Dear Esther: PC requirements and the PC you need
AdventureCasualIndie
Cover artwork © the game's publisher.
About Dear Esther
Dear Esther is an adventure and casual game, made by The Chinese Room and Robert Briscoe and published by Secret Mode. You can play it single player.
What Dear Esther needs
In plain words: to play at all it needs almost any graphics, even the graphics built into the processor, and to play it well the makers suggest almost any graphics, even the graphics built into the processor, with 1GB of memory.
| Part | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Graphics card | DirectX 9 compliant video card with Shader model 3.0 support. NVidia 7600, ATI X1600 or better (Pre-Sandybridge Intel graphics chipsets not yet supported) | DirectX 9 compliant video card with Shader model 3.0 support. NVidia 8800, ATI Radeon 2900 pro or better (Pre-Sandybridge Intel graphic chipsets not supported) |
| Processor | Intel core 2 duo 2.4GHz or higher | Quad core 2.4GHz or higher |
| Memory (RAM) | 1GB XP / 2GB Vista | 1GB XP / 2GB Vista |
| Storage | 2 GB HD space | 2 GB HD space |
From the Steam store page, checked 16 October 2026. The makers sometimes change these; their page is always right.
Will my computer play Dear Esther?
On most computers we find the graphics card for you. Add your processor and memory, and we will tell you if it plays, and what to upgrade if not.
A low-spec PC or a high-spec PC?
This is a light game: almost any of our gaming PCs will run it comfortably at high settings.
On a PC that only just meets the minimum, the game will start and play, but on low settings: simpler shadows and textures, shorter view distances and fewer frames each second, so fast moments can feel less smooth. A 1080p screen is the sensible match.
On a PC that meets or beats the recommended spec, you can turn the settings up: sharper textures, proper shadows and lighting, more detail in the distance, and a smoother picture. A stronger PC also lets you use a sharper 1440p or high-refresh screen.
Our PCs that meet the recommended spec
These should play Dear Esther well. Cheapest first.
Refurbished1080p gaming
Sandbox Snowflake 3400G refurbished gaming PC
Ryzen 5 3400G + Radeon Vega 11 (built in)
No separate graphics card: good for Minecraft for Windows, Roblox, Fortnite at low settings, and everyday use. A graphics card can be added later.
- Processor
- AMD Ryzen 5 3400G (4 cores, 8 threads, built-in Radeon graphics) (tested)
- Graphics
- Radeon Vega 11 graphics built into the processor
- Memory
- 16GB DDR4 memory
- Storage
- 500GB WD Blue 2.5-inch SSD (tested)
- Windows
- Windows 11 Home not included (optional extra, installed by us)
£489
Built to order
Games this PC plays
- Fortnite Plays on low settings
- Minecraft (Bedrock Edition for Windows) Plays well
- Roblox Plays well
- VALORANT Plays well
- Counter-Strike 2 Plays well
- League of Legends Plays well
- Dota 2 Plays well
- Grand Theft Auto V Legacy Plays well
- Terraria Plays well
- Garry's Mod Plays well
Comes with an RGB case - you can swap it for a non-RGB case if you prefer.
Sold by Sandbox Computers, Worcester
Refurbished1080p gaming
Sandbox Robin 3400G 1060 refurbished gaming PC
Ryzen 5 3400G + GTX 1060
Made for 1080p screens: Fortnite, Valorant, Minecraft and Rocket League play well. The newest big games may need lower settings.
- Processor
- AMD Ryzen 5 3400G (4 cores, 8 threads, built-in Radeon graphics) (tested)
- Graphics
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB
- Memory
- 16GB DDR4 memory
- Storage
- 500GB WD Blue 2.5-inch SSD (tested) + 1TB 3.5-inch hard drive (tested) + 1TB hard drive
- Windows
- Windows 11 Home not included (optional extra, installed by us)
£599
Built to order
Games this PC plays
- Fortnite Plays well
- Minecraft (Bedrock Edition for Windows) Plays well
- Roblox Plays well
- VALORANT Plays well
- Counter-Strike 2 Plays well
- League of Legends Plays well
- EA SPORTS FC™ 26 Plays on low settings
- Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced Plays on low settings
- Marvel Rivals Plays on low settings
- Call of Duty® Plays on low settings
Comes with an RGB case - you can swap it for a non-RGB case if you prefer.
Sold by Sandbox Computers, Worcester
Refurbished1080p gaming
Sandbox Typhoon 1060X refurbished gaming PC
Ryzen 5 4500 + GTX 1060
Made for 1080p screens: Fortnite, Valorant, Minecraft and Rocket League play well. The newest big games may need lower settings.
