It’s been hotly anticipated since it’s announcement, and now Elder Scrolls: Skyrim is less then a month away. Beta and I loved Morrowind and Oblivion so we’re counting down the days until it’s release. We’re going to play it on PC like we did the last two but we – like many others – have been wondering if our computers can run it. Now, we wonder no more: Bethesda has released the minimum and recommended specs for Skyrim and to our surprise they’re somewhat lenient.
The system specs, released on Bethesda’s blog, are as follows.
Recommended Specs
- Windows 7/Vista/XP PC (32 or 64 bit)
- Processor: Quad-core Intel or AMD CPU
- 4GB System RAM
- 6GB free HDD space
- DirectX 9.0c compatible NVIDIA or AMD ATI video card with 1GB of RAM (Nvidia GeForce GTX 260 or higher; ATI Radeon 4890 or higher).
- DirectX compatible sound card
- Internet access for Steam activation
Minimum Specs
- Windows 7/Vista/XP PC (32 or 64 bit)
- Processor: Dual Core 2.0GHz or equivalent processor
- 2GB System RAM
- 6GB free HDD Space
- Direct X 9.0c compliant video card with 512 MB of RAM
- DirectX compatible sound card
- Internet access for Steam activation
The parts that jump out at me are the low video requirement and the small hard drive footprint. These both tell me what I already knew: designing games with the current generation of consoles in mind limits a game from using most of a good PC’s potential. This alone is reason for me to be ready for a new console generation.
Also standing out is the Steam requirement. I was already aware but Beta’s not going to be real pleased because she’s not a big Steam fan. Personally I use it whenever possible so I’m not to concerned.
So, the question to be asked is, are you ready for Skyrim? I am, at least almost. My video card died this month so I need a new one to replace my replacement. Technically I can probably run it with the Radeon 6450 I’m using right now (it was free) but I won’t be happy. I may have wanted to replace my old 8800GT anyway. Anyone else making changes for the latest Elder Scrolls game?
