Just Cause 2 doesn't support Windows XP?

James Delahunty
24 Feb 2010 5:25

A look at the minimum system requirements for the upcoming blockbuster Just Cause 2 shows that the title won't work on installations of Windows XP. This would represent one of the first high profile releases not to be supported by the still-popular Microsoft operating system. The requirements specifies that an operating system newer than XP is required, and provides a hint why.
The game requires at least DirectX 10. Windows XP can only officially go as far as DirectX 9, meaning that gamers would need to be using Windows Vista or Windows 7 to play the game. A recent hardware/software survey from Steam showed that 42.15 percent of its users were in fact still running the Windows XP operating system, although Windows 7 was becoming popular very fast.
Of course, there have been several methods used to install DirectX 10 on Windows XP since it was launched, none of which are supported by Microsoft and several of which have no support from their original authors either. So maybe it is "technically" possible to run it on Windows XP, but it is a shame that users should have to install a hacked DirectX 10 package and probably patch the game files themselves to play it on Windows XP.


Amazon.com incorrectly lists XP as supported in search results.


Minimum System Requirements

  • Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista or Windows 7 (Windows XP is unsupported)
  • Processor: Dual-core CPU with SSE3 (Athlon 64 X2 4200 / Pentium D 3GHz)
  • Graphics Card: Nvidia Geforce 8800 Series / ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro with 256MB memory or equivalent DX10 card with 256MB memory
  • Memory: 2GB RAM
  • DirectX: Microsoft DirectX 10
  • Hard Drive: 10GB of free drive space
  • Optical Drive: DVD-ROM drive
  • Sound Card: 100% DirectX 10 compatible sound card
  • Internet Connection: Internet connection required for product activation
  • Input: Keyboard and mouse (Microsoft Xbox 360 controller optional)

Recommended System Setup

  • Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista or Windows 7 (Windows XP is unsupported)
  • Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.6GHz or AMD Phenom X3 2.4GHz
  • Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce GTS 250 Series with 512MB / ATI Radeon HD 5750 Series with 512MB or equivalent DX10 card with 512MB memory
  • Memory: 3GB
  • DirectX: Microsoft DirectX 10.1 with Vista SP1
  • Hard Drive: 10GB of free drive space
  • Optical Drive: DVD-ROM drive
  • Sound Card: 100% DirectX 10 compatible Dolby Digital 5.1 sound card
  • Internet Connection: Internet connection required for product activation
  • Input: Keyboard and mouse (Xbox 360 controller optional)

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