Minecraft’s official system requirements have updated for the first time in 17 years

Published Jul 27, 2026, 3:21 AM EDT Simon is a Computer Science BSc graduate who has been writing about technology since 2014, and using Windows machines since 3.1. After working for an indie game studio and acting as the family's go-to technician for all computer issues, he found his passion for writing and decided to use his skill set to write about all things tech. Since beginning his writing career, he has written for many different publications such as WorldStart, Listverse, and MakeTechEasier. However, after finding his home at MakeUseOf in February 2019, he would eventually move on to its sister site, XDA, to bring the latest and greatest in Windows, Linux, and DIY electronics. Sign in to your XDA account Summary Mojang updated Minecraft: Java Edition's system requirements after 17 years to reflect modern play. Minimum: 64-bit, 8GB RAM (12GB w/ integrated GPU), 4-core CPU, Vulkan 1.3 GPU w/2GB VRAM for 30FPS 1080p. Recommended: 16GB RAM, i5-12400/Ryzen 5 5600/Apple M2 Pro and RTX 2060/RX 5600 XT/Arc A580 (6GB) for 60FPS 1080p. How many games do you know that update their system requirements 17 years after they came out? Given how long Minecraft has thrived for almost two decades now, it's probably not a surprise that the game requires beefier hardware today than it did on launch. Mojang has updated its aging system requirements for the game, and honestly, the new requirements are very reasonable given how the game has evolved. Minecraft has new recommended requirements, and they're not as scary as they sound They're actually very agreeable Over on the Minecraft website, Mojang has announced a tweak to the game's system requirements. This is usually bad news for gamers who are concerned that their hardware is getting left behind, but don't panic. This isn't Mojang announcing a huge graphical rework that will leave thousands of older PCs unable to play Minecraft, but is instead the company updating the specs to reflect what the game really needs in this day and age: The previous system requirements for Minecraft: Java Edition were based on older hardware and older graphics technology. While those specs may have reflected what Minecraft needed in the past, they no longer represent what the game needs to run well today. This is why we’re raising both the minimum and recommended system requirements for Minecraft: Java Edition. The new requirements include more memory, more powerful processors, and graphics hardware that supports Vulkan 1.3. The Minecraft team wanted to ensure that if someone booted up the game and picked the Fast graphical preset, they should get 30FPS at a 1080p resolution at an absolute minimum. As such, the minimum requirements are now: A 64-bit system 8 GB of RAM if you have a GPU, or 12 GB of RAM with integrated graphics A 4-core processor A Vulkan 1.3-capable GPU with at least 2 GB of VRAM The recommended requirements will allow someone to play the game on the Fancy graphical preset at 1080p resolution at 60FPS. To achieve this, you'll need: A 64-bit system 16 GB of RAM Intel Core i5-12400, AMD Ryzen 5 5600, or Apple M2 Pro NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, Intel Arc A580, or Apple M2 Pro, with 6 GB VRAM. This is less because Minecraft is getting a huge graphical update and more because the old system requirements didn't really reflect what the game was like anymore. As someone who loves playing on heavily-modded servers, I can attest that 8 GB of RAM is really cutting it close with Minecraft these days, so it was well worth tweaking the requirements to reflect reality.