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Gears of War 4 on PC. Click to open it full size.
New in the series: Gears of War: E-Day is a prequel set on the day the Locust first attacked, with a young Marcus and Dom. Our guide covers how to get it on PC.
Gears of War 4 is a third-person shooter for PC from The Coalition, available in the Xbox app and the Microsoft Store. You play JD Fenix, the son of series hero Marcus Fenix, as he and his friends Kait and Del face a new enemy called the Swarm. You fight from cover, use the chainsaw Lancer up close, and survive violent storms that change every fight.
It is set 25 years after Gears of War 3, with a new cast taking the lead. It is an Xbox Play Anywhere game, so one digital purchase covers both Xbox and PC. Your progress follows you between the two.
It launched on October 11, 2016 for Windows 10 and Xbox One. It is not sold on Steam, and it is part of PC Game Pass.
Already playing? Tell us your favorite Horde class. Got questions before buying? Reach out to us directly.
What You Need to Know
- On PC it is only in the Xbox app and the Microsoft Store. It is not on Steam or the Epic Games Store.
- PC Game Pass includes it, so subscribers can play without buying it.
- It is an Xbox Play Anywhere game: buy it digitally once, play on Xbox and PC.
- Two-player campaign co-op works online or in split-screen.
- Multiplayer has crossplay with Xbox players.
Quick Facts
How to Download Gears of War 4 on Windows
Gears of War 4 is sold through the Xbox app (the Microsoft Store), not Steam. You need a free Microsoft account to buy or play it.
- Step 1. Open the Xbox app. It comes with Windows 11 and Windows 10. If it is missing, install it from the Microsoft Store. Sign in with your Microsoft account.
- Step 2. Open the store page. Search for Gears of War 4, or go to its Xbox store page.
- Step 3. Buy it or use Game Pass. Click Buy, or Install if you have PC Game Pass.
- Step 4. Pick a drive with space. It needs about 80 GB.
- Step 5. Launch it from the Xbox app. Your Xbox progress carries over if you have played it on console.
Own it on Xbox? If you bought Gears of War 4 digitally on Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S, you already own the PC version. It appears in your library in the Xbox app.
Gears of War 4 Price
There is one edition to buy on PC, and it is also part of PC Game Pass. Both give you the full campaign, Horde 3.0 and Versus.
The price is the US list price in the Microsoft Store, with regional prices elsewhere. Online multiplayer on PC does not need a paid Xbox subscription.
What Is Gears of War 4?
Gears of War 4 is set 25 years after Gears of War 3. The Locust are gone, and most people live behind city walls run by the COG. You play JD Fenix, who left the army and lives outside the walls with his friends Del Walker and Kait Diaz, until a new enemy starts taking people from Kait’s village.
JD, Kait and Del, the new lead trio.
That enemy is the Swarm, a force that looks a lot like the Locust. Early on you also fight the DeeBees, the COG’s robot soldiers. Marcus Fenix, older and retired, joins his son along the way.
The combat is classic Gears: cover, flanking and the chainsaw Lancer. New moves let you yank an enemy over cover or vault over it and kick them. Windflares, violent storms, push bullets and grenades off course and can tear cover apart.
The campaign works solo or in two-player co-op.
Horde 3.0 is the co-op wave mode. Five players pick classes like Engineer, Heavy or Sniper, build fortifications with a Fabricator, and try to survive 50 waves.
Horde 3.0 adds classes and fortifications.
Versus is the competitive mode, running at 60 frames per second on dedicated servers, with a ranking system for casual and competitive players.
Versus, the competitive mode.
Want to know what happens next? Our guide to Gears 5 picks up Kait’s story, and Gears of War: E-Day goes back to the day the war began.
Official Trailer
Watch the official gameplay launch trailer for Gears of War 4 to see JD, Kait and Del in action against the Swarm and the robots of the COG.
Key Features
JD Fenix, Kait Diaz and Del Walker lead the story, 25 years after Gears of War 3.
Play the campaign with a friend in split-screen or online. Player two picks Kait or Del.
Violent storms bend bullets and grenades and can tear cover away mid-fight.
Five players, five classes, fortifications and 50 waves to survive.
Competitive modes at 60 frames per second on dedicated servers.
Buy it digitally once and play on Xbox and PC with shared progress.
Is This Game for You?
Our Take
🎮 Our Take
Gears of War 4 plays it safe, and mostly that works. The cover shooting feels as good as ever, the new trio is easy to like, and windflares add a clever twist that changes how a fight plays out. Horde 3.0 is the best part: classes and fortifications turn it into a planning game you can sink hours into with friends. The slow first act against robots is the weak spot, and the game only finds its feet once the Swarm shows up.
If you have PC Game Pass, play it there. If you are buying, the price is low for what you get, and Play Anywhere means you also own it on Xbox. Play it before Gears 5, since that game picks up Kait’s story directly. If you only use Steam, know that this one is Xbox app only.
System Requirements
Microsoft published three tiers of requirements before launch. They are modest by today’s standards, so most gaming PCs from the last several years clear the recommended tier. The list was written for Windows 10; the game also installs on Windows 11 through the Xbox app.
Gears of War 4 was one of the early DirectX 12 games on PC, and its graphics menu has a built-in benchmark to help you pick settings. If you are thinking about an upgrade, our Best Gaming Desktops guide is a good place to start.
Tips for Beginners
Yank and kick
When an enemy hides behind the same cover as you, yank them over to your side or vault over and kick them, then finish them with an execution.
Watch the windflares
Strong wind bends your grenades and slows your movement. Throw with the wind, and stay out of the open when debris starts flying.
Hit the active reload
Press reload again when the marker crosses the bright part of the bar for a faster reload and extra damage.
Play Engineer in Horde
Engineers build and repair fortifications more cheaply. One in your team keeps the base standing through the late waves.
Bring a friend on the couch
The campaign supports split-screen on PC. Plug in two controllers and the second player picks Kait or Del.
Gears of War 4 Screenshots
An older Marcus, a DeeBee robot and a fight in a mountain village. Click any image to open it full size.
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Gears of War 4 FAQ
Is Gears of War 4 on Steam?
Does Gears of War 4 run on Windows 11?
Can I play Gears of War 4 split-screen on PC?
If I own Gears of War 4 on Xbox, do I get the PC version?
What are the Gears of War 4 system requirements?
Support and Community
- Gears of War 4 on the official Gears of War site, The Coalition’s own page for the game.
- Gears of War Support, for account, crash and connection problems.
- r/GearsOfWar on Reddit, the series subreddit, for news, clips and help.
Explore more Windows games: Gears of War: E-Day for Windows · Gears 5 for Windows · Gears Tactics for Windows · Helldivers 2 for Windows · Best Action Games for Windows
Need a PC upgrade to run these? See our Best Gaming Desktops guide.
Discover more from Windows Mode
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