After weeks of rampant internet speculation and a denial by Rockstar, the unfortunate has happened: the PC version of Grand Theft Auto 5 has been delayed. Once due to release on January 27th, PC gamers will have to wait a few more months to explore Los Santos.
The new release date is March 24th, a delay of almost two months that Rockstar says on their blog is necessary to polish the game for a smooth release. While I hate last-minute delays, I hate rushed releases and buggy ports far worse, so I’m begrudgingly alright with this. The good news to come from this is that we finally have the system requirements, so you can see if and how much you will need to upgrade before March.
Minimum Specs
- OS: Windows 8.1 64 Bit, Windows 8 64 Bit, Windows 7 64 Bit Service Pack 1, Windows Vista 64 Bit Service Pack 2* (*NVIDIA video card recommended if running Vista OS)
- Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz (4 CPUs) / AMD Phenom 9850 Quad-Core Processor (4 CPUs) @ 2.5GHz
- Memory: 4GB
- Video Card: NVIDIA 9800 GT 1GB / AMD HD 4870 1GB (DX 10, 10.1, 11)
- Sound Card: 100% DirectX 10 compatible
- HDD Space: 65GB
Recommended Specs
- OS: Windows 8.1 64 Bit, Windows 8 64 Bit, Windows 7 64 Bit Service Pack 1
- Processor: Intel Core i5 3470 @ 3.2GHZ (4 CPUs) / AMD X8 FX-8350 @ 4GHZ (8 CPUs)
- Memory: 8GB
- Video Card: NVIDIA GTX 660 2GB / AMD HD7870 2GB
- Sound Card: 100% DirectX 10 compatible
- HDD Space: 65GB
What stands out to me from these sysreqs is the 64-bit OS requirement, which is quickly becoming the norm, and that the minimum specs are relatively lenient. Even the recommended specs aren’t as demanding as I thought they would be, particularly compared to the requirements of the highly anticipated (and similarly delayed) The Witcher 3. In fact, the recommend specs for GTA5 are lower than the minimum specs for The Witcher 3, which – when you consider that despite being a port of the newer next-gen version, GTA 5 originally came out two years ago – it isn’t all that surprising to see that it will be easier on your system than a new-for-2015 game. The one spec that hurts in my eyes is the 65GB hard drive footprint, which is probably due in large part to the massive soundtrack in Grand Theft Auto 5.
Will you play Grand Theft Auto 5 on PC when it comes out in March (assuming there are no more delays), and can your system run it? I know I will and mine can, so I’m circling March 24th on my calendar, but only in pencil.
