Store pages list system requirements for a reason. Here’s how to check your own machine in about ten minutes, before money changes hands.
Short version
- Store pages list both minimum and recommended requirements, and both are worth checking against your own hardware before checkout.
- Windows Settings under System and About shows your CPU, RAM, and 64-bit status, while the dxdiag tool shows your GPU model, VRAM, and driver version.
- Check Settings, then System, then Storage to see how much disk space your PC has, and compare that number against the storage figure on the store page.
- Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, and the PC Health Check app can test whether a Windows 10 PC can upgrade to Windows 11.
- Refund policies differ from store to store and change over time, so read the current policy before checkout rather than trusting memory.
Every PC game store page has a section most shoppers scroll past: system requirements. Those few lines answer the only question that matters before checkout, which is whether the game will run on your machine at all. Windows already includes the tools you need for the comparison. Here is the process, step by step, including the places it usually goes wrong.
Step 1: Find the Requirements on the Store Page
Scroll down the listing to the section labeled System Requirements. Most PC pages show two columns, minimum and recommended, sometimes with a line of fine print underneath. Read the fine print. Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters, for example, notes that optimal 4K performance may require better than its recommended specs, which is exactly the kind of thing publishers tuck away down there.
Check the platform line while you are at it. No Man’s Sky lists Windows 10/11 in 64-bit versions and graphics cards such as the Nvidia GTX 1060 3GB, AMD RX 470 4GB, or Intel UHD 630. Some games also sell on Mac with their own separate specs, so make sure you are reading the PC column and not the one above or below it.
Step 2: Read Both Columns Before You Compare
Store pages show two sets of requirements, and both are the publisher’s own estimates. Those estimates can change between announcement and release, so check the requirements again right before you buy rather than trusting a trailer description from months earlier.
Our opinion: the two columns represent two different levels of confidence from the publisher, and where your machine sits between them tells you what kind of experience to expect. Treat the gap between the columns as information, not decoration.
Step 3: Check Your Own Specs With Built-In Tools
For a quick overview in Windows, right-click Start, open Settings, and go to System, then About. Under Device specifications you will see your processor, installed RAM, and whether you are running a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows. Under Windows specifications you will find your edition and version.
For the graphics card, press Windows + R, type dxdiag, and press Enter, then open the Display tab. That shows your GPU model, the amount of VRAM, and the driver version. If you want a fuller inventory, the same Run dialog with msinfo32 opens System Information, which lists motherboard, BIOS, and driver details. Task Manager’s Performance tab gives a live view of CPU, memory, GPU, and disk activity.
Player tip
Write your specs in a note once and keep it. Future you, staring at a sale page at midnight, will be glad the comparison takes thirty seconds instead of ten minutes.
Step 4: Match the Bottleneck Parts (GPU, CPU, RAM)
For most modern games, the graphics card is the first wall. Compare the model name and VRAM on the store page against what dxdiag showed you. If the recommended spec lists a GeForce GTX 970 or an AMD RX 560 with 2GB of VRAM, then in our opinion a card with 2GB but an older chip is probably below the line. When in doubt, search for your exact GPU alongside the game’s title; players post real-world results quickly.
CPU comes next. Match the general tier and do not skip it just because the GPU looks fine. RAM is the easiest shortfall to spot and often the easiest to fix, since many desktops accept an added stick. The most common mistake in this whole process is checking RAM and ignoring the GPU. The reverse mistake costs just as much.
Step 5: Don’t Forget Storage, OS and Drivers
Check your disk space the same way you check everything else. Settings, then System, then Storage shows how much space your drive has, and PC Health Check reports how full your main drive is as a percentage. Compare what you have against the storage figure on the store page, and leave some room to spare.
Watch the operating system line too. Many games require a 64-bit version of Windows 10 or 11. If a game requires Windows 11 and your PC runs Windows 10, the PC Health Check app can tell you whether the machine is eligible for the upgrade; note that it does not check the graphics card or display. There is a deadline angle here as well: Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, which means no more free software updates from Windows Update, technical assistance, or security fixes. Drivers matter too, and dxdiag shows your current graphics driver version so you can compare it against what the publisher asks for.
Step 6: Try a Demo or Trial if One Exists
If the store page offers a demo, a free trial, or a free weekend, that is the most honest test available, because it runs the actual game on your actual hardware. Take it even when the specs matched perfectly on paper.
Subscriptions can work as a test drive too. Some catalogs include big releases, and playing a game through a subscription for a month can tell you whether your PC handles it before you buy it outright. We think that is a reasonable way to spend a little money on a lot of certainty.
If You Buy Anyway: Know Your Exit First
Even a careful check is not a guarantee, so know your options before you check out. Refund rules differ from one store to the next and change over time, so read the current policy on the store’s own pages rather than relying on what a friend remembers. Our guide to getting a refund on a digital game walks through what to look for.
It is also worth understanding what a purchase actually gets you, since that varies by store and platform. Our explainer on what “buy” really means covers the details.
If your PC fails the check and an upgrade is not in the budget, streaming the game from a remote server is another route, and our cloud gaming explainer covers what it demands from your connection. Whatever route you take, ten minutes of spec checking beats an unplayable purchase every time.
Quick questions
Where do I find my graphics card model and VRAM?
Press Windows + R, type dxdiag, and press Enter, then open the Display tab. It shows the GPU model, the amount of VRAM, and the driver version.
Why do store pages list two sets of system requirements?
Publishers list minimum and recommended specs as two separate tiers. Check both against your own hardware, and look for fine print that explains what each tier is meant to deliver.
What if a game needs Windows 11 and I still run Windows 10?
The PC Health Check app can tell you whether your device meets the Windows 11 minimum requirements, though it does not check the graphics card or display. Note that Microsoft ended free support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025.
My PC sits close to the lower end of the requirements. Should I buy anyway?
That is your call, but look for a demo, free trial, or subscription option first so you can test the actual game on your actual hardware. Also check the store’s current refund rules before you check out.
Store policies, subscription terms and platform features change often. This guide is general information for players in the U.S., not legal advice; check the current terms on the store’s or platform’s own help pages before relying on them.