Half-Life: Alyx gameplay and minimum specs revealed

Valve has made good on its commitment to unveil VR title Half-Life: Alyx with a gameplay trailer while also releasing the minimum and recommended specs.

Set between the events of Half-Life and Half-Life 2 and due for release in March 2020 Windows as a VR-exclusive running on the Source 2 engine, Half-Life Alyx puts you in the head of, you guessed it, Alyx, one of the leading characters from the legendary second game. The gameplay trailer, embedded above, shows Alyx’s viewpoint in a number of areas and confirmation that G-Man will make a return. The gameplay has a fairly impressive level of world interaction using both hands to rummage shelves and reload guns, while movement will be key in pulling off shots when peeking around corners .

For PC users salivating at the thought of re-entering the Half-Life universe, knowing what they’ll need to run it is pretty important. First up, of course, you’ll need a VR headset, and compatibility is ensured with any SteamVR-compatible system, which means the Valve Index, HTC Vive, Windows Mixed Reality, Oculus Rift, and Oculus Quest with PC and Link Cable are all supported. Owners or the Valve Index (or those who are owners by the end of the year) will also get Half-Life: Alyx entirely free as well as some unique bonuses like alternate fun skills, themed content for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and the ability to explore environments from within the game in the SteamVR Home space.

The minimum PC hardware requirements, meanwhile are listed as follows:

• OS: Windows 10
• Processor: Intel Core i5-7500 / AMD Ryzen 5 1600
• Memory: 12 GB RAM
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 6GB / AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB
  

There is currently no set of recommended system requirements.

More information on Half-Life: Alyx is available on the official website and the Steam product listing.