- Processor
- AMD Ryzen 5 4500 (6 cores, 12 threads)
- Graphics
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB
- Memory
- 16GB DDR4 memory
- Storage
- 256GB SSD + 1TB 3.5-inch hard drive (tested) + 1TB hard drive
- Windows
- Windows 11 Home not included (optional extra, installed by us)
£609
Built to order
Games this PC plays
- Fortnite Plays well
- Minecraft: Java Edition Plays on low settings
- Minecraft (Bedrock Edition for Windows) Plays well
- Roblox Plays well
- VALORANT Plays well
- Counter-Strike 2 Plays well
- League of Legends Plays well
- EA SPORTS FC™ 26 Plays on low settings
- Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced Plays on low settings
- Marvel Rivals Plays on low settings
Comes with an RGB case - you can swap it for a non-RGB case if you prefer.
Sold by Sandbox Computers, Worcester
Refurbished1080p gaming
Sandbox Lucid 5600G refurbished gaming PC
Ryzen 5 5600G + built-in graphics
No separate graphics card: good for Minecraft for Windows, Roblox, Fortnite at low settings, and everyday use. A graphics card can be added later.
- Processor
- AMD Ryzen 5 5600G (6 cores, 12 threads, built-in Radeon graphics)
- Graphics
- Radeon graphics built into the processor
- Memory
- 16GB DDR4 memory
- Storage
- 500GB WD Blue 2.5-inch SSD (tested) + 1TB 3.5-inch hard drive (tested) + 1TB hard drive
- Windows
- Windows 11 Home not included (optional extra, installed by us)
£619
Built to order
Games this PC plays
- Fortnite Plays on low settings
- Minecraft (Bedrock Edition for Windows) Plays well
- Roblox Plays well
- VALORANT Plays well
- Counter-Strike 2 Plays well
- League of Legends Plays well
- Dota 2 Plays well
- Grand Theft Auto V Legacy Plays well
- Terraria Plays well
- Garry's Mod Plays well
Comes with an RGB case - you can swap it for a non-RGB case if you prefer.
Sold by Sandbox Computers, Worcester
Refurbished1080p gaming
Sandbox Jingle 3400G 1660S refurbished gaming PC
Ryzen 5 3400G + GTX 1660 Super
Made for 1080p screens: Fortnite, Valorant, Minecraft and Rocket League play well. The newest big games may need lower settings.
- Processor
- AMD Ryzen 5 3400G (4 cores, 8 threads, built-in Radeon graphics) (tested)
- Graphics
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Super 6GB
- Memory
- 16GB DDR4 memory
- Storage
- 500GB WD Blue 2.5-inch SSD (tested)
- Windows
- Windows 11 Home not included (optional extra, installed by us)
£649
Built to order
Games this PC plays
- Fortnite Plays well
- Minecraft (Bedrock Edition for Windows) Plays well
- Roblox Plays well
- VALORANT Plays well
- Counter-Strike 2 Plays well
- League of Legends Plays well
- EA SPORTS FC™ 26 Plays on low settings
- Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced Plays on low settings
- Marvel Rivals Plays on low settings
- Call of Duty® Plays on low settings
Comes with an RGB case - you can swap it for a non-RGB case if you prefer.
Sold by Sandbox Computers, Worcester
New build1080p gaming
Sandbox Beginner 3 gaming PC
Ryzen 3 3200G + Radeon graphics
No separate graphics card: good for Minecraft for Windows, Roblox, Fortnite at low settings, and everyday use. A graphics card can be added later.
- Processor
- Ryzen 3 3200G
- Graphics
- Radeon graphics (built in)
- Memory
- 16GB DDR4
- Storage
- 1TB NVMe SSD
- Windows
- Windows 11 Home installed
£681.43
Built to order
Games this PC plays
- Fortnite Plays on low settings
- Minecraft (Bedrock Edition for Windows) Plays well
- Roblox Plays well
- VALORANT Plays well
- Counter-Strike 2 Plays well
- League of Legends Plays on low settings
- Dota 2 Plays well
- Grand Theft Auto V Legacy Plays well
- Terraria Plays well
- Garry's Mod Plays well
Comes with an RGB case - you can swap it for a non-RGB case if you prefer.
Sold by Sandbox Computers, Worcester
Questions about Dear Esther on PC
What graphics card do I need for Dear Esther?
The makers say the minimum is DirectX 9 compliant video card with Shader model 3.0 support. NVidia 7600, ATI X1600 or better (Pre-Sandybridge Intel graphics chipsets not yet supported), and they recommend DirectX 9 compliant video card with Shader model 3.0 support. NVidia 8800, ATI Radeon 2900 pro or better (Pre-Sandybridge Intel graphic chipsets not supported). In plain words: almost any graphics, even the graphics built into the processor for a good experience.
How much memory (RAM) does Dear Esther need?
At least 1GB, and 1GB is recommended. 16GB is the sensible amount for a gaming PC today.
Is Dear Esther multiplayer?
It is mainly a single-player game.
Can a gaming PC from Sandbox Computers run Dear Esther?
Yes. 123 of our PCs meet the recommended spec, from £489. They are built and tested in Worcester.
How we match: we compare the graphics card and the memory in each PC with the makers' spec, because those decide most of how a game runs. For very new or demanding games, ask us and we will check the processor too. More help: graphics cards explained, how much RAM, which screen.