Mojang raises Minecraft Java Edition system requirements – goodbye OpenGL

Minecraft raises its Java Edition PC system requirements ahead of its move to Vulkan

Minecraft Java Edition is in the middle of a visual overhaul. The game is moving from OpenGL to Vulkan, and the game’s “Vibrant Visuals” update will be coming alongside this switch. Ahead of this move, Mojang has updated the system requirements of Minecraft Java Edition. Now the game calls for more memory, stronger CPU/GPU hardware, and a GPU with Vulkan API support.

Over the years, Minecraft has changed. The game is 17 years old now. Worlds are bigger, the game has become more complex, and new features are coming to the game on a consistent basis. Simply put, the game’s hardware requirements have changed, and the upcoming Vulkan API update has prompted a rework of those requirements.

While Minecraft will still launch on hardware below its new minimum requirements, Mojang does not guarantee a good experience with this hardware. In the future, this hardware may struggle to run Minecraft Java Edition. This is especially true when Minecraft transitions from OpenGL to Vulkan.

(Source, Mojang)

Now, Mojang recommends that Minecraft players have a PC with 16GB of memory and a modern GPU with 6GB of memory. Recommended GPUs are now AMD’s RX 5600, Nvidia’s RTX 2060, and Nvidia’s ARC A580. These GPUs can run Minecraft at 1080p 60 FPS with the game’s “Fancy” preset. While the game’s hardware requirements are not high, they are much higher than they were before.

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