Can I Run Starbound?
Chucklefish released Starbound in 2016. It is an action adventure game, self published by the studio. The game supports a single player campaign and cooperative play. Being over ten years old, its ceiling was set by the hardware of a different era. Steam Workshop support means community content is part of the picture, and a heavy mod load can push the real requirements past anything the publisher lists. Alongside Windows it also ships for macOS and Linux. Metacritic places it at 81. Its Steam review count passes 120 thousand, a large enough sample that odd hardware behaviour would be known by now. Completionists have 51 achievements to work through.
Can your PC run it? →System requirements
Minimum requirements
| CPU | Core 2 Duo |
|---|---|
| GPU | 256 MB graphics memory and directx 9.0c compatible gpu |
| RAM | 2 GB |
| Storage | 3 GB |
| OS | Windows XP or later |
| DirectX | 9 |
Recommended requirements
| CPU | Core i3 |
|---|---|
| GPU | Discrete GPU capable of directx 9.0c |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Storage | 4 GB |
| OS | Windows XP or later |
| DirectX | 9 |
Verified from Steam · 9 Jul 2026 source
Scores are deterministic, computed by fixed rules and benchmark tables, not written by an AI. How we score. Maintained by Farhad Ali. Spotted a wrong specification? Tell us.
Setting and environment
The game is set in an open sandbox. Play is structured around hostile territory. There are 10 official screenshots to judge the look from. It is played in two dimensions.
Why Starbound is demanding
Starbound takes about 4 GB of disk space. The DirectX requirement is undemanding, at version 9. System memory expectations are modest at 4 GB.
This reading comes from the published requirements and our own benchmark tables, not from the store listing.
Can you run Starbound?
Starbound targets a mainstream modern PC: 256 MB graphics memory and directx 9.0c compatible gpu and 2 GB of RAM for the minimum, stepping up to Discrete GPU capable of directx 9.0c for the recommended experience. No single part dominates the requirements, so a balanced mid-range build clears it.
Bottleneck: CPU
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DOOM EternalFrequently asked questions
Can my PC run Starbound?
Upload your DxDiag file to Idxdiag's free checker and get a component by component compatibility verdict for Starbound in seconds. No install required.
What are the minimum system requirements for Starbound?
The minimum requirements are CPU: Core 2 Duo; GPU: 256 MB graphics memory and directx 9.0c compatible gpu; 2 GB RAM; OS: Windows XP or later.
How much storage does Starbound need?
Starbound needs about 3 GB of available storage.
What is the bottleneck for Starbound?
On a typical modern PC (Ryzen 5 5600, RTX 3060, 16 GB RAM), the tightest component for Starbound is the CPU.