Will it play?: Auto-detect minimum requirements

[Latino_Kim]

I noticed that steam client has access to user's hardware and software settings (accessible in 'Help -> System Information' Menu). Since the Steam client already has my personal computer's technical specs, I was wondering if the client could also automatically detect, search and list all video games that can run on my current machine. Better yet, since the Steam client knows my computer's technical specs, each of the minimum requirements section on game's profile should be able to indicate if the user's current computer meets the minimum requirements or not.

This would be useful for people like me who own multiple machines, which is often the case for most people nowadays. But most importantly, having this feature would allow casual gamers to find the type of games their computer can run.

There's a reason why the mobile gaming market is doing so well. Everyone is a potential 'casual gamer' who just wants to play a bit of Tetris or a racing game while taking a lunch break from work. These potential casual gamers out there looking for an easy-starter game that can be played on a mid-end laptop. But they have a hard time checking for each minimum requirements for every game they look up. Nor are they willing to sink in thousands of dollars on a new gaming machine if they barely know how to play the game.

There are already websites out there such as 'systemrequirementslab.com' or 'game-debate.com' that offer auto detection services of your PC and gives you recommendations based on your machine's technical specification. Google Play App Store also autodetects your phone's setting and informs the user whether your phone can run the app or not. I thought it would be nice for Steam clients to offer the service as well.

[999999999]

Will never happen. Why? Valve will be held responsible for any and all inaccuracies.

Please use the search function next time.

[Latino_Kim]

Originally posted by 999999999:

Will never happen. Why? Valve will be held responsible for any and all inaccuracies.

Please use the search function next time.

I'm not sure if your suggested resolution to 'use the search function' is entirely helpful. Steam's current search function does not include options to filter via system specs.

Which brings up a good point though, if Auto-detection cannot be done, then users can specify their computer's system requirements on their own. This way there's no liability issues held against Valve since it's the user who's voluntarily putting in their own information.

[999999999]

Originally posted by Peon:

Originally posted by 999999999:

Will never happen. Why? Valve will be held responsible for any and all inaccuracies.

Please use the search function next time.

I'm not sure if your suggested resolution to 'use the search function' is entirely helpful. Steam's current search function does not include options to filter via system specs.

I am letting you know that this topic is made about every week. Using the search function to see those threads would have given you the answer long before you decided to make a new thread about the same thing.

[Peabrain]

Originally posted by Peon:

Originally posted by 999999999:

Will never happen. Why? Valve will be held responsible for any and all inaccuracies.

Please use the search function next time.

I'm not sure if your suggested resolution to 'use the search function' is entirely helpful. Steam's current search function does not include options to filter via system specs.

Which brings up a good point though, if Auto-detection cannot be done, then users can specify their computer's system requirements on their own. This way there's no liability issues held against Valve since it's the user who's voluntarily putting in their own information.

Use the search forum suggestion was because if you used it you would have seen this has been suggested time and time again. Every time users explain indetail the reasons why this would never happen.

If you need to know becayse you dont understand your hardware ask in the forums, look for youtube videos, try systemrequirementslab

Even if you have the exact specs listed on the page for several different games your performance will vary. all because that never states what resolution, settings or fps those system requirements are aimed at.

[Latino_Kim]

I get that I'm not the first one to suggest this and the idea had been brought up time and time again. Which is a real shame, because everyone seems to be wanting the same thing here.

I'm thinking, how about giving users the options to voluntarily submit their system specs with their game review? The category will be auto-filled, as it would be detected by your Steam client, and a user only has to 'agree' to share the information by 'click to enable' box while submitting their game review.

Based on the accrued information, steam can simply 'share' the data (not an actual recommendation) to show which user system requirements have successfully played the game, and which have not.

[999999999]

It is called liability. That's why.

And not everyone will want others to know their specs as that might seen private information that can not be asked for.

[76561198407601200]

Originally posted by Peon:

I get that I'm not the first one to suggest this and the idea had been brought up time and time again. Which is a real shame, because everyone seems to be wanting the same thing here.

