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Thermal underwear, sturdy boots, gloves, scarf – what are The Long Dark system requirements?

The Long Dark launches very soon. That’s not to say it hasn’t been out for a long time – it’s been in Early Access since 2014 – but the launch of version 1.0 sees the game graduate from its alpha state and into full release.

With version 1.0 comes the release of episodes one and two of Wintermute, formerly known as The Long Dark – Story Mode, and if you’ve not seen the captivating launch trailer, you really should:

Sometimes games seem to be in Early Access forever, a sort of development black hole where very little escapes. But one of the benefits of being in Early Access for such a long time is that the game, its systems, and its performance can be tweaked and nursed into their optimum state based on lots of data and player feedback, by engaging with the community at large.

And one of the games that has engaged the most with its fans is The Long Dark. That probably explains why the game is as finely-tuned and optimised as it is at the brink of release, and might also explain why the system requirements are relatively meagre.

Minimum The Long Dark system requirements (Windows)

  • OS: Windows XP
  • Processor: Dual-Core Intel i5 CPU @ 2GHz+
  • Memory: 4 GB RAM
  • Graphics: Intel 4xxx Series w/ 512MB VRAM or better
  • Storage: 1 GB available space
  • Sound Card: Any on-board chip will work.

Recommended The Long Dark system requirements (Windows)

  • OS: Windows 7
  • Processor: Intel i7 CPU @ 2.6GHz or higher
  • Memory: 8 GB RAM
  • Graphics: nVidia GTX 555 w/ 1GB VRAM or better
  • Storage: 1 GB available space
  • Sound Card: Ideally, something with Surround capabilities.

Minimum The Long Dark system requirements (Mac)

  • OS: OSX 10.9.3
  • Processor: Core i5 @ 2.2GHz
  • Memory: 4 GB RAM
  • Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 5000
  • Storage: 1 GB available space
  • Sound Card: On-board.

Recommended The Long Dark system requirements (Mac)

  • OS: OSX 10.9.3
  • Processor: Core i7 @ 2.7GHz+
  • Memory: 8 GB RAM
  • Graphics: Dedicated standalone GPU w/ 1GB+ VRAM
  • Storage: 1 GB available space
  • Sound Card: On-board

Minimum The Long Dark system requirements (Linux/SteamOS)

  • OS: SteamOS
  • Processor: Dual-Core Intel i5 CPU @ 2GHz+
  • Memory: 4 GB RAM
  • Graphics: Intel 4xxx Series w/ 512MB VRAM or better
  • Sound Card: Any on-board chip will work.
  • Additional Notes: This is an experimental build for SteamOS.

It’s worth mentioning that these system specs are still based on the Early Access testing, and Hinterland are well within their rights to change them for version 1.0 if they see fit.

It’s heartening to see a game with such a low technical barrier to entry, though, and one that launches on both Mac and Linux at the same time as their PC (and console) brethren, not with a lengthy delay to a third-party port.

And don’t let those relatively low system requirements fool you: The Long Dark really is beautiful.

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