Halo 5: Forge system requirements are here, and Windows 10 Anniversary is required

As the closest thing we'll get to Masterchief until the arrival of Halo 6, the launch of Halo 5: Forge next month is likely to be of interest even to those ambivalent towards the series. The free-to-play offering is basically a map editor, but there's also a 16-player multiplayer component, meaning that, yes, we'll soon be able to play Halo MP in an official capacity.

The shooter's system requirements are now out, and it looks like fairly modest rigs should be capable of running it. You'll only need a 650 Ti to run it at minimum settings, but for a 1080p / 60fps experience (ie, one that's on par with the Xbox One version) you'll need a GTX 970 with 12GB of RAM and an i5-3570k. Meanwhile, those with a 980 Ti and i7-4770k or equivalent should be able to run it in 4k.

There's one snag, though it won't come as a surprise to anyone familiar with Microsoft's first-party software rollouts on PC thus far: you'll need Windows 10 Anniversary Edition to run it. If you declined to update to Windows 10 before the free period expired, well, you either buy Windows 10 or miss out, I'm afraid.

Check out the full requirements below, or here

Minimum

Windows 10 Anniversary Edition
DirectX 12
intel Core i5 at 2.3Ghz or AMD equivalent
GeForce 650 Ti
2GB VRAM
8GB RAM
HDD 40GB

Recommended

Windows 10 Anniversary Edition
DirectX 12
intel Core i5-3570k at 3.4GHz or AMD equivalent
GeForce GTX 970
4GB VRAM
8GB RAM
HDD 40GB

Ultra (4K)

Windows 10 Anniversary Edition
DirectX 12
Intel Core i7-4770k at 3.4GHz or AMD equivalent
GeForce 980 Ti
6GB VRAM
16GB RAM
HDD 40GB

Shaun Prescott

Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.