Half-Life 2 System Requirements | Can My PC Run It?
Requirements status: Verified. Published PC requirements reviewed against the cited source
Quick Hardware Summary
Half-Life 2 requires at least 1.7 Ghz CPU, DirectX 8.1 level Graphics Card (requires support for SSE) GPU, and 512 MB RAM. For recommended settings, aim for Not confirmed CPU and Not confirmed GPU.
About Half-Life 2
Gordon Freeman became the most popular nameless and voiceless protagonist in gaming history. He is painted as the most famous scientist and a hero within the world of Half-Life, and for a good reason. In the first game he saved the planet from alien invasion, this time, when the invasion is already begun, the world needs his help one more time. And you, as a player, will help this world to survive. This time Gordon arrives in City 17, ravaged and occupied by Combines, where he meets his old Black Mesa friends.
What is different, aside from the overall design quality, is the use of Valve’s Source engine that not only expands on the fluidity of character model animations and movement but allows players to interact with a myriad of objects with the advanced and realistic (to an extent) physics. Classic Headcrab Zombies are revamped and have new variants that provide players with different threats. For a story-driven FPS, Half-Life 2 is unique in its plot delivery, and making in-game mechanics feel natural, be it platforming or driving.
Half-Life 2 System Requirements
Minimum
- OS:
- Windows 7, Vista, XP
- CPU:
- 1.7 Ghz
- GPU:
- DirectX 8.1 level Graphics Card (requires support for SSE)
- RAM:
- 512 MB
- Storage Required:
- 6500 MB available space
Recommended
- OS:
- Not confirmed
- CPU:
- Not confirmed
- GPU:
- Not confirmed
- RAM:
- Not verified
Requirements source and version
Half-Life 2 — Windows PC store specifications; snapshot 2026-10-19
Official Steam store listingPublished specifications for this exact store edition. Missing recommended fields remain unknown. Store release dates may differ by region and from the first PC release. Steam client OS support can differ from a historical game OS listing. Compatibility estimates are not measured FPS. Source checked: October 19, 2026.
PC store release date: Nov 16, 2004 (store listing; may differ from the first PC release).
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