Half-Life: Alyx is a VR-only game. Valve lists Windows 10 64-bit, an Intel Core i5-7500 or AMD Ryzen 5 1600, 12 GB of RAM, and a GeForce GTX 1060 or Radeon RX 580 with 6 GB of VRAM as minimum PC requirements. You also need a VR headset that can connect to your PC and use SteamVR.
Half-Life: Alyx minimum PC requirements
These are the minimum specifications on Valve’s Steam listing for Half-Life: Alyx, accessed in 2026. They are not a recommended specification or a promise of a particular frame rate.
| Component | Valve’s listed minimum |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10; 64-bit operating system required |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-7500 or AMD Ryzen 5 1600 |
| System memory | 12 GB RAM |
| Graphics card | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon RX 580 |
| Graphics memory | 6 GB VRAM |
| VR support | SteamVR; a VR headset is required |
The Steam listing does not provide a complete recommended PC specification. Meeting or exceeding the listed minimum is a useful first comparison, but it does not establish performance for every headset, resolution, driver, or hardware configuration.
Check your PC against the requirements
Compare the exact processor and graphics card models, installed system RAM, and dedicated graphics memory with Valve’s minimums. On a computer with both integrated graphics and a discrete card, compare the discrete gaming GPU—not the integrated graphics chip.
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- Find your processor and RAM. Open Windows System Information or Task Manager and note the processor model and total installed memory.
- Identify your graphics card. Check Task Manager or Windows system information for the GPU model. If the PC shows more than one GPU, identify which is the discrete graphics card.
- Check dedicated GPU memory. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager. Go to Details, right-click a column header, choose Select Columns, then enable Dedicated GPU memory. Compare the value for the gaming GPU with the listed 6 GB minimum. Steam documents this and the game’s setup behavior in its Half-Life: Alyx – Performance Tips.
- Verify the headset setup. Check that your specific headset can connect to the PC and use SteamVR, and review its connection and play-area requirements. Steam’s SteamVR FAQ covers setup considerations for specific headset configurations.
- Let the game choose initial settings, if installed. On first launch—and after hardware changes—Half-Life: Alyx benchmarks the CPU and GPU and checks available system memory to choose initial graphics settings. This automatic selection is not a guarantee of a particular frame rate or compatibility with every headset.
Why the VR headset matters
The Steam store page labels Half-Life: Alyx VR-only, requires a headset, and lists SteamVR support. A PC that meets the processor, memory, and graphics minimums is not enough if the headset cannot connect to that PC or work with SteamVR. Check the requirements for your headset and play mode; room-scale needs vary by headset and setup.
What to do if your PC is below a listed minimum
First identify which component falls short. A GPU model below the listed GTX 1060 or RX 580, or with less than the listed 6 GB VRAM, is a different issue from insufficient system RAM or an unsupported headset connection. The published minimums do not establish how a specific below-minimum system will perform, so avoid treating a small specification difference as a reliable prediction of playability.
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If the game is already installed, its first-launch benchmark can select initial graphics settings. You can also adjust SteamVR render resolution under SteamVR > Settings > Video > Render Resolution, as described in Valve’s performance tips. Lowering render resolution changes the rendering workload; it does not make an incompatible headset compatible or turn a below-minimum PC into a configuration Valve guarantees.
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