System scan and game recommendations base on user hardware.

[Zewt]

Hi I've had to spend some time in the Philippines for the last 6 months and I'm here for another 4 more. Unfortunately I couldn't bring my gaming desktop along with me and I've been using a somewhat dated borrowed laptop. I have a lot of down time here and I love to game, but my options are somewhat limited by my hardware. I've had a lot of mistakes as well, the last; I just spent an evening downloading "The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot" only to see "Sorry your system does not meet the game requirements." message. And it hit me, it would be awesome if there was a way steam could analyze my system and then provide a list of all the games that would/should run really well with my hardware, another of games that will/should run with medium settings, and last a list of games that would/should run with bare minimum settings. then you could add sub filters like genre, popularity, and release dates. This service would also let someone know they might need or want to update hardware when or before they purchase or try to play a game. I understand all games have a list of system requirements, but having this service would take a lot of work out of making a purchase for someone who doesn't know exactly what they are looking for, and it would spare me a lot of drooling over stuff I can't play. I'm sure I'm not the first to think of this and for all I know there may already be such a service. I am also aware that this would not be something that could be created easily in just a few days or weeks. Thank you for listening, and thank you for taking PC gaming to great heights already.

[Fox]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Andymon:

Hi I've had to spend some time in the Philippines for the last 6 months and I'm here for another 4 more. Unfortunately I couldn't bring my gaming desktop along with me and I've been using a somewhat dated borrowed laptop. I have a lot of down time here and I love to game, but my options are somewhat limited by my hardware. I've had a lot of mistakes as well, the last; I just spent an evening downloading "The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot" only to see "Sorry your system does not meet the game requirements." message. And it hit me, it would be awesome if there was a way steam could analyze my system and then provide a list of all the games that would/should run really well with my hardware, another of games that will/should run with medium settings, and last a list of games that would/should run with bare minimum settings. then you could add sub filters like genre, popularity, and release dates. This service would also let someone know they might need or want to update hardware when or before they purchase or try to play a game. I understand all games have a list of system requirements, but having this service would take a lot of work out of making a purchase for someone who doesn't know exactly what they are looking for, and it would spare me a lot of drooling over stuff I can't play. I'm sure I'm not the first to think of this and for all I know there may already be such a service. I am also aware that this would not be something that could be created easily in just a few days or weeks. Thank you for listening, and thank you for taking PC gaming to great heights already.

Or you could favorite this[www.systemrequirementslab.com] and save yourself the trouble.
Using it may give you hints about why it's not implemented.

[Fork_Q2]

This was discussed before.

It is a bad idea because 1) publishers often mislead on minimum requirements, and Steam would get the blame if a game does not work 2) System scanning tools can be hit and miss (I think this is what Fox was suggesting).

[Black Blade]

Also if you really want it Steam i think its working on something like these... not sure how good its working now but you can use Enhanced Steam[www.enhancedsteam.com] and it will add that to your Steam store pages on the browser like so:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/nm32xckkvtu4w41/Can%20i%20run%20it%20ES.png

And after you click it in Steam it opens:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/nim0t4nvikp4tk9/can%20i%20run%20it%20Steam.png

So i think Valve are working on it.. even that i will not really trust that

[Zewt]

Well this is why I put in "would/should" I have some understanding that it would be next to impossible for such a service to be 100% accurate due to so many variables, but it would help sales for older games, hardware sales would go up too (how many times ave you gotten that game you waited years for, only to find out your system isn't capable of a decent frame rate or resolution, and if there was an an alert when you made the prepurchase you would have made sure to have gotten an upgrade, but at 12:30 am on release night nothing is open and youre pulling your hair out in frustration as your friends are all leveling away?) Yes I know you can check the details in the fine print to avoid this as well. Thanks for everyone's comments they are appreciated.

[TeKraken]

Wouldn't this render steam mobile useless?

[Black Blade]

Początkowo opublikowane przez TeKraken:

Wouldn't this render steam mobile useless?

why? and hiw us these related to mobile?

[TeKraken]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Black Blade (Study again \(-.-)/:

Początkowo opublikowane przez TeKraken:

Wouldn't this render steam mobile useless?

why? and hiw us these related to mobile?

Whilst trying to buy on a mobile device you'd get warnings that your system isn't good enough and needs an upgrade.

[Τhe Rolling Cheese Wheel]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Fork_Q:

This was discussed before.

It is a bad idea because 1) publishers often mislead on minimum requirements, and Steam would get the blame if a game does not work 2) System scanning tools can be hit and miss (I think this is what Fox was suggesting).

Yep using scanned hardware on pc to guarantee functionality of games is essentially suicide on PC, since so many things can go wrong. Best to let the consumers figure it out on their own. Probably less sales, but at least you won't triple support load by a bunch of people complaining about games not working even though sysrequirement scanner says it does.

[Black Blade]

Początkowo opublikowane przez TeKraken:

Whilst trying to buy on a mobile device you'd get warnings that your system isn't good enough and needs an upgrade.

Well as the scan works in the clinet.. and you do not really have a clint on mobile that will not happen
More then that.. the browser will also not allow it
And even more by the time it will be here i think mobiles will run most of the game we have today if not more

[Fork_Q2]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Black Blade (Study again \(-.-)/:

Początkowo opublikowane przez TeKraken:

Whilst trying to buy on a mobile device you'd get warnings that your system isn't good enough and needs an upgrade.

Well as the scan works in the clinet.. and you do not really have a clint on mobile that will not happen
More then that.. the browser will also not allow it
And even more by the time it will be here i think mobiles will run most of the game we have today if not more :D:

Dark Souls, mobile edition. Now you can play and actually praise the sun at the same time!

[Tito Shivan]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Τhe Rolling Ham Cheese:

Początkowo opublikowane przez Fork_Q:

This was discussed before.

It is a bad idea because 1) publishers often mislead on minimum requirements, and Steam would get the blame if a game does not work 2) System scanning tools can be hit and miss (I think this is what Fox was suggesting).

Yep using scanned hardware on pc to guarantee functionality of games is essentially suicide on PC, since so many things can go wrong. Best to let the consumers figure it out on their own. Probably less sales, but at least you won't triple support load by a bunch of people complaining about games not working even though sysrequirement scanner says it does.

Another facet of this issue is system requirements being nothing close to a STANDARD.

what does it mean (performance-wise) to fulfill the minimum system requirements?
Does it means:
a) The game launches, it won't CTD or BSOD your machine. Period.
b) The game runs at minimum fps (1-10) at min resolution/quality
c) The game runs at average fps (30-60) at min resolution/quality
d)......
And the second question.
Does the answer for game A, by publisher B, equals to the answer for game C by publisher D (with both having the SAME requirements)?

Actually, that question is a flat and plain 'no'