Top 8 MMORPGs For Low-Spec PCs

Look, in this economy, not everyone has the loose cash on hand to constantly be upgrading their gaming rig to the highest of specs all the time. What's an MMORPG fan to do then? With games like FFXIV and others out there upgrading their visuals and systems, sometimes you just can't run the game the way the developers intended.

In that spirit, let's hit a few MMOs that are likely to run on some lower end PCs.

That said, a lot of MMOs these days can at least run in lower spec environments. Games like Guild Wars 2 and Star Wars: The Old Republic can probably run on all but the lowest of tuned PCs. However, in today's list, I'm not going to put games like that on the list. Sure, they'll PROBABLY run, but the experience may be less than enjoyable, so I'll skip them, but certainly take a look at their minimum requirements and give them a whirl if you meet the mark. I'll leave World of Warcraft off the list simply because you probably tried that one on your PC at some point and you already know if it can run or not.

I'll also be sticking to full-blown MMORPGs, so don't expect to see games like Trove or MapleStory on the list. Sure, they'll run for most and they include MMO elements, but they just aren't MMORPGs by the generally used definition.

In no particular order:

EverQuest

It should come as no surprise that an MMO that's 25 years old shows up on a list for today's low-end PCs. One of the grandfather's of the genre, EverQuest has everything an MMO player could want. Quests, dungeons, raids, unique classes, it's all in here. Being 25 though, it does come with more than a few "older" style systems.

While more recent expansions have certainly added more "current" features, this is still an MMO you'll want to jump into with a friend or with a guide handy. Things can get a little rough without one. That said, there's also multiple server types to chose from including time-locked options where you can play through the game in a way similar to those that played at launch.

While EverQuest 2 does add quite a few more quality-of-life features over the original, I'm hesitant to put it on this list by itself as sometimes the older style of the programming can lead to some CPU problems. It's worth a shot though if you aren't quite at the "very low" end of specs.

EVE Online

In EVE Online, we have another MMO that benefits low-end rigs by being a bit older, but EVE also isn't super demanding performance-wise anyway. It's combo great for a less than current PC.

Since most of EVE's action takes place against the backdrop of space, there's not a huge amount of graphics processing needed here. Sure, some of the ships (and their interiors) can be very detailed and awesome looking, but you don't need to max things out in CCP Games' title.

There is a small exception here, but as a new player you are going to be a LONG way from hitting it. When some large space battles break out between factions, things can get a bit heavy on your PC, but again, you are probably hundreds of hours away from that. Enjoy all the exploration you like, you likely won't have many issues on that front.

Runescape (Any Of Them)

Man, Runescape seems to make a lot of lists. That's probably because it has more than one version available and each version checks different boxes. Whether you decide to go with some Old School Runescape or some Runescape 3, none of the options are going to set your PC on fire.

Runescape probably shouldn't be in this list by itself as there's more than a few MMOs that kind of fit this "less graphically intensive but still very deep" mold. If you aren't all that fond of the visuals or you want something a bit different, it could be worth checking out Ultima Online or even Dark Age of Camelot if you want a slightly more "realistic" fantasy setting. Those last two COULD require a bit more out of your PC, though.

Albion Online

Any MMO that also has a mobile version is likely to be pretty tame on the PC requirements side of things and Albion Online is a great example of this. This one is going to fit a little better for those of you that like a more "sandbox" MMO. Don't let that discourage you from checking out the game if you are a theme park baby like I am though.

Questing (initially), gathering, adventures, world PvP, and more await and the game is getting ready to drop a massive update on the MMO soon, so now is the perfect time to boot up your PC or hell, just open your phone and go there.

Guilds play a pretty important part of the world control in Albion, so you may want to join one early.

You could literally play this option with NO PC if you wanted to do so.

Dungeons & Dragons Online

Dungeons & Dragons Online, or DDO, is a fantastic digital version of your favorite tabletop game. Not only that, the minimum specs needed for this one still include some pretty less-than-standard-these-days options.

You won't exactly be exploring a full open world like in titles like Warcraft, but the areas you will be adventuring in can get very big. I remember playing this for the very first time back on an old PC of mine that couldn't even run World of Warcraft on minimum settings...well, it could RUN it but when I did things like taking a flight path ride, I was treated to a slideshow.

DDO ran fine, though.

One thing I would mention here about DDO: the monetization strategy is kind of jank on this one. I'm not a fan. You'll have PLENTY to do for hours and hours though before you get to that point, so enjoy the adventure. That said, the team occasionally runs free codes that unlock a ton of things, so keep an eye out for those.

Star Trek Online/Neverwinter

This is kind of a wombo combo and I offer them both here since they are run by the same company. MOST lower-end PCs these days won't have an issue with either of these titles. Really the only issues you may have are the bugs both games continue to have here and there, and we're ALL still dealing with those.

Obviously Star Trek is going to be a better pick if you're a fan of the franchise, but make sure you're digging the space combat aspect of the MMO as it is far better than the ground combat. It's also pretty cool to hang out with a plethora of Star Trek characters, many of which feature their original voice actors.

On the D&D side of things, if you want to get away from the tabletop recommendation of DDO above, Neverwinter takes a more "action combat" type approach. You'll still be working with classic D&D tropes, characters, classes, and villains, just in a more typical MMO fashion than DDO offers.

Guild Wars

As I mentioned in the intro, many lower-end PCs today can probably run Guild Wars 2 just fine. However, if you're still having problems running that and you like the world and lore ArenaNet has built, give the original Guild Wars a shot.

If you've never played, Guild Wars works a bit differently. It's actually more similar to DDO than it is to Guild Wars 2. You'll go out on adventures made to be conquered with a band of friends, so don't be shy when you boot up. You'll need friends sooner rather than later.

Adventures are instanced, too, just like DDO. Don't worry about missing out on loot because someone ran by, you're all in this together.

AdventureQuest 3D

I'll finish the list with another game that has the ability to be played on mobile thus making it a pretty good bet that it'll run on most PCs today. AdventureQuest 3D is the latest iteration of the IP and is going to be a great option for those that like shorter content in a more colorful world than most.

The controls are easy to pick up but the systems are complex enough to make customization of your abilities pretty deep.

It also doesn't hurt that there's basically a cosmetic for everything in the colorful world.

This should be more than enough to get you started. Hell, this list doesn't even touch the myriad of browser based games that a low-end PC would be able to run. Now it's time to go get your leveling on and hit that end game!

Got a low-spec recommendation for your fellow MMO fans? Toss it in the comments below!