NieR Automata: Story, Gameplay, Endings & PC Specs

NieR Automata is an action RPG developed by PlatinumGames and published by Square Enix. It first launched for PlayStation 4 in 2017, followed by PC, Xbox One and eventually Nintendo Switch. PlatinumGames lists the original North American PS4 release as March 7, 2017, with the Steam version following