What You Need to Play Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (and Dominate!)
Here's what you need to play Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare at your best, whether you're looking for a new gaming PC or the most shooter-friendly mice and keyboards out there.
Available now for PC, PS4 and Xbox One, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare takes the blockbuster shooter series to space, allowing you to fight in zero gravity, use cool new abilities and duke it out with an evil version of the dude who plays Jon Snow. Every new Call of Duty brings with it a new story campaign, a zany co-op zombies mode and a suite of multiplayer options, and you'll need the right gear to truly dominate at all three. Whether you're looking for the most powerful PC to run the game or simply want the best peripherals for high-level play, here's everything you need to get started in Infinite Warfare.
System Requirements - Best Desktop and Laptop
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Here are the minimum system requirements for Infinite Warfare (via Steam), as well as what we recommend.
Specs | Minimum | What We Recommend |
OS | Windows 7 64-bit or later | Windows 10 64-bit |
Processor | Intel Core i3-3225 | Intel Core i5-6400 |
RAM | 8GB | 8GB |
Graphics | Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 2GB / AMD Radeon HD 7850 2GB | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 8GB / AMD Radeon RX 480 8GB |
DirectX | Version 11 | Version 11 |
Storage | 70GB | 70GB |
Our favorite desktops for running this type of game are the Alienware Aurora ($799 starting) and Digital Storm Vanquish ($825 starting), both of which offer strong starting specs and are easy to upgrade.
If you're going for a laptop, the slim Acer Aspire V15 Nitro ($999 starting) is a good budget pick, while HP's massive Omen 17 ($1,299 starting) offers desktop-quality performance.
MORE: Which Big Fall Shooter Is For You?
Best Mouse: Razer DeathAdder Elite
For a shooter like Call of Duty, you'll want a mouse that's simple and highly responsive, not loaded with superfluous features. That's why we recommend Razer's DeathAdder Elite ― it's sleek, easy to program and highly comfortable, with no extraneous buttons to get in the way of you landing the perfect headshot. The Elite makes it easy to create custom profiles for specific games, and it offers some nice customizable LED lighting.
Best Keyboard: SteelSeries Apex M500
The SteelSeries Apex M500 is made specifically for competitive players and is particularly good for shooter fans. This slick, streamlined keyboard ditches the glut of macro buttons found on more expensive models, and delivers wonderfully snappy Cherry MX keys and an innovative tangle-free cable. And if you want to head to a friend's place to LAN it up, the Apex M500's small profile is perfect for traveling.
Best Headset: HyperX Cloud II
Few things are more important in a shooter than hearing your enemies coming, and the HyperX Cloud II is one of the best-sounding headsets you can find for under $100. These cans offer virtual 7.1 Surround Sound over USB, and are cozy enough to be worn through a full day of grinding through deathmatches. They're also sleek enough to double as an everyday pair of headphones, should you decide to take a break from dominating online to kick back with some music.
Best Monitor: BenQ Zowie RL2455
In shooters, having the right monitor can mean the difference between making and missing that game-winning headshot. Our favorite display for games like Call of Duty is the BenQ Zowie RL2455, which offers a 24-inch, 1080p screen complete with a speedy 1-millisecond response time ideal for both PC and console gaming. The RL2455 is a favorite among professional gamers, but is still affordable enough for those taking their first dive into competitive play.
Best Controller: Xbox One Elite Controller
If you prefer to play on a controller (or plan on playing Infinite Warfare on Xbox One), Microsoft's $150 Elite Controller truly lives up to its name. This sturdy, ultra-cozy gamepad is highly customizable, with remappable buttons and swappable components that enable you to create the deadliest, most intuitive control setup possible.
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Mike Andronico is Senior Writer at CNNUnderscored. He was formerly Managing Editor at Tom's Guide, where he wrote extensively on gaming, as well as running the show on the news front. When not at work, you can usually catch him playing Street Fighter, devouring Twitch streams and trying to convince people that Hawkeye is the best Avenger.