Home > Software > System Requirements

Unity system requirements for Windows, macOS, and Linux

Ready for some hardcore game creation? Best check whether your set-up can handle the pressure then. Let's see if you can run it.

Reviewed By: Kevin Pocock

Last Updated on May 8, 2024
unity system requirements
You can trust PC Guide: Our team of experts use a combination of independent consumer research, in-depth testing where appropriate - which will be flagged as such, and market analysis when recommending products, software and services. Find out how we test here.

If you are wondering if you can run Unity on your computer, then we have you covered right here. 

As you might know, Unity is one of the popular game development tools that help creators make 2D and 3D games. If you want to run Unity 2022.3 on your PC to create some great projects, even if you are starting out, then you are going to need a rig that meets the system requirements.

In this guide, we have covered the minimum system requirements for PCs (Windows, macOS, and Linux). Please note that these requirements are for Unity version 2022.3. So make sure your version of Unity is up to date.

Unity Editor minimum system requirements for PC

In this section, we have covered the minimum system requirements to run Unity Editor on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

 Windows

Windows
OSWindows 7 (SP1+), Windows 10, and Windows 11 (64-bit only)
CPUX64 architecture with SSE2 instruction set support
Graphics APIDX10, DX11, and DX12-capable GPUs
Additional requirementsHardware vendor officially supported drivers

macOS

macOS
OSMojave 10.14+ (Intel editor), Big Sur 11.0 (Apple silicon Editor)
CPUX64 architecture with SSE2 instruction set support (Intel processors)
Apple M1 or above (Apple silicon-based processors)
Graphics APIMetal-capable Intel and AMD GPUs
Additional requirementsApple officially supported drivers (Intel processor)
Rosetta 2 is required for Apple silicon devices running on either Apple silicon or Intel versions of the Unity Editor.

Linux

Linux
OSUbuntu 20.04 and Ubuntu 18.04.
CPUX64 architecture with SSE2 instruction set support
Graphics APIOpenGL 3.2+ or Vulkan-capable, Nvidia and AMD GPUs.
Additional requirementsGnome desktop environment running on top of X11 windowing system, Nvidia official proprietary graphics driver or AMD Mesa graphics driver. 
Other configuration and user environment as provided stock with the supported distribution (Kernel, Compositor, etc.)

As you can see, the Unity Editor works on Windows, Apple, as well as Linux PCs. However, the software has a few limitations when you run it on Apple and Linux.

For instance, on macOS, the secondary Editor windows do not enter full screen; they can only be maximized. Further, on Apple silicon, the Unity Editor can only be downloaded through Hub version 3.0 Beta 6 or later. 

In the case of Linux PCs, the video importing can only be done in VP8 video format. Plus, the Editor might generate a Pipe error, and you have to troubleshoot it by increasing the maximum open file limit in your current Editor session.

To know more details about Apple and Linux limitations, visit the official Unity info page on the subject. 

Unity Player minimum system requirements for PC

In this section, we have covered minimum system requirements for Unity Player to run on Windows, Universal Windows Platforms, macOS, and Linux.

Windows

Windows
OSWindows 7 (SP1+), Windows 10 and Windows 11
CPUx86, x64 architecture with SSE2 instruction set support.
Graphics APIDX10, DX11, DX12
Additional requirementsHardware vendor officially supported drivers.
For development: IL2CPP scripting backend requires Visual Studio 2015 with C++ Tools component or later and Windows 10+ SDK.

Universal Windows Platforms

Universal Windows Platforms
OSWindows 10+, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, HoloLens
CPUx86, x64 architecture with SSE2 instruction set support, ARM, ARM64.
Graphics APIDX10, DX11, DX12
Additional requirementsHardware vendor officially supported drivers.
For development: Windows 10+ (64-bit), Visual Studio 2015 with C++ Tools component or later and Windows 10+ SDK.

macOS

macOS
OSMojave 10.14+
CPUApple Silicon, x64 architecture with SSE2.
Graphics APIMetal capable Intel and AMD GPUs
Additional requirementsApple officially supported drivers.
For development: IL2CPP scripting backend requires Xcode. Targeting Apple Silicon with IL2CPP scripting backend requires macOS Catalina 10.15.4 and Xcode 12.2 or newer.

Linux

Linux
OSUbuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 18.04, and CentOS 7
CPUx64 architecture with SSE2 instruction set support.
Graphics APIOpenGL 3.2+, Vulkan capable.
Additional requirementsGnome desktop environment running on top of X11 windowing system
Other configuration and user environment as provided stock with the supported distribution (such as Kernel or Compositor)
Nvidia and AMD GPUs using Nvidia’s official proprietary graphics driver or AMD Mesa graphics driver.

The Unity Player offers native support for desktops (workstations, laptops, and tablets) across all major operating systems. This means it runs directly on the device’s hardware without requiring emulation, containers, or compatibility layers.

Can 4GB RAM run Unity?

The short answer is no. You cannot run software like Unity on 4GB RAM. To run a game on this engine and build a game on it needs at least 8GB or 16GB RAM to function smoothly. Further, if you need to work on more complex projects, then you might need more RAM than that.

How much RAM is enough for Unity?

Depending on your usage, your system should have at least 16GB to 32GB RAM – which works fine for most projects. However, if your work involves more complex projects, like lightning effects, then you might need upwards of 64GB.

Conclusion

To sum up, you can run Unity on Windows, macOS, and Linux workstations. While Unity offers broad compatibility, there are some limitations for Apple and Linux users. To get the best possible experience, we recommend having a powerful CPU and GPU along with enough RAM to carry out your project smoothly.

Paul is a contributor to PC Guide, having covered news coverage, Raspberry Pi, Windows releases and peripherals - among other things - across the site.