Valheim is known for its accessible system requirements despite its stylistic approach and beautiful world. These relatively low system requirements have made the game very inclusive. As it can run on a wide range of PCs and Macs. This inclusivity is one of the many reasons for its popularity as nearly everyone can play it. Valheim also boasts a very fair price considering the amount of content and features implemented into the title. This conscious effort made to optimize Valheim for a wide range of hardware proves the care put into it. Iron Gate AB, the developers, have truly outdone themselves with this amazing title.
Overall the title is one that is very easy to run especially if you have assembled a PC in the last couple of years. Nonetheless, let’s take a detailed look at what exactly you need to run Valheim successfully. Let’s even take a look at the bare minimum required to run the game without making any major sacrifices in visuals.
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What are the recommended Valheim System Requirements for PC?
Since so much effort was put into optimizing Valheim for as many computers as possible the recommended settings are quite low. Despite the many amazing unique features and fun gameplay, the game requires so little to run. This is one of the rare instances where such a popular and newly released game can perform well even on very old hardware.
- Operating System (OS): Like the minimum requirements, Valheim’s recommended specifications also ask for Windows 7 or later in a 64-bit format.
- Processor: To get the most out of the game, a quad-core processor running at 3 GHz or equivalent is recommended. This higher processing power helps with more demanding aspects of the game.
- Memory (RAM): For smoother gameplay, especially in multiplayer mode, it’s recommended to have 8 GB of RAM.
- Graphics: The recommended graphics card is a GeForce GTX 970 or an equivalent model. This will allow you to enjoy the game with better graphics settings and a more immersive experience.
- DirectX: DirectX 11 or later is still required for the recommended specifications.
- Storage: The storage space requirement remains at just 1 GB, which is very manageable.
What are the minimum Valheim System Requirements for PC?
The development team behind Valheim has truly outdone themselves with the optimization and that can be seen through the minimum system requirements. Based on these we can truly see how light the game is. This is even without messing around with the config to further ease the load on PCs. This means that this can theoretically be brought down even lower if you are willing to sacrifice a lot just to play the game.
- Operating System (OS): Valheim requires at least Windows 7 or a later version in a 64-bit format. This allows players on various Windows platforms to access the game.
- Processor: A dual-core processor running at 2.6 GHz or an equivalent processor is the minimum requirement. This ensures that even systems with modest processing power can handle the game.
- Memory (RAM): A minimum of 4 GB of RAM is necessary. While 4 GB is considered the minimum, having more RAM will lead to smoother performance, especially in multiplayer mode.
- Graphics: To meet the minimum graphics requirements, you’ll need a GeForce GTX 500 series or an equivalent graphics card. This is still a relatively low requirement, making the game accessible to a wide audience.
- DirectX: Valheim requires DirectX 11 or later, which is standard for most modern gaming systems.
- Storage: The game takes up just 1 GB of storage space, which is incredibly modest compared to many modern games.
What are the recommended Valheim System Requirements for Mac?
Surprisingly enough Valheim is also available for Mac users as it is a very light game. The Mac requirements are very similar to those for PC and here we can see that.
- Operating System (OS): macOS 10.15 Catalina or later.
- Processor: A 3 GHz quad-core or equivalent processor is recommended for optimal performance.
- Memory (RAM): It’s advised to have 8 GB of RAM for a smoother gaming experience.
- Graphics: A Metal-compatible GPU with 2 GB VRAM is recommended for better graphics and performance.
- Storage: The game still requires just 1 GB of storage space on a Mac.
What are the minimum Valheim System Requirements for Mac?
The minimum Valheim system requirements for Mac are quite surprising since they cover many more generations of the laptop than expected. This is quite impressive considering how much they upgrade from one generation to the next.
- Operating System (OS): macOS 10.15 Catalina or later is required.
- Processor: Similar to PC requirements, a 2.6 GHz dual-core or equivalent processor is necessary.
- Memory (RAM): A minimum of 4 GB of RAM is needed for Mac users.
- Graphics: Mac users should have a Metal-compatible GPU with 1 GB VRAM.
- Storage: Just like on PC, Valheim for Mac takes up only 1 GB of storage space.
What is the best build to play Valheim on Windows?
To achieve the best possible experience from Valheim on PC you should simply follow the recommended hardware or that that exceeds the requirements. For PC we suggest a quad-core processor, 8 GB or RAM, and a graphics card equivalent or superior to a GeForce GTX 970. Anything above this will run the game on max settings easily and offer you a great and smooth gameplay experience.