I'm thinking, how about giving users the options to voluntarily submit their system specs with their game review? The category will be auto-filled, as it would be detected by your Steam client, and a user only has to 'agree' to share the information by 'click to enable' box while submitting their game review.

Based on the accrued information, steam can simply 'share' the data (not an actual recommendation) to show which user system requirements have successfully played the game, and which have not.

What the real shame is someone not knowing what their system specs are. Each store page shows the minimum and recommended requirements for a game. If you meet the minimum, you should (key word) be able to play the game. That keyword "Should" is the reason there is no feature on steam to state if you can play a game or not. One could meet the requirements, but software on one particular person's pc may cause the game to not play properly. Just learn what your specs are, compare to what is required and you can then determine if it should run a game.

[Latino_Kim]

Originally posted by 999999999:

It is called liability. That's why.

And not everyone will want others to know their specs as that might seen private information that can not be asked for.

That's why it'll be VOLUNTARY. Users can simply opt-out by simply unchecking the 'click to enable' box. The system is asking for the user to volunteer.

Originally posted by The Living Tribunal:

What the real shame is someone not knowing what their system specs are. Each store page shows the minimum and recommended requirements for a game. If you meet the minimum, you should (key word) be able to play the game. That keyword "Should" is the reason there is no feature on steam to state if you can play a game or not. One could meet the requirements, but software on one particular person's pc may cause the game to not play properly. Just learn what your specs are, compare to what is required and you can then determine if it should run a game.

Again, the service's target audience are casual gamers who might have a mid-end laptop. Not that I recommend installing games on your company laptop. Also, unless you are constantly upgrading your gaming rig, your average person has a hard time knowing what all the new CPU and GPU specs are for each model and have to spend a good amount of time researching. 'Kingdom Two Crowns' game profile suggests minimum of "Nvidia GTX Series 8". Now how does it compare to other Nvidia graphic card series such as GeForce GT, GTX, Quadro, Titan and etc if you're not a hardcore gamer? And what if it was an AMD? They'll end up having to google each series names. It's time consuming and makes it hard for casual gamers to delve into wider range of video games.

Now most of you hardcore gamers may not understand why it's difficult for average people to understand all this linguo. I'm already seeing some of you suggesting that if a person don't understand game's technical specs right away, then they shouldn't play video games. I say that's a bunch of BS. Steam isn't exclusively for just you hardcore gamers and you don't have to be a computer expert to play video games. PC elitism is the reason why Consoles and Mobile game market are constantly beating PC gaming market.

Would you like to play more games on PC? Then stop faulting casual players for not knowing their computer specs. Instead, make it easier for casual players to purchase and enjoy computer games. After all, isn't this the reason why you guys are using Steam client in the first place?

A hardcore gamer wouldn't know what a BNC, SDI, crimp tool or Spectrum Analyzers are unless they've worked in the broadcast industry or they've just started googling about it after reading this post. Does a hardcore gamer know how much CFM a vacuum cleaner needs to clean a artisanal Persian rug? Do you know the exact time and temperature required to bake a Sourdough bread? Do you know which Honda's year and make had Transmission issues off the top of your head? Of course you wouldn't, because an average person wouldn't be an expert in vacuums. But that doesn't stop a gamer from buying them, even though by their logic, a person why doesn't know the technical specs of their vacuum machine shouldn't be vacuuming.

Helping casual gamers to easily identify which games can be played on their computer would only want them to research and upgrade their rig in order to play the games they want. Thus a bigger market for PC gamers, thus you hardcore PC gamers also get more variety and bigger budgeted PC games. It's a win win for all.

[76561198407601200]

Originally posted by Peon:

Originally posted by 999999999:

It is called liability. That's why.

And not everyone will want others to know their specs as that might seen private information that can not be asked for.

That's why it'll be VOLUNTARY. Users can simply opt-out by simply unchecking the 'click to enable' box. The system is asking for the user to volunteer.

