Ubisoft Reveals PC Specs For 'The Division,' Beta Runs January 29-31 (Updated)

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By Rexly Peñaflorida
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Less than two months remain until Ubisoft finally releases Tom Clancy’s The Division. The game was initially announced at E3 2013, and after a few delays, the wait is almost over. As usual, the PC requirements for the game finally surfaced shortly before the game comes out.

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The Division PC SpecsMinimumRecommended
CPUIntel Core i5-2400 (Sandy Bridge, 3.1 GHz) or AMD FX-6100 (Bulldozer, 3.3 GHz)Intel Core i7-3770 (Ivy Bridge, 3.4 GHz) or AMD FX-8350 (Piledriver, 4.0 GHz)
GPUNVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 with 2 GB VRAM or AMD Radeon HD 7770 with 2 GB VRAMNVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon R9 290
RAM6 GB8 GB
Storage40 GB40 GB
DirectXVersion 11Version 11
Multiplayer Online ConnectionBroadband connection with 256 kbps upstream or fasterBroadband connection with 256 kbps upstream or faster
OSWindows 7, 8.1 and 10 (64-bit versions only)Windows 7, 8.1 and 10 (64-bit versions only)

The game supports the traditional mouse and keyboard combination as well as a game controller. Red Storm Entertainment, the team behind the PC version, stated that you can even switch input devices in the middle of the game. Players will also be able to customize the heads-up display by moving it around, changing its size and adjusting its overall opacity.

As a side note, Ubisoft also mentioned that the laptop versions of the above GPUs will also work, provided that the entire system matches with the rest of the minimum specs.

Nvidia also made an announcement of its own for the game. The company will (obviously) have a Game Ready driver for the launch date. Those who own an Nvidia GPU will also see some unique visual effects such as HBAO+ (Horizon Based Ambient Occlusion) for better shading and PCSS (Percentage Closer Soft Shadows) for more realistic shadows.

The PC version will come out on both Steam and Uplay (Ubisoft’s PC gaming platform). Regardless of which service you use, players from both groups will be able to play together online. Those who pre-ordered the game or participate in the GeForce Experience beta will also have access to the game’s PC beta, which starts on January 29 and ends January 31.

Update, 1/22/2016, 12:11 p.m. PST: Corrected a line stating that the game is coming out in less than three weeks. The game will come out in less than two months on March 8.

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Rexly Peñaflorida
19 Comments Comment from the forums
  • ubercake
    This game looks pretty cool, but the last Ubisoft game I got really excited about... What was it again??... Oh... That's right. Watch Dogs had such a terrible release, I can't get excited about this until everyone else plays it for a few months first.

    I'll stick to Rocksmith 2014 as my Ubisoft game of choice.
    Reply
  • clonazepam
    I signed up for the beta through nvidia's offer. Ultimately, it still ends with the typical promotional lingo - pre-order now to ensure you get in the beta. I like that it also gave me an option to invite 3 or 4 others in as well. You do need a valid Uplay account for the offer.

    My nephew's just getting into online gaming, so we're on the market for a co-op, and its pretty much down to this or the new Ghost Recon (if I can peel him away from MGSV)
    Reply
  • dstarr3
    This game looks pretty cool, but the last Ubisoft game I got really excited about... What was it again??... Oh... That's right. Watch Dogs had such a terrible release, I can't get excited about this until everyone else plays it for a few months first.

    Watch Underscore Dogs was awful, but then again, they did just put out Rainbow Six: Siege, and that's really very good. It's hard to tell with Ubi, they seem to put out equal amounts of crap, meh, and awesome games.
    Reply
  • cfortney
    Wondering why it recommends the FX-8350, but sets the minimum as the FX-6100? When I bought the 6300 a few years ago (still using it), there were virtually no differences gaming between it and the FX-8 series. I've got my 6300 clocked at 4.2GHz, I would think it would perform just as well?
    Reply
  • atavax
    Weird to see such a high card for the recommended. The newest gen, $300+ card is the recommended card? Can someone who builds a PC today but only spends $200 or $250 on a videocard no longer expect to be able to play a new game well? Especially with the current consoles using the x86 archecture, you would think if the game can be made to run well on those cheap PoS cards, it could be made to run well on much lower end cards than a 970...
    Reply
  • Avus
    do you really interest in a RPG with a FPS front that you put a whole clip of headshots into an enemy and he is still standing? this is Ubisuck version of Destiny - a bullet spong FPS/RPG.
    Reply
  • Traciatim
    Weird to see such a high card for the recommended. The newest gen, $300+ card is the recommended card? Can someone who builds a PC today but only spends $200 or $250 on a videocard no longer expect to be able to play a new game well? Especially with the current consoles using the x86 archecture, you would think if the game can be made to run well on those cheap PoS cards, it could be made to run well on much lower end cards than a 970...

    The recommended setup is mostly just marketing fluff. It's for the experience as the designers intended it, which means on some of the highest settings. So no, if you odn't have a high end card I don't think you should expect to run everything on the highest settings. If you buy mid range cards expect mid range settings.

    The main problem is that is they put mid range cards on there and everyone just cranks their settings up which causes poor performance then suddenly it will get a reputation of being poorly optimized and bad performing even with the recommended hardware... blah blah blah...

    Anyway, it's Ubisoft, so rational people shouldn't buy it for at least 6 months anyway.
    Reply
  • alextheblue
    Wondering why it recommends the FX-8350, but sets the minimum as the FX-6100? When I bought the 6300 a few years ago (still using it), there were virtually no differences gaming between it and the FX-8 series. I've got my 6300 clocked at 4.2GHz, I would think it would perform just as well?

    Remember it's on consoles too, so it's probably well-threaded. Looks like 4 threads is the minimum (toss out your Pentiums) but on the AMD side they're spec'd for 6+ due to weak IPC. Still I bet you could get by with a 4-thread piledriver if your clocks are decent.

    I'd like to see this game added to the CPU gaming tests to replace one of the aging titles.
    Reply
  • poochiepiano
    do you really interest in a RPG with a FPS front that you put a whole clip of headshots into an enemy and he is still standing? this is Ubisuck version of Destiny - a bullet spong FPS/RPG.
    And yet... people love Borderlands...
    Reply
  • dstarr3
    17390411 said:
    do you really interest in a RPG with a FPS front that you put a whole clip of headshots into an enemy and he is still standing? this is Ubisuck version of Destiny - a bullet spong FPS/RPG.
    And yet... people love Borderlands...

    I'm convinced that the reason people love Borderlands so hard is because they always play it with friends, and fail to realize the fun they're having is just because they're hanging out with their mates, not because of anything the game is doing. If the game is only fun with friends, it's not a fun game.
    Reply