What is the best build to play Valheim on Mac?
For Mac, just like on PC, we recommend that you stick to at least the recommended Valheim system requirements as they will offer you stable and smooth gameplay. Anything under them may cause your game to suffer from low fps but the game will still run. If you have no option and really want to play the title you can, just make sure to turn down the settings to suit your needs. Furthermore, if you really need to you can change some settings externally in the config to make the game run on really old hardware.
Do you need a good PC for Valheim?
One of Valheim’s strengths is its accessibility. You don’t necessarily need a high-end gaming PC or Mac to play it. The game’s modest system requirements mean that even players with mid-range or older hardware can enjoy the experience. In fact, Valheim is one of the lightest large titles to come out in recent years when looking at system requirements.
This is especially impressive when you take a look at the deep and immersive survival mechanics and visuals in the game. Valheim also has a procedurally generated open world with a stellar approach to progression and death. Furthermore, there is a dynamic weather system and day-night cycle that immerses players in the Norse world. The attention to detail is truly what makes the world shine as well as the complexity and many layers of the gameplay. But above all else the multiplayer and crossplay experience that you can share amongst friends is amazing. You can play with up to 10 players at one time with minimum impact on the performance of the game. Which speaks levels about the optimization for the game.
Is Valheim a heavy game?
Valheim is not by any standard considered a heavy or demanding game in terms of system requirements. This is thanks to many efforts from the developers of Iron Gate Studio who worked on the game fiercely. The title was in development for a good part of four years and we can see the efforts from the team come to light. Valheim has hundreds of factors it can be praised about but the most prominent one is the performance.
One of the more shocking factors for most is the minuscule 1 GB storage requirement for such a large game. Especially when you consider that we are in a landscape that almost requires dozens of gigabytes for even the smallest titles. Through this and many other factors we can clearly see the game is not heavy at all. Rather it is one of the lightest and best games out on the gaming market right now.
Can you play Valheim without a GPU?
Playing most games without a GPU or on an integrated GPU is not a good idea due to possible performance restraints. This is because a Graphics Processing Unit is a vital component in any gaming setup as it is responsible for rendering the graphics on your screen. So going without one would be detrimental since most games would struggle to generate the visuals and the same applies to Valheim. This is in order to have a smooth playing experience on your PC, although you can run the game on integrated graphics. The performance will significantly lack compared to a proper GPU but will do the job if it’s the only option.
Valheim’s official system requires at minimum a GeForce GTX 500 series GPU or similar with the 970 series being the recommended hardware to run the game. The GPU should have at least 1 GB of VRAM to run the game smoothly. Through a GPU or at least the minimum requirements the game may struggle to perform at all. This can result in low frame rates, graphical glitches, and even crashes while playing Valheim.
How to improve performance?
If you lack a Dedicated GPU you have a few options to try and replace one or mend the lack of one. Here are the best methods you can employ:
- Integrated Graphics – Most computers come with integrated graphics, which are slower than GPUs but can serve as a solid replacement. If your system has reasonably powerful integrated graphics you might be able to run Valheim on low graphics settings. Which brings us to the next point.
- Reduced Graphics Quality – By adjusting the graphics settings you can reduce the load on the GPU and allow your integrated graphics or older GPU to run the game easier. Lowering settings such as resolution, texture quality, and shadows can drastically increase performance.
- Linux Compatibility Layers – Some Linux users have seen success utilizing compatibility layers like Proton and WIne. These tools might work for you but results may be wary just keep that in mind.
What does Valheim run on?
Valheim is run on the Unity engine and thanks to it has managed to do a lot that has caused its success. As one of the most popular indie studio tools, Unity stands as one of the best engines to use. It is only second to Unreal Engine in terms of usage in popularity. Recently Unity announced a new pricing plan that has made Valeheim fans worried about the longevity of the game. While nothing is set in stone yet the game might have to see a price increase because of this. Ultimately we will have to wait and see how this development unfolds till next year.
Does Valheim use a lot of RAM?
Valheim is not a memory-intensive game with the minimum requirement of 4 GB of RAM, which is relatively modest compared to modern titles. Albeit having more RAM like 8 GB or higher does improve the gameplay experience making it smoother. This is especially noticeable if you are playing in multiplayer or running the game alongside other applications. Generally, the game will run perfectly fine on 4 GB of RAM as long as it is the only program running.
