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The Best Games To Play When Your PC Is Basically A Potato

August 21, 2026




The Best Games To Play When Your PC Is Basically A Potato is the focus of a new gaming update, and the useful part is understanding what has actually changed or been announced. We’re here to investigate why, and help you play more while spending less.

What Happened

The days of solid-state drives and RAM being sold for reasonable prices feel well and truly over, but the good news is you don't need a monster rig to enjoy some of the best PC games out there. Marrying the idea of roguelike action with a narrative that expands with each new run, Hades also features gorgeous, hand-drawn art that complements its fast and fluid action. As a crash-landed survivor saddled with mining resources, Factorio quickly teaches you about its interconnected gameplay systems, from factory lines to power grids, and in the years since it was released, the game's community has released numerous mods to improve on an already fantastic experience. It's a showcase of creativity, as players have used the game's crafting tools to create incredible worlds, machines, and experiences for everyone to discover, and every day offers a chance for something new. Its turn-based action gives you clarity about the enemies' upcoming actions, and combined with the ability to manipulate their positioning to make them attack each other, gives you the opportunity to feel like a genius as you turn back the tides of destruction and keep civilians safe.

What Players Need to Know

It's no secret that PC gaming has gotten extraordinarily expensive in recent years, with components reaching record-high prices due to a perfect storm of factors. The days of solid-state drives and RAM being sold for reasonable prices feel well and truly over, but the good news is you don't need a monster rig to enjoy some of the best PC games out there. If you've been rocking the same mid-range laptop since 2016 or you recently got an entry-level PC before prices went through the roof, these games should run just fine on your system. Setting a benchmark for its genre, Slay the Spire is a delicious tactical puzzle that rewards players who think several steps ahead to outwit enemies. Then you'll want to check out its sequel, which doubles down on all of its best ideas, throws in innovative multiplayer, and has low PC requirements to boot.

Additional Context

We’re here to investigate why, and help you play more while spending less. A good game is a good game, even if it doesn't make your PC cooling system emit gusts of air hot enough to melt the skin on your hands.

For GameSpot's first-ever Cheap Week, we're looking at experiences that can entertain you for hours on end and don't require cutting-edge hardware. For this list, we looked at games that can comfortably be played with zero or few graphical concessions.

We're talking games that run fine at 1080p–preferably at 60fps–are compatible with a wide range of configurations, and are contemporary.

Why This Matters

For players, the key question is whether this development changes availability, gameplay, platform support or the timing of a release. The source facts above are the basis for the report; AllStarGamer does not treat unconfirmed speculation as established information.

What to Watch Next

Further announcements may provide release dates, technical details, pricing, regional availability or patch information. Those later updates may change the picture, so the most recent official information should always take priority.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main point of this story?

Gaming has never been more expensive. We’re here to investigate why, and help you play more while spending less. Welcome to GameSpot Cheap Week. It's no secret that PC gaming has gotten extraordinarily expensive in recent years, with components reaching record-high prices due to a perfect storm of factors. The days of solid-state drives and…

Is every detail final?

Not necessarily. Gaming announcements and live-service updates can change after the first report.

Where did the information come from?

The factual basis is the original publication credited at the end of this article.

Source: GameSpot