Originally posted by The Living Tribunal:

What the real shame is someone not knowing what their system specs are. Each store page shows the minimum and recommended requirements for a game. If you meet the minimum, you should (key word) be able to play the game. That keyword "Should" is the reason there is no feature on steam to state if you can play a game or not. One could meet the requirements, but software on one particular person's pc may cause the game to not play properly. Just learn what your specs are, compare to what is required and you can then determine if it should run a game.

Again, the service's target audience are casual gamers who might have a mid-end laptop.

Again, there are factors that change if a system will run a game. There are already services available that will tell you if your pc will run a game. And guess what, if they are wrong, nobody can pin the blame on valve as they were not the one to provide that info.

[999999999]

And hardware is not the only factor in this.

[Start_Running]

Originally posted by Peon:

Originally posted by 999999999:

Will never happen. Why? Valve will be held responsible for any and all inaccuracies.

Please use the search function next time.

I'm not sure if your suggested resolution to 'use the search function' is entirely helpful. Steam's current search function does not include options to filter via system specs.

Which brings up a good point though, if Auto-detection cannot be done, then users can specify their computer's system requirements on their own. This way there's no liability issues held against Valve since it's the user who's voluntarily putting in their own information.

There is a liability issue. Because again Gfx card performance is not a linear progression. That's really the main hiccup.

Look. if you know your system specs, its easy to just compare them against the system requirements. Also minimum specs are a hodgepodge because for some developers those minimum specs are just the bare minimum needed to start and run the program without your PC seizing up. It does not mean it will run at a playable level.


So yeah... just learn you specs and learn what they mean. takes 20 mins and you'll be a lot better off.

[cinedine]

Originally posted by Peon:

There are already websites out there such as 'systemrequirementslab.com' or 'game-debate.com' that offer auto detection services of your PC and gives you recommendations based on your machine's technical specification. Google Play App Store also autodetects your phone's setting and informs the user whether your phone can run the app or not. I thought it would be nice for Steam clients to offer the service as well.

CYRI is heavily faulty. I play several games that according to this site I cannot run at all. That would be lost sales.


Android works completely different because it doesn't take into account the hardware capabilities of your phone. When compiling your app you do so against a certain version of Android and its instruction sets. This will be enforced during instalation even if you do not need this high a version.

[Crazy Tiger]

Originally posted by Peon:

A hardcore gamer wouldn't know what a BNC, SDI, crimp tool or Spectrum Analyzers are unless they've worked in the broadcast industry or they've just started googling about it after reading this post. Does a hardcore gamer know how much CFM a vacuum cleaner needs to clean a artisanal Persian rug? Do you know the exact time and temperature required to bake a Sourdough bread? Do you know which Honda's year and make had Transmission issues off the top of your head?

With all these questions that you're asking, you'll get the same answer. No, I don't know it, but if I would be interested (had such a rug, wanted to bake that bread, was interested in cars), then I'd make sure I'd know.

Same goes with gaming. You want to play a game on a PC, then you'll have to know that bit of knowledge to determine whether a game can run on your system.

Originally posted by Peon:

Helping casual gamers to easily identify which games can be played on their computer would only want them to research and upgrade their rig in order to play the games they want. Thus a bigger market for PC gamers, thus you hardcore PC gamers also get more variety and bigger budgeted PC games. It's a win win for all.

There is no easy way to identify it. There are more factors in play besides some hardware requirements.
Not to forget that the requirements aren't always spot on. Sometimes they're the bare minimum, sometimes they're just the lowest a developer tested it on and sometimes it's just a form filled out because the developer has to.

It also won't lead to a bigger market with more variety for PC gamers. What it would lead to is casual gamers blaming Valve when a game doesn't work properly. And no, making it voluntarily doesn't get rid of that, people always want to shift blame away from themselves.

[Latino_Kim]

Hmm I stand corrected

[Washell]

I don't think any of the many online stores that are around is doing this. Which should tell you something in itself.

Those who want the voluntary option, can install the enhanced steam browser plugin.