Introduction to the Best FPS games for budget systems
PC gaming is a great way to spend your time, but if you’re on a budget, it can be tough to find games that will run well on your machine. Not to worry! We’ve put together a list of the best fps games for budget systems that will run smoothly. So whether you’re looking for a new game to play or just want to see what’s out there, read on for our recommendations of the best fps games to run on a budget system.
So, let’s get into the list of best FPS games for budget systems we recommend.
Counter Strike: Global Offensive
We can’t make this list without mentioning the king of budget FPS gaming, Counter Strike. Now, depending on how powerful your system is, you may have to try both Counter Strike: Source and Counter Strike: Global Offensive. However, Valve has made plenty of updates to the newer title which optimizes it incredibly well for budget systems. If you’re looking for a fast-paced, competitive FPS game to sink your teeth into, look no further than Counter Strike.
Minimum System Specifications:
- OS: Windows® 7/Vista/XP
- Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo E6600 or AMD Phenom™ X3 8750 processor or better
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: Video card must be 256 MB or more and should be a DirectX 9-compatible with support for Pixel Shader 3.0
- DirectX: Version 9.0c
- Storage: 15 GB available space
The Bioshock Collection
Next up we have the Bioshock series, a title that’s often lauded as one of the best FPS games of all time. The original Bioshock is still an incredible experience. It was the dawn of what we know as the modern FPS gaming style. Additionally, it still looks and feels great and will run smoothly on even the most budget of systems. If you’re looking for a game with an incredible story, the Bioshock series is one for you to try, beginning with the first and working your way through Bioshock 2, and then my personal favorite game of all time – Bioshock Infinite.
Minimum System Specifications:
- OS: Windows XP (with Service Pack 2) or Windows Vista
- Processor: Intel single-core Pentium 4 processor at 2.4GHz
- Memory: 1 GB
- Graphics: Direct X 9.0c compliant video card with 128MB RAM and Pixel Shader 3.0 (NVIDIA 6600 or better/ATI X1300 or better, excluding ATI X1550)
- Sound Card: 100% direct X 9.0c compatible sound card
- Hard Drive Space: 8GB
Left 4 Dead Series
Another great budget FPS series is the Left 4 Dead games. These cooperative zombie shooters are perfect for anyone looking for some couch co-op fun. It’s also one of the best games to play if you’re new to the FPS genre, as it’s not too fast-paced or overwhelming. We recommend testing out Left 4 Dead 2 first to see if your system can run it, as it improved on many aspects of the original Left 4 Dead. However, if your system is struggling, try the original in the series!
Minimum System Specifications:
- OS: Windows® 7 32/64-bit / Vista 32/64 / XP
- Processor: Pentium 4 3.0GHz
- Memory: 1 GB
- Graphics: 128 MB, Shader model 2.0, ATI 9600, NVidia 6600 or better
- Hard Drive: At least 7.5 GB of free space
- Sound Card: DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card
Half-Life Series
Half-Life is another classic series that you can’t go wrong with. The original Half-Life is an excellent game and will run on just about any system. Half-Life 2 is a little bit harder to run, but most laptops nowadays will be able to run both! If you’re looking for something a little more recent, though, Half Life: Alyx is the newest entry in the series and is a VR exclusive. It’s one of the best VR games out there, but it will require a slightly more powerful system to run smoothly.
Minimum System Specifications: (Half-Life 2)
- OS: Windows 7, Vista, XP
- Processor: 1.7 Ghz
- Memory: 512 MB RAM
- Graphics: DirectX 8.1 level Graphics Card (requires support for SSE)
- Storage: 6500 MB available space
F.E.A.R. - First Encounter Assault Recon
F.E.A.R. is another great budget FPS game. It’s a bit older than some of the other titles on this list, but it’s still an excellent game. FEAR lives up to its name. Full of horror, and tension, keeping you on your toes throughout, it has a good story and is addictively enticing. Especially if you are a supernatural horror fan. So, if you’re looking for a creepy, atmospheric shooter, FEAR is one for you to check out!
