Age of Empires 4 launch time, preload, file size and PC system requirements

After Microsoft announced the release of Age of Empires IV at Gamescom 2017, fans were absolutely thrilled. Little did they know that it would take so long to develop! With more than 25 years under its name, it's been almost two decades since the last iteration of the game was released, so the excitement was certainly justified.

Now, the time has finally come for veterans of the age-old classic to revisit the battlegrounds in Age of Empires 4. Here's everything you need to know about Age of Empires 4 on PC, from the launch time, preload, download size, system requirements, and more!

What is the Age of Empires 4 launch times?

Age of Empires 4 will release on 28th October at 08:00 PT, 11:00 ET, and 16:00 BST. The game will be available for purchase via the Steam Store, or via the Microsoft Store, retailing for £49.99.

The game is a PC-exclusive release, which means that it will not be released on Xbox One or on Xbox Series X|S at this time.

Will Age of Empires be available on Xbox Game Pass?

Yes, Age of Empires 4 will be available via Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass for PC subscription service. The service is available at a monthly cost of £7.99

Otherwise, you can also purchase the Ultimate package for £10.99 per month (your first month will cost £1), which also includes an Xbox Live Gold pass. Both plans include EA Play.

Age of Empires 4 preload and download size

Age of Empires 4 will require 50 GB of available storage space. You may, however, require more space once the developers roll out future expansion and patch updates.

The game currently does not appear to support preloading, which means that you will have to start the download after the game officially launches tomorrow.

Age of Empires 4 system requirements

Age of Empires 4 requires a 64-bit processor and operating system in order to run. Here are the minimum and recommended PC system requirements for Age of Empires 4.

Minimum PC system requirements

• Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit or Windows 11 64-bit
• Processor: Intel Core i5-6300U or AMD Ryzen 5 2400G (CPU with AVX support required)
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Graphics: Intel HD 520 or AMD Radeon RX Vega 11
• DirectX: Version 12
• Storage: 50 GB available space

If you'd prefer to enjoy Age of Empires 4 in its full glory, then you may require a beefier rig.

Recommended PC system requirements

• Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit or Windows 11 64-bit
• Processor: 3.6 GHz 6-core (Intel Core i5) or AMD Ryzen 5 1600 (CPU with AVX support required)
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce 970 GPU or AMD Radeon RX 570 GPU with 4GB of VRAM
• DirectX: Version 12
• Storage: 50 GB available space
• Additional Notes: 4 GB of video RAM and 16 GB of system RAM

And that's it! At the time of writing, there are just over 24-hours left before Age of Empires 4 goes live. Happy gaming, friends!

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Featured image courtesy of Xbox Game Studios.