Requirements belong to a particular release
System requirements describe the hardware and software specified for a particular edition of a game. They may include the operating system, processor, memory, graphics hardware, storage, and other dependencies. The edition and platform are essential context: requirements published for one Windows release do not establish the needs of an Android port or a later remake.
Adult Game Index records the source and applicable release alongside these fields. An unverified value remains unknown. Missing recommended specifications are not filled by copying the minimum list, and an older release’s values are not silently replaced with figures from a different product that happens to use the same engine.
Minimum and recommended are different claims
A minimum specification is the publisher’s stated lower requirement; recommended specifications describe a separate suggested configuration when one is provided. Neither label, on its own, establishes a target frame rate, display resolution, or graphics setting. Those performance conditions should be recorded only when the source supplies them.
Hardware comparisons need more than a model number. Processor generation, graphics capabilities, available memory, and software support can matter in different ways. A higher clock speed or a larger storage drive is not a universal substitute for every other requirement. An encyclopedia presents the documented values and their scope rather than issuing an unsupported compatibility verdict for an individual computer.
Native support and compatibility are distinct
A native release targets the named operating system. A compatibility layer can run software made for another environment. Valve describes Proton as a way to run Windows games on Linux; that is different from the developer supplying a native Linux edition. The platform list should preserve this distinction rather than automatically turning a Windows listing into Linux support.
Device reviews are another form of evidence. Valve’s compatibility review checks a game against hardware-specific criteria, including how it behaves with the device’s controls and display. Such a result has a defined scope. It does not confirm native support on every Linux computer or substitute for an independent test on a different machine.
Historical requirements can outlive compatibility
A historical Mac release can remain part of a game’s publication record even when its executable no longer works on a current operating system. Apple states that macOS Catalina 10.15 and later do not support 32-bit apps. This is a concrete reason to record architecture and compatibility notes when the evidence provides them.
The game, storefront client, and operating system can have separate requirements. A preserved old specification should therefore be identified as historical when appropriate, without implying that every part of the present-day setup still supports it. Browser availability also does not establish mobile usability. In every case, distinguish the publisher’s specification, an official compatibility statement, a documented test, and an unverified assumption.
References
- Steam’s Proton Support for Windows Games. Valve / Steamworks Documentation.
- Steam Deck and Steam Machine Compatibility Review. Valve / Steamworks Documentation.
- 32-bit App Compatibility with macOS. Apple Support.