How do I find out system requriements for a game?

[Outcast]

I am making a new game that will be on Steam, but I have never understood how one should come to the conlcusion of minimum system requrements for the game? I only have my computer and a laptop to test on so I don't really know what the minimum requirement is. Is there some program or something you can run an exe file through to find out or how do you guys specify your system requrements?

[Volnaiskra]

There was a similar thread with the same question a while back, and I don't think there was any conclusive consensus. I think you just need to test on multiple devices until you get a sense of the minimum requirements yourself. And then you may want to make them more conservative (ie. make the minimum requirements steeper)

[Del_Duio]

I think that other thread was mine!

But yes, I only had 3 various machines of mine personally to test the game on and then through a few separate internet people (trusted, of course). So the game ran smoothly on 2 of my 3 computers (with the problem one running the game WAY too slowly, even though it was more powerful than another older computer that ran it just fine).

And when the game was released, right away one guy had the same slowdown issues that I had experienced.. but most other people haven't. It's really weird, and sort of sucks to just NOT KNOW.

Honestly there are so many different computers that will eventually be running the program there's just no way to accurately tell what the game's going to do. You have to just hope for the best. At least that's what I'll do until MMF3's exe files compile to machine code

[Volnaiskra]

Del_Duio, were the two cases of slowdown you mentioned both caused by discrete graphic cards not being utilised? Or did you never find out for sure?

[Outcast]

At least that's what I'll do until MMF3's exe files compile to machine code

What do you mean by this? Will it be possible in Fusion 3 to approximate the system requirements?

[wererabbit]

Test it on an old system with Windows XP and an older video card. If it runs ok, call that your minimum specs. If it doesn't, change the specs to something you know will run the game well. Call them "recommended specs." Misson accomplished.

[Outcast]

I wonder if there is some service where you can send your game and they test it for you for a fee and specify the requrements? That would be very useful or a business model for someone to start :P