The minimum system requirements aim to support basic gameplay on a device.
The minimum system requirements aim to support basic gameplay on a device.
They aim for a specific configuration: a graphics card meeting or exceeding the i3 requirement and a GPU capable of handling the GTX 460. The exact resolution and frame rate depend on the game, but they’re targeting a balance between performance and visual quality for that hardware.
It's reasonable to expect basic configurations at 1080p as the baseline for essential needs.
Typically 1080p at 45fps works well on medium settings. Sometimes it can be a bit lower or higher depending on the game's age. For instance, Sonic Generations met those requirements closely, while more recent titles often need more powerful GPUs.
There is no real standard at which they go by. The thing is this is a product they intend to sell...so its in their best interest to make it appear to be feasible to run on as low end hardware as they can get away with to have less of a likelihood to drive potential sales away.
It seems it's likely 800x600 resolution, a low preset setting, and 60 frames per second. Or possibly 45 fps. It should be playable even without any additional features.
This set of system needs applies to Overwatch, which states you require a GTX 460 to operate at x resolutions and x performance levels. It makes sense they referenced 1080p as the minimum since it’s running at 60 fps with the lowest settings on a Geforce 840m.