PUBG Lite, the slimmed-down, free-to-play version ofPlayerUnknown’s Battlegroundsthat will look to challengeFortniteat the top of the Battle Royale genre, has launched beta testing.
PUBG Liteisdesignedto run on less powerful PCs, but still be able to offer the completePlayerUnknown’s Battlegroundsexperience. The beta will only feature the original map Erangel, with Solo, Duo, and Squad options.
The scaled-back version ofPlayerUnknown’s Battlegroundswill be a completely standalone game compared to the paid version. There will be a separate development team to work on exclusive content, including maps and other features that will eventually arrive toPUBG LitefromPlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.
ThePUBG Litebeta is only available in Thailand, with PUBG Corp. to decide whether to expand the game to other regions in the future.
The minimum specs forPUBG Liteare:
OS: Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10, 64-bitCPU: Intel Core i3 2.4GHzRAM: 4GBGraphics: Intel HD Graphics 4000HDD: 4GB
While the recommended specs are:
OS: Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10, 64-bitCPU: Intel Core i5 2.8GHzRAM: 8GBGraphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 or AMD Radeon HD 7870HDD: 4GB
In comparison, the minimum specs ofPlayerUnknown’s Battlegroundsare:
OS: Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10, 64-bitCPU: Intel Core i5-4430 or AMD FX-6300RAM: 8GBGraphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 or AMD Radeon R7 370HDD: 30GB
OS: Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10, 64-bitCPU: Intel Core i5-6600K or AMD Ryzen 5 1600RAM: 16GBGraphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon RX 580HDD: 30GB
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegroundsrequiresdouble the RAM, more expensive graphics cards, and bigger hard drive space compared toPUBG Lite.
WithPUBG Lite, PUBG Corp. is looking to better challenge Fortnite.PlayerUnknown’s Battlegroundsearned $1.035 billion in 2018 according to SuperData, but that is less than half whatFortnitemade at $2.4 billion.Fortnite‘s free-to-play model gives it a boost overPlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, and PUBG Corp. will look to eliminate that advantage withPUBG Lite.
The move to start beta testing in Thailand, meanwhile, shows Asia’s importance toPlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. China is the game’s biggest constituency, and it is also very popular in India.
PUBG Corp., however, said thatPUBG Liteis for players in areas where the required specifications ofPlayerUnknown’s Battlegroundsare harder to achieve due to available hardware. This may mean thatPUBG Litewill never be released in the United States, but that remains unclear until the studio makes an official announcement.
