So you’ve got a laptop and are wondering: Can you play PC games on a laptop? In short, yes you can, as long as it meets the minimum specifications of the game you want to play.
Can You Play PC Games on a Laptop?
Before we look at whether you can play PC games on a laptop, we need understand the differences between a PC and laptop.
In simple terms:
- A PC (or ‘personal computer’) is a computer base unit that sits permanently at a desk or table. Connected the base unit will be a monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers and any other peripherals.
- A laptop is a portable computer. They can easily move around with you and are powered by a battery. They fold open to show a screen, keyboard and touchpad mouse. Laptops come in all different sizes and specifications.
So the main differences between a PC and laptop is the hardware itself. Just because a laptop is smaller, it doesn’t mean that it is less powerful! There are so many laptops on the market these days aimed specifically for gaming.
Therefore what you need to look at is the minimum and recommend specifications of your favourite games. This is the best indicator of whether your laptop will play the game you want to play. Make sure your laptop exceeds the minimum specifications and you will be perfectly fine.
Is a Laptop OK For Gaming?
As discussed above the main difference between a PC and a laptop is the hardware itself. As long as your laptop exceeds the minimum specifications for a game, it will be perfectly fine to game on. Just because laptops are small, it doesn’t mean they can’t perform well!
On the market you will find high specification gaming laptops which are built with gaming in mind. These can be expensive but should give you gaming performance for years to come. You will also have great portability to play your favourite games wherever you want.
There are also plenty of mid-range laptops on the market that are perfectly capable of gaming. You may not be able to max all the settings, but you can still enjoy hours of seamless gaming. So whatever your budget a laptop is OK for gaming.
Can You Play Games on a Non Gaming Laptop?
So can you play games on a non gaming laptop? Of course you can. You don’t need a laptop to be sold as ‘gaming’ to be able to install and play games.
With laptops not specifically sold with gaming in mind, you should be aware of a number of things.
- Ensure you laptop’s hardware is better than the minimum specification listed by the game developer. If your laptop is below this you may find the game won’t even load!
- Battery life when gaming is totally different to everyday use. Don’t be concerned to see battery power drain quickly. This is because your hardware is bring used to it’s capabilities. We would always recommend gaming with your charger plugged in!
Can I Use a Normal Laptop For Gaming?
Yes you can use a ‘normal’ laptop for gaming. In fact, you can use any laptop. Just make sure it meets the minimum specification of the games you want to play.
Most ‘normal’ laptops can play games on medium settings. You may also find that older titles will run perfectly well on maximum settings! But please be prepared that you may not be able to run the latest AAA titles.