Star Citizen has been in development for over a decade now, with developer Cloud Imperium Games continuously expanding the game’s scope and ambition. While still in alpha, Star Citizen offers players an immense sandbox to explore and experience emergent gameplay within. For those curious about diving into this massive universe but unsure if their PC can handle it, this guide will outline the Star Citizen minimum specs and what you can expect from the game in its current state.

Star Citizen Minimum Specs

Let’s start with the basics – what kind of PC do you need to meet the Star Citizen minimum requirements and start exploring the verse? CIG has provided the following minimum specs:

• Operating System: Windows 10 (latest service pack)
• CPU: Quad-core CPU such as Intel Sandy Bridge or later, AMD Bulldozer or later
• GPU: DirectX 11.1 compatible graphics card with 3GB VRAM such as an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon RX 570
• RAM: 16GB
• Storage: 83GB

So in summary – you’ll want at least a mid-range quad-core processor from the last 5-6 years, 16GB of RAM, and a graphics card with 3GB VRAM like the GTX 970 or RX 570. Meeting these specs will allow you to play Star Citizen, but you may experience some performance issues depending on where you are in the game.

What to Expect From Star Citizen in Its Current State

With development still ongoing, Star Citizen is incomplete and subject to change. However, even in alpha there is a lot to experience. Some of the key things you can do now include:

• Explore vast planets and moons both on foot and in vehicles. Currently there are planets like MicroTech, ArcCorp, and Hurston to discover.
• Engage in ship combat against other players or AI. Fly a variety of ships from fighters to capital ships.
• Mine for resources, trade goods between stations, or transport cargo for others. Careers like mining, trading, and hauling are playable.
• Roleplay through missions provided by in-game factions like bounty hunting, investigations, and more.
• Collaborate with other players through in-game organizations to run operations together.
• Customize your character and ships with a variety of equipment, weapons, and components to upgrade performance.
• Visit social hubs like Area18 and New Babbage to interact with other players.

While performance and stability can vary, Star Citizen offers a lot to see and do even at this stage of development. With new content and features added regularly, it’s an exciting time to start exploring this persistent universe.

Is Star Citizen Worth It in Alpha?

As an alpha, Star Citizen comes with some significant caveats. Bugs, glitches, and performance issues are common given the unfinished state of development. Wipes can delete your progress as systems are overhauled. And with continuous expansion planned, the final release is still years away.

However, for those looking for an immersive space sim experience unlike any other currently available, Star Citizen delivers even in alpha. The scale and attention to detail in recreating life in the Star Citizen universe is unparalleled. If you go in understanding it’s a work in progress, there is fun to be had mining asteroids, dogfighting other players, or simply marveling at the sights.