Minimum System Specifications:
- OS: Windows® XP, x64 or 2000 with latest service pack installed
- Processor: Pentium® 4 – 1.7 GHz or equivalent processor
- Memory: 512 MB of RAM or more
- Graphics: 64 MB GeForce™ 4 Ti or Radeon® 9000 video card
- DirectX®: 9.0c (August Edition) or higher
- Hard Drive: 17 GB free Hard Drive Space for installation; Additional hard drive space for a swap file and saved game files
- Sound: 16-bit DirectX® 9.0 compliant sound card with support for EAX™ 2.0
Deus Ex
Deus Ex is another classic FPS game series with originals that are still worth playing today. It’s a bit of a slower-paced game than some of the others on this list, but that is an advantage in my eyes. If you’re looking for a thinking man’s shooter, all of the Deus Ex games are worth checking out. There are 6 games to check out, released from 2000-2016. So if you’re looking for a thought-provoking and attention-holding game, Deus Ex is a fantastic option for less powerful systems.
Minimum System Specifications:
- OS: Windows® 95/98
- Processor: 0.3 GHz Pentium II or equivalent processor
- Memory: 64 MB of RAM or more
- Graphics: 16 MB VRAM
- DirectX®: 7.0a compliant or higher
- Hard Drive: 150 MB free Hard Drive Space for installation;
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Series
Stalker is another great budget FPS game. Similar to FEAR, Stalker is a creepy horror shooter. A true classic for a reason. – It’s not for the faint of heart, as it is a bit graphic. But, if you’re looking for a series of challenging and horror-filled games to keep you entertained, any of the three Stalker games will run well on budget systems. So turn the lights off and get immersed!
Minimum System Specifications:
- OS: Microsoft® Windows® XP(Service Pack 2)/Microsoft® Windows® 2000 SP4
- Processor: Intel Pentium 4 2.0 Ghz / AMD XP 2200+
- Graphics: 128 MB DirectX® 8.0 compatible card / nVIDIA® GeForce™ 5700 / ATI Radeon® 9600
- Memory: 512 MB RAM
- Sound: DirectX® 9.0 compatible sound card
- Hard Drive: 6 GB free hard disc space
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Finally, we can’t have a list of the best FPS games for budget systems without mentioning Call of Duty. The original Call of Duty is a great game, but it’s the fourth entry in the series that’s best suited for budget systems in our opinion. Call of Duty 4 is an excellent game and will run smoothly on just about any system. If you’re looking for something slightly up to date, Modern Warfare 2 is an excellent choice as well, but is harder to run. All Call of Duty games are fast-paced and action-packed classics that are sure to keep you entertained. So, if you’re looking for an excellent shooter to sink your teeth into, look no further than the 17 Call of Duty titles that have been released over the years!
Minimum System Specifications: (COD 4)
- OS: Microsoft® Windows® XP/Vista (Windows 95/98/ME/2000 are unsupported)
- Processor: Intel® Pentium® 4 – 2.4 Ghz / AMD(R) 64 (TM) 2800+ / Intel® and AMD® 1.8 Ghz Dual Core Processor or better supported
- Memory: 512MB RAM (Windows® XP), 768MB RAM (Vista®)
- Graphics: NVIDIA Geforce 6600 or better or ATI Radeon® 9800Pro or better
- DirectX Version: Microsoft DirectX 9.0c (included)
- Sound: 100% DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card
- Hard Drive: 8GB of free hard drive space
Conclusion: The best FPS games for budget systems
So there you have it! Our list of the best FPS games to run on a budget system.
These are just a few of the best fps games to run on a budget system. If you’re looking for more, be sure to check out our list of the best single-player games to run on low-end systems and the best battle royale games to run on low-end systems. And if you have any suggestions, let us know in the comments!
Thanks for reading!
