Black Desert: PC requirements and the PC you need

About Black Desert

Black Desert is a huge open-world fantasy MMORPG from Pearl Abyss, known for its fast, action-style combat and detailed character creator. You explore a large world, take on giant world bosses, join guilds to besiege castles, and can spend time on gentler jobs such as fishing, cooking, crafting and trading. It is played online with many other people and has in-game purchases. It is rated PEGI 16. The makers recommend a GTX 1660 Super and 16 GB of memory, so a mid-range gaming PC runs it well.

What Black Desert needs

In plain words: to play at all it needs an entry-level graphics card, and to play it well the makers suggest a mid-range graphics card from a few years ago, with 16GB of memory.

A low-spec PC or a high-spec PC?

The gap between the minimum and recommended spec is modest, so a mid-range gaming PC gives a good experience.

On a PC that only just meets the minimum, the game will start and play, but on low settings: simpler shadows and textures, shorter view distances and fewer frames each second, so fast moments can feel less smooth. A 1080p screen is the sensible match.

On a PC that meets or beats the recommended spec, you can turn the settings up: sharper textures, proper shadows and lighting, more detail in the distance, and a smoother picture. A stronger PC also lets you use a sharper 1440p or high-refresh screen.

Questions about Black Desert on PC

How we match: we compare the graphics card and the memory in each PC with the makers' spec, because those decide most of how a game runs. For very new or demanding games, ask us and we will check the processor too. More help: graphics cards explained, how much RAM, which screen.