
About BioShock
BioShock is a horror-themed first-person shooter set in a steampunk underwater dystopia. The player is urged to turn everything into a weapon: biologically modifying their own body with Plasmids, hacking devices and systems, upgrading their weapons, crafting new ammo variants, and experimenting with different battle techniques are all possible. The game is described by the developers as a spiritual successor to their previous PC title System Shock 2. BioShock received high praise in critical reviews for its atmospheric audio and visual quality, absorbing and original plot and its unique gaming experience.
In the year 1960, a plane crashes in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean with a man named Jack as the only survivor. He has the apparent luck of resurfacing in front of what looks like a door to an underwater complex. Without hesitating, Jack enters the door and is greeted by slogans that praise the city of Rapture, a paradise of free will built in the 1940s by a business magnate named Andrew Ryan. However, even before he assimilates all this new information, the descent to this supposed paradise ends and he can only see ruins and chaos. Learning about the destiny of Rapture will be now Jack's main motivation while he tries to survive the horrors that free can create.
Release dates by platform
Reviews & players
PC system requirements
Official specs from Steam
Minimum
| Operating System | Windows XP (with Service Pack 2) or Windows Vista |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel single-core Pentium 4 processor at 2.4GHz |
| RAM | 1 GB |
| Video Card | Direct X 9.0c compliant video card with 128MB RAM and Pixel Shader 3.0 (NVIDIA 6600 or better/ATI X1300 or better, excluding ATI X1550) |
| Hard Drive Space | 8GB |
Recommended
| CPU | Intel Core 2 Duo processor |
|---|---|
| RAM | 2GB |
| Video Card | DX 9 - Direct X 9.0c compliant video card with 512 MB RAM and Pixel Shader 3.0 (NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GT or better), DX 10 - NVIDIA GeForce 8600 or better |
BioShock FAQ
When did BioShock come out?
BioShock was released on August 21, 2007 for PC, Mac, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.
Is BioShock on PlayStation 5?
No. BioShock has not been announced for PlayStation 5. It is available on PC, Mac, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.
Is BioShock on Xbox Series X|S?
No. BioShock has not been announced for Xbox Series X|S. It is available on PC, Mac, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.
Is BioShock on Nintendo Switch 2?
No. BioShock has not been announced for Nintendo Switch 2. It is available on PC, Mac, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.
Who is making BioShock?
BioShock is developed by 2K Boston and 2K Australia and published by 2K Games.
Is BioShock multiplayer?
No. BioShock is single player only.
How much does BioShock cost?
BioShock costs $19.99 on Steam. Prices checked October 9, 2026.
Is BioShock good?
Steam players rate it "Very Positive" — 94% of 32,253 reviews are positive. Critics average 93/100.
What are the minimum PC requirements for BioShock?
The minimum GPU is Direct X 9.0c compliant video card with 128MB RAM and Pixel Shader 3.0 (NVIDIA 6600 or better/ATI X1300 or better…. See the full minimum and recommended specs on our BioShock system requirements page.
Bioshock series
7 games in release order

















