PUBG Lite is a free, low-spec version of PUBG that's now in beta testing

PUBG Corporation is testing a new version of Playerunknown's Battlegrounds called PUBG Lite that will have reduced hardware requirements and—this is the big one—will be free.

"Our goal for PUBG Lite is simple: Deliver the Playerunknown's Battlegrounds experience to players in areas where the core game’s required specifications are more difficult to achieve due to the hardware available," the announcement says.

"To this end, the 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."

This is what you'll need to play:

Minimum system requirements:

OS: Windows 7/8/10, 64-bit
CPU: Intel Core i3 2.4GHz
RAM: 4GB
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4000
HDD: 4GB

Recommended:

OS: Windows 7/8/10, 64-bit
CPU: Intel Core i5 2.8GHz
RAM: 8GB
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 or AMD Radeon HD 7870
HDD: 4GB

PUBG Lite will be a standalone game, with its own development team and content creation stream, and will support solo, duo, and squad play in third-person perspective. Beta players will do battle on Erangel, the original PUBG map, but more "maps and content familiar to PUBG players" will be added at some point down the road. For now, the beta is only available in Thailand, but assuming it goes reasonably smoothly I would expect that market to broaden in the relatively near future.

I also expect it will lead into some interesting questions about the game's future. Will a free PUBG cannibalize the premium version? Is PUBG Corp really going to support separate development tracks for what is essentially the same game—and for how long? And if it's possible to make the game run reasonably well on an Intel HD4000 chipset, why not focus the effort on the existing version, rather than splitting into separate branches?

PUBG Corp said it will continue to analyze feedback and share updates on the beta as it progresses.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.