Minecraft's system requirements are changing for the first time in 17 years.

On the 28th, Microsoft announced via its official blog that it would be raising the PC system requirements for Minecraft. The company explained that this change is a necessary step to provide users with a more stable gaming experience in future updates.

Notable changes include the requirement for modern CPUs and GPUs compatible with the 'Vulkan 1.3' graphics API, as well as a significant increase in RAM requirements.

In particular, the recommended RAM capacity has jumped by 12GB, from 4GB to 16GB. This aligns with the average RAM requirements of modern PC games being released today. The new recommended specifications call for 16GB of RAM and 6GB of VRAM, while the minimum specifications require 8GB of RAM (12GB if using integrated graphics) and 2GB of VRAM.

Mojang Studios, the developer of Minecraft, stated, "These changes are intended to provide clearer and more realistic guidelines for users who want to enjoy the game stably at high settings in FHD resolution." They also dismissed concerns from existing users regarding the sudden increase in requirements, adding that "the game's actual performance demands will not suddenly become dramatically heavier."