LaptopCompat

Guide

How to Check If Your Laptop Can Run a Game

Last reviewed 10/6/2026

To check if a laptop can run a game, compare the game's published minimum requirements with your laptop's graphics chip (GPU), memory (RAM) and operating system; graphics is the part that most often falls short. The quickest way is to search your exact laptop on What Can I Run, which does the comparison and shows its sources.

On a Mac the first question is whether the game has a macOS version at all.

Quick steps

  1. Find your laptop's graphics chip. On Windows open Task Manager → Performance and look at GPU (a laptop may list an integrated GPU and a discrete one). On a Mac, About This Mac shows the chip.
  2. Read the game's requirements. Open the game's store page (Steam, the publisher's site) and read the minimum and recommended requirements: operating system, processor, memory, graphics and storage.
  3. Compare graphics first. Check that your GPU is at least as capable as the minimum GPU, and that it has enough video memory if the page states one. Integrated graphics usually meet only the lightest games.
  4. Check RAM, storage and operating system. Make sure you have at least the listed RAM and free storage, and that the game supports your operating system. Many games are Windows-only, which rules out a Mac without a compatibility layer.
  5. Or check your exact laptop in one step. Search your model on What Can I Run for a verdict with sources, or see the table of every MacBook against every game we track.

Minimum is a floor, not a promise

Meeting the minimum requirements means the publisher says the game can run, usually at low settings and modest resolution. The recommended requirements describe the experience the developer aims for. Neither is a performance guarantee, and your cooling and power mode matter too.

Laptops with two GPUs

Many gaming laptops have an integrated GPU and a discrete one, and Windows may run a game on the integrated GPU by default. In Windows Settings → System → Display → Graphics you can set a game to use the high-performance GPU.

Frequently asked questions

Does meeting the minimum requirements mean the game will run well?

Not necessarily. Minimum requirements describe what the publisher says is enough to run the game, typically at low settings. Recommended requirements are closer to a smooth experience.

What if my laptop has two graphics chips?

Check the discrete GPU against the requirements and make sure the game is set to use it in Windows graphics settings, otherwise it may run on the weaker integrated GPU.

Can a MacBook run Windows-only games?

Not natively. Compatibility layers can run some Windows games on a Mac, but results vary and the publishers do not support them, so our verdicts count only official macOS support.

What we have checked

We have checked 11,581 laptop and game pairs (105 games on 253 laptops): 65% meet the game's minimum requirements. Of the 105 games we track on Macs, 25 have a macOS version.

Check yours

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