Minecraft System Requirements 2026: Can Your PC Run It?

As of July 21, 2026, Mojang’s minimum for Java Edition is a 64-bit PC with a 4-core processor, 8 GB of RAM (12 GB if you use integrated graphics) and a graphics card that supports Vulkan 1.3 with at least 2 GB of video memory. The recommended spec is 16 GB of RAM and a GPU with 6 GB of video memory. Bedrock on Windows is much lighter and runs on far more machines.

Those numbers are a big jump from the old “any laptop from 2012” requirements, and they changed for a reason: Java Edition is moving to a new Vulkan renderer, and Mojang rewrote the specs around what the game needs today.

Java Edition, minimum vs recommended

	Minimum	Recommended
Target	1080p, 30 FPS, Fast graphics	1080p, 60 FPS, Fancy graphics
System	64-bit	64-bit
CPU	4 cores	A stronger modern processor
RAM	8 GB with a dedicated GPU, 12 GB with integrated graphics	16 GB
GPU	Vulkan 1.3 support, 2 GB VRAM	6 GB VRAM

The RAM figures are for the whole computer, not what you give Minecraft. Windows, the launcher, your browser and (on integrated graphics) the GPU all share it. Mojang’s announcement didn’t list operating system versions or storage, so check the official requirements article for those details.

My PC is below the minimum

You can still play. Mojang says older systems keep working, they just aren’t supported, and a PC without Vulkan may not run future releases. Your options:

• Play Bedrock. If you own the PC version you already have it. Bedrock runs well on integrated graphics and modest laptops. See Java vs Bedrock for what you’d give up.
• Stay on an older Java version. The launcher keeps every release, so you can pin an installation to the last one your PC runs well. How to play old versions shows how.
• Use performance mods. Sodium and similar mods cut the load on weaker hardware a lot.

What decides your FPS

Spec sheets matter less than your settings. Render distance is the biggest lever: dropping it from 16 to 8 chunks is usually the single biggest frame rate gain on weak hardware. Simulation distance, clouds and particles come next. Shaders are the heaviest thing you can add and need a proper graphics card. Our lag and FPS guide goes setting by setting.

Test before you buy

The Java demo in the launcher and the Bedrock trial on Windows are both free and both run the real game. Play for twenty minutes, walk around a village, and watch the frame rate with F3 (Java). If it’s smooth there, it’ll be fine. Then follow how to download Minecraft on PC to install the full version.