In the buildup to its eventual launch, Ubisoft has released details regarding the minimum specs required to run its open-world crime caper Watch Dogs on PC platforms. Taking to Twitter, the game’s creative director, Jonathan Morin, detailed the specs while also addressing recent criticism directed at the new, seemingly ‘downgraded’ trailer footage.
Here is the technical small print in question:
Processor: IntelCore 2 Quad Q8400 2.66Ghz or AMDPhenom II X4 940 3.0Ghz
Memory: 6GB RAM
Hard drive: 25 GB
Video card: 1024 VRAM DirectX 11 Shader 5.0
Sound Card: DirectX9
Of course, it’s worth keeping in mind that these are the entry level specifications for the PC version of Watch Dogs. Given the visual quality of the game, it’ll be interesting to see just how far Ubisoft push the graphical envelope on that particular platform. Plus, a 25GB install isn’t too taxing, bearing in mind that the hard drive space needed for Titanfall stretches to 48GB.
In terms of last week’s story trailer, though — which aimed to reintroduce Ubisoft’s hacking opus after its six month hiatus — many critics questioned the fidelity of the footage shown in comparison with the initial reveal two years ago. In response, Morin reiterated that our first glimpse of Watch Dogs was on PC, while citing that the latest story trailer “wasn’t a good graphical reference.”
@vytla102 Guys… Trailer wasn’t a good GFX ref. E3 2012 was PC as we always said and E3 2013 is PS4 reference. Was always the case…
— Jonathan Morin (@Design_Cave) March 11, 2014
Essentially, it seems E3 2012’s footage was a high-end, vertical slice of the game that wasn’t indicative of the final build — a proof of concept, of sorts. Still, considering the intriguing scope of Watch Dogs, it becomes easy to side with fluid, responsive gameplay over raw graphics when it comes to Aiden Pearce’s cybernetic adventure.