If you’re a fan of tactical first-person shooters, you’ve probably heard friends rave about the high-stakes, team-based gameplay of Rainbow Six Siege. You might be wondering can you get Rainbow Six Siege on PC, and if the experience lives up to the hype compared to console versions. The short answer is yes, and the PC port offers a ton of extra perks that make it a favorite among long-time Siege players, from higher frame rates to customizable control schemes. We’ll walk you through everything you need to know to get the game up and running, avoid common setup mistakes, and start playing with your friends right away.
Can You Get Rainbow Six Siege on PC? Where to Download the Game Legally
Now that you know the short answer is yes, you might be confused about where to find a legitimate copy of the game, since it’s available across multiple storefronts. The three official platforms you can purchase and download Siege from are Ubisoft Connect, Steam, and the Epic Games Store. All three versions work exactly the same, and you can link your Ubisoft account across all platforms to keep your progression, skins, and rank no matter which launcher you use.
Only download the game from official platforms to avoid account bans or malware risks. Pirated copies of Siege can’t access online multiplayer at all, since BattlEye anti-cheat will flag unlicensed versions immediately and ban any associated Ubisoft accounts permanently. You also run the risk of downloading malware or keyloggers disguised as game files from untrusted sites, which isn’t worth the small savings of a pirated copy.
Ubisoft often runs free weekend events for Siege, so you can test the PC version before buying. If you’re on a budget, wait for seasonal sales, where the standard edition of the game often drops to as low as $4.99. You can also pick up deluxe or ultimate editions if you want access to all existing operators, but the standard edition is more than enough for new players just getting started.
Minimum and Recommended PC System Requirements for Rainbow Six Siege
Even if you have an older PC, you’ll be able to run Rainbow Six Siege on PC without major issues as long as you meet the minimum specs. Ubisoft has put years of work into optimizing the game for low-end hardware, so you don’t need a $2000 gaming rig to enjoy casual matches with friends.
The minimum specs for 720p 30 FPS gameplay are: Intel Core i3 560 @ 3.3 GHz or AMD Phenom II X4 945 @ 3.0 GHz, 6GB of RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 or AMD Radeon HD 5770 with 1GB of VRAM, 70GB of available storage, and Windows 10 64-bit. For 1080p 60 FPS gameplay, the recommended specs are: Intel Core i5-2500K @ 3.3 GHz or AMD Ryzen 5 1600 @ 3.2 GHz, 8GB of RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon R9 290X with 4GB of VRAM, 70GB of SSD storage, and Windows 10 or 11 64-bit.
Installing Siege on an SSD will cut load times by up to 70% and prevent in-game texture stutters. If you only have a hard drive available, you can still run the game, but you’ll have much longer wait times between matches and might experience temporary freezes when new areas of a map load in. Competitive players usually run all graphics settings on low to maximize frame rates and reduce visual clutter that can hide enemies.
Key Perks of Playing Rainbow Six Siege on PC vs Consoles
There’s a reason Rainbow Six Siege on PC has such a dedicated competitive community, after all. The PC version has a number of advantages that you won’t find on Xbox or PlayStation, even on the latest next-gen consoles.
- Access to custom FOV sliders up to 90, which gives you a wider field of view to spot enemies hiding in corners without distorting your perspective
- No locked frame rate caps, so you can play at 144Hz or 240Hz if you have a compatible monitor, making aiming and reacting to enemies much faster
- Faster patch rollouts, with Ubisoft often pushing small bug fixes and balance tweaks to PC a few days before they release on console platforms
- Support for advanced peripherals like high-DPI mice, customizable mechanical keyboards, and eye-tracking hardware that can give you a small edge in competitive play
You also have full control over crossplay settings on PC. If you want to play with friends on console, you can enable crossplay in your Ubisoft account settings. If you don’t want to face controller players with aim assist, you can turn crossplay off entirely to only match with other mouse and keyboard users. Most professional Siege esports players compete on PC, so it's the best platform if you want to practice for competitive play or climb the ranked ladder against the best players in the world.
Common PC Setup Mistakes to Avoid for New Siege Players
Most of these issues are unique to Rainbow Six Siege on PC, so they’re easy to fix once you know what to look for. The first mistake a lot of new players make is not enabling BattlEye anti-cheat properly during installation. If you get a launch error that says BattlEye is missing or corrupted, you can reinstall it manually from the game folder, or verify your game files on your launcher to fix the issue automatically.
Another common mistake is leaving default settings enabled for your first match. The default FOV is set to 60, which is way too narrow for most players, and default graphics settings have motion blur and depth of field turned on, which make it much harder to spot enemies moving in the distance. Spend 10 minutes adjusting your settings before you jump into a match, and test your mouse sensitivity in the practice range to make sure it feels comfortable for you.
A lot of new players also skip the situation mode tutorials entirely, which is a big mistake. The 10 situation missions teach you the basics of breaching, using operator abilities, defending objectives, and navigating map layouts, which will save you a lot of frustration when you play your first casual match. If you run into frequent crashes, verify your game files on your launcher first—this fixes 90% of common PC launch issues for Siege. If that doesn’t work, make sure you don’t have any third-party software running that might be flagged by BattlEye, like cheat engines, certain screen recorders, or untrusted VPNs.
At the end of the day, if you’ve been asking can you get Rainbow Six Siege on PC, the answer is a resounding yes, and it’s easily one of the best ways to experience the game. Whether you’re a casual player who just wants to mess around with friends or an aspiring competitive player looking to climb the ranks, the PC version offers enough flexibility to fit every playstyle. Take the time to check your system specs first, grab the game on sale if you can, and spend an hour or two practicing in the situation modes before you jump into your first multiplayer match. You’ll be having a blast planning breaches and outsmarting enemy teams in no time.