A “substantial number” of Battlefield 6 open beta players were playing on or around the minimum recommended specs, according to technical director Christian Buhl.
In an interview with Eurogamer, Bulh broke down some user data for the initial wave of PC players who hopped into the game earlier this month, stating that of the “millions of players” who were jumping in, a sizable portion of them were doing so on lower-end hardware.
Speaking about some of the lengths Battlefield Studios and EA went to to ensure the game was playable by those on older setups, Buhl stated: “We built maps, and had to go to our artists and tech artists to adjust these maps so they were more performant. We’ve put in a lot of effort across the board to make sure these performance targets were set, and whether you’re on min spec or ultra spec you’re going to get the experience we’re targeting.”
When asked how important it is to serve minimum spec players at a time when PC hardware is getting more expensive, due to bloated prices or general economic challenges right now, Buhl responded by saying: “Min spec is certainly one of our most important specs […] it’s super important from both a commercial and business perspective – we want as many people as possible playing the game.”
Buhl continued with an anecdote from earlier in the game’s development: “We did a lot of analysis, we did tests on the game on a wide range of hardware above and below our minimum and recommended specs. We figured out what we can hit, what we need to hit from a business perspective, and that was to capture a wide audience on PC. It’s been super critical.”
When asked what percentage of players were playing at or around that min spec, Buhl could not recall the exact number, dubbing it a “meaningful percentage”. He also noted a number of players below the minimum spec, emphasizing the existence of this group.
In a follow up email after the interview, EA PR would not provide the exact number, pointing to Buhl’s prior statement that it was a “substantial number” of players
The current state of affordable computing in the USA, Battlefield 6’s primary market, is one of turmoil. Not only has a cost-of-living crisis made the price tag on high end hardware unpalatable for a sizable number of gaming enthusiasts, ongoing political policy has had a drastic impact on international trade.
Buhl also spoke to Eurogamer about the anti-cheat used in Battlefield 6, it’s ability to curb a sizable portion of cheaters during the betas, and the reality that some players weren’t able to play due to Secure Boot requirements. Nonetheless, this beta proved exceptionally popular, taking the title as most popular Battlefield beta of all time.