Update

We previously reported that the beta client required 14GB of data to download, as indicated by the launcher, but it seems that this is incorrect and it infact only requires about 2GBs.

Original

Yesterday Blizzard community manager Bashiok confirmed that the closed Diablo III beta was “very close” to going live. It was also revealed that Blizzard staff and family members have been playing the game in a closed beta.

“FYI, we’re getting very close to starting the closed public beta test for Diablo III. You might start seeing some new reports about the beta client as we’ve begun limited external testing with employees and their families, and there is no non-disclosure agreement (NDA) for that. We look forward to sharing more info about the beta test in the near future. Stay tuned.”

“If you have a beta license, you are free to show, share, or talk about any portion of the beta content to which you have access, as this beta test is not confidential.”

The beta client is now available for download, and weighs in at a hefty 2GBs, and of course it will not be  of any use to anyone without a beta code.

Now system requirements have emerged for the beta, and in true Blizzard style the game will not require a beast of a gaming PC to run.

The core requirements are 1GB of system memory, and an Intel Pentium D, 2.8GHz CPU, which means that if you have used you PC for playing games in the past years you should be fine.

The list of graphics cards supported is a bit more complicated, but if you have Radeon X850 XT or anything earlier then you will not be able to play the beta. A Radeon X1900/GeForce 7800GS generation card will manage the game just barely, and something along the lines of a GeForce 8800GT will manage the game of medium settings.

A GeForce GTX 280 and upwards will be able to handle the game on high settings.

Of course these only apply to the beta, and should not be taken as the final official Diablo III system requirements. However, with the game nearing the end of development we should expect the final specs to be fairly close to these.

Leaked Diablo III gameplay footage