PUBG Corp., the developer of the popular battle royale shooter PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, announced that it is now testing a free version of the game called PUBG Lite. This version is also designed to run on low-end computers with integrated graphics.
For now, the PUBG Lite beta test is only available in Thailand, but it may eventually roll out to the rest of the world, assuming the testing stage goes well.
A Stripped-Down Version
From the title itself, PUBG Lite is a toned-down version of the original game. It's made to run on PCs and laptops with not-so-powerful internals.
"[T]he PUBG LITE team has focused on balancing lower hardware requirements, without compromising on our quality standards. The end result is a build that is playable even on computers and laptops utilizing integrated graphics," PUBG Corp. said in an announcement.
For minimum system requirements, users should have 64-bit Windows 7/8/10, Intel Core i3 2.4GHz, 4 GB of RAM, Intel HD Graphics 4000, and 4 GB HDD.
Recommended specs include 64-bit Windows 7/8/10, Intel Core i5 2.8GHz, 8 GB of RAM, Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 or AMD Radeon HD 7870, and 4 GB HDD.
As of the moment, it will only have the original Erangel map and third-person perspective solo, duo, and squad play. As the beta testing runs, more maps and other content based on the game's full version will be added to PUBG Lite.
PUBG Lite is a standalone game, though, meaning it has its own team of developers and creators working on content that's separate from the game's full version.
PUBG vs Fortnite
Introducing PUBG's free version may be PUBG Corp.'s attempt to race past Fortnite, another popular battle royale game.
To be fair, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds takes the credit as the first battle royale game that became highly popular. However, Fortnite has been leading the race in this genre lately, likely because it's free to play and has lighter system requirements. In comparison, PUBG is more on the "premium" side — players must pay a certain amount to have access to the game, for console and PC players at least.
