System requirements
Will it run on your machine?
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 (1809+), Ubuntu 22.04+, macOS 11+ | Latest Windows 10/11, Ubuntu 24.04+ |
| CPU | SSE4.1, ~1500 STR, 2 cores + SMT | AVX2, ~2000 STR, 4+ cores |
| GPU | DirectX 11 / OpenGL 3.3 / Vulkan, 2 GB | DirectX 12 / Vulkan, 4 GB |
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB |
Requirements are a starting point, not a promise
A mid-tier CPU can crush 2D fighters yet struggle with a software-renderer-heavy title. STR (single-thread rating) matters for many games; core count helps when you enable extra threads for texture streaming or MTVU-style options—but only when the game likes them.
Integrated graphics
Often fine at native or 2× IR for lighter titles. Watch shared memory bandwidth; close browser video and game launchers hogging the iGPU.
Storage
SSD reduces stutter when streaming from compressed images. Keep 20+ GB free for saves, dumps, and shader cache growth.
| Workload | What stresses the PC |
|---|---|
| 2D / simple 3D | Mostly CPU for emulation; GPU idles unless you crank IR. |
| Heavy post-processing | GPU fills rise with resolution; CPU still feeds the GS. |
| Software renderer | CPU does the heavy lifting—expect fans to spin up. |
| FMV-heavy games | Can bottleneck on decoding paths; try different renderers per wiki. |