this. A game you cannot run is a game you do not play, and nothing is lost but an afternoon of curiosity.

The worked example, continued

Back to the invented Melbourne household and the six-year-old desktop in the spare room. One of the adults opens the system page in settings and writes down six lines: Windows, 64-bit; a six-year-old mid-range processor; 8 GB of memory; a separate but elderly graphics card; 60 GB free on the main drive; fixed broadband.

They open the publisher's requirements list and compare. The operating system is on the supported list, which is the question that actually mattered. Memory matches the minimum column exactly, so they write a note to themselves: expect low settings.

They decide the installation is worth attempting, because the only costs are an evening and 60 GB of disk space, both of which they have. No money has entered the story yet, and in this household it may never.

Before you move on

You should now have six lines about your computer, and a yes, a no, or a "probably, at low settings" about one game. Step 3 is about what you agree to when you create the account, and it applies whatever your verdict here was.