The console war between the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One is heating up as the launch of both platforms approaches, but many PC gamers may well end up having to spend some hard cash to join the next generation as well, as increasingly demanding PC requirements for games mean that older rigs might get left behind.
Two such games with high expectations of the machines that run them are Watch Dogs, the vigilante sandbox game from Ubisoft that is all about the lack of privacy in a world of digitized communication, and Call of the Duty: Ghosts, the latest annual installment in Infinity Ward's perennially successful military shooter franchise. The PC requirements for both games have both been revealed, and it looks like they won't agree to rest their shiny new graphics on anything less than high-end gaming rigs with at least 6GB of RAM. What a pair of divas.
Watch Dogs turns its nose up entirely at 32-bit operating systems and demanding 64-bit OS as a basic requirement. You'll also need 20 GB of spare hard drive space in order to make room for Aiden Pearce's alternative version of Chicago. Here are the minimum and recommended PC specifications, courtesy of Uplay:
MINIMUM
Supported OS: Windows Vista SP2 64bit, Windows 7 SP1 64bit, Windows 8 64bit
Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 @ 2.66Ghz or AMD Phenom II X4 940 @ 3.0Ghz
RAM: 6 GB
Video Card: 1024 VRAM DirectX 11 with Shader Model 5.0 (see supported list)
Sound Card: DirectX 9 compatible Sound Card
This product supports 64-bit operating systems ONLY
RECOMMENDED
Processor: Core i7 3770 @ 3.5Ghz or AMD FX-8350 @ 4.0Ghz
RAM: 8 GB
Video Card: 2048 VRAM DirectX 11 with Shader Model 5.0 or higher (see supported list)
Sound Card: Surround Sound 5.1 capable sound card
Supported Video Cards at Time of Release: nVidia GeForce GTX460 or better, GT500, GT600, GT700 series; AMD Radeon HD5850 or better, HD6000, HD7000, R7 and R9 series, Intel® Irisâ„¢ Pro HD 5200
For those who are already turning to Call of Duty: Ghosts in the hopes that Infinity Ward's standards are a little lower, think again. You will also need a 64-bit system and at least 6GB RAM just to be able to play with Riley the dog, and the game is a whopping 50 GB install. Here are the requirements according to Nvdia:
Minimum System Requirements
OS: Windows 7 64-Bit / Windows 8 64-Bit
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8200 2.66 GHZ / AMD Phenom X3 8750 2.4 GHZ or better
RAM: 6 GB RAM
HDD: 50 GB HD space
Video: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti / ATI Radeon HD 5870 or better
Sound: DirectX Compatible Sound Card
DirectX: 11
Internet: Broadband connection and service required for Multiplayer Connectivity. Internet connection required for activation.
Recommended System Requirements
Video: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780
Both games probably give a good indication of what future games will most likely come to expect from PC gamers; those who have been managing to skate by with a 32-bit OS and 4GB RAM until now will soon have to make a decision to either upgrade or to invest in a next-gen console in order to play the most recent releases.
PC gamers whose rigs don't meet these requirements, will you be upgrading for Watch Dogs, Call of Duty: Ghosts and other next-gen games, or will you just play them on a console instead?
Watch Dogs releases November 19th, 2013 for the PC, Xbox 360, and PS3; November 15th for the PS4; and November 22nd for the XBox One.
Call of Duty: Ghosts releases November 5th, 2013 for the PC, PS3, Wii U, and Xbox 360; November 15th for the PS4; and November 22nd for the Xbox One.
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Source: Uplay