PUBG Corporation is apparently working on a free version of the mega-popular PlayerUnknown’s Battleground. That’s not all however, as PUBG Lite is also meant to make the notoriously erratic performing regular game run much better on low-end hardware. PUBG Lite is currently in beta testing in Thailand but if it ends up a success, it will be rolled out worldwide.
The progenitor of the modern battle royale genre of last man standing online gaming PUBG is widening its horizon with news of a free variant. Dubbed PUBG Lite, this version of the game aims to deliver the same beloved gameplay of its older brother all the while enabling possibly millions of new players by reducing the hardware requirements to play the game at reasonable performance.
Developer PUBG Corporation released a news post about PUBG Lite on their website where they detailed the projects goals. First and foremost, it’s meant as a lightweight PUBG aimed at regions where the necessary hardware requirements for the full PUBG experience are harder to reach. Meaning, developing countries where gamers simply earn lower wages and can’t easily afford capable gaming PCs to run PUBG properly.
The second pillar of PUBG Lite is the fact that it is going to be a free game. We’re expecting this to mean free-to-play with in-game microtransactions of course, but for the time being the developer hasn’t delved into the business model of PUBG Lite. That makes sense, as PUBG Lite is currently still in beta for south-east Asia regions. Indeed, several focus group tests for PUBG Lite have been conducted for the region since last October.
The decision to make a public beta test in Thailand is a promising sign that there is a need for a free and lightweight PUBG. There’s no mention when or if PUBG Lite is going to come out for Western regions but seeing the popularity of free-to-play games here and Fortnite having great success as a F2P title, we wouldn’t be surprised if that would be the case in the future.
