System Shock

After 22 years, cyberpunk cult classic System Shock is getting an update. A "reimagined" version of the 1994 Windows PC game is in the works at Night Dive Studios for PC and Xbox One, and it's a project that…

80 30 May 2023 from $11.99

Adventure Role-playing (RPG) Shooter Simulator Action Horror Science fiction

System Shock is an adventure developed by Nightdive Studios, released 30 May 2023 on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch. It currently starts at $11.99 at Humble Store. The main story takes about 31 hrs to finish.

Verified 23 Aug 2026 Sources: IGDB , Steam , Wikipedia

What System Shock is

System Shock is an adventure game developed by Nightdive Studios and released in 2023. It was published by Prime Matter. It is available on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Linux, Mac and PC (Microsoft Windows). It runs on Nvidia PhysX.

The premise, in the publisher's words

You're a renowned hacker, the most notorious cyberspace thief in the corporate world. Caught during a risky break-in, you become indentured to a greedy TriOptimum executive. After six months in a healing coma, you awaken to the twisted aftermath of a terrible disaster. Where are the surgeons? Why is the station in such disrepair? Slowly, the chilling realization that something is very wrong creeps over you. Once a prime corporate research facility, Citadel Station now teems with mindless cyborgs, robots and terribly mutated beings, all programmed to serve SHODAN, a ruthless A.I. There's scarcely time to think before it unleashes the first terror...

Description from the publisher · source

How it plays

It is played from a first person perspective. Its themes are action, horror and science fiction. It is a single-player game with no multiplayer component. There are 46 achievements to unlock.

How it was received

System Shock holds a critic score of 80 out of 100. That places it above 64% of the 7,525 rated adventure games in our database, which average 72. Games released in 2023 averaged 76, so it scored 4 points above the year average. Player ratings track closely with critics at 80, across 64 votes.

How long it takes, and what that costs

The main story runs about 31 hrs. At its current cheapest price of $11.99, that works out to about $0.39 per hour of the main story.

What you need to run it

The minimum specification calls for Intel Core i5-2400/AMD FX-8320 or better, 4 GB RAM and NVIDIA GTX 670 2GB/AMD Radeon HD 7870 2GB or better. At 4GB of RAM, it will run on essentially any working PC — that is below what a budget laptop ships with today. Install size is roughly 10GB. Both tiers are compared side by side on the requirements page, and you can check your own parts against them without installing anything.

Full requirements and PC checker →

What it costs, and where

The cheapest verified price right now is $11.99 at Humble Store, 70% below its usual price. Storefront pricing varies enormously by country: India is the cheapest region we track at ₹2,240.00 (about $23.50), while United Kingdom pays £34.99 — 2 times more. In Pakistan it is priced at Rs 30 on Steam, which is about $29.99.

Full price comparison across all regions →

What it launched against

System Shock launched on 30 May 2023, within three weeks of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Diablo IV, Street Fighter 6 and Planet of Lana. All of them reviewed better. It arrived 3 years into the PlayStation 5's life, so it was built for hardware developers already knew well.

Released around the same time: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Diablo IV, Street Fighter 6, Planet of Lana.

Cheats and codes

We have not confirmed any working cheat codes for System Shock yet. Rather than reprint a list we have not tested, this section stays empty until one is verified.

Know one? Send it in and we will test it →

Official trailer

Sourced from the publisher’s YouTube channel. See all 6 videos →

Screenshots

All media

Dlc

System Shock VR

TBA

Parents

System Shock

22 September 1994

Quick answers

System Shock — frequently asked questions

When did System Shock come out?

System Shock was released on 30 May 2023 for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Linux, Mac and PC (Microsoft Windows).

How much does System Shock cost?

The cheapest current price for System Shock is $11.99 at Humble Store, which is 70% off its usual price. Prices on this page are checked daily.

How much is System Shock in Pakistan?

On Steam Pakistan, System Shock is priced at $29.99 (about $29.99).

What are the minimum PC requirements for System Shock?

At minimum, System Shock needs Intel Core i5-2400/AMD FX-8320 or better, 4 GB RAM, NVIDIA GTX 670 2GB/AMD Radeon HD 7870 2GB or better graphics, 10 GB available space of storage.

How long does it take to beat System Shock?

The main story of System Shock takes around 31 hrs.

Is System Shock worth it?

That depends on what you want from it, so here are the numbers rather than an opinion: the cheapest price we track today is $11.99, and the main story takes about 31 hrs, which works out to $0.39 per hour of play. Our cost-per-hour tool compares that with other games.

How many GB is System Shock?

The PC version needs about 10 GB of storage, going by the storage line in the system requirements ("10 GB available space"). Updates can add to that, and console versions have their own sizes, which are not listed here.

Does System Shock have controller support?

Partly. Steam lists partial controller support for System Shock, which usually means some menus or modes still need a mouse and keyboard.

Can you play System Shock on Mac?

Steam does not sell a macOS version of System Shock; the Steam release is for Windows.

Is System Shock on Linux?

Steam does not list a native Linux version of System Shock. Windows games can often run on Linux and Steam Deck through Proton, but that is a different question from native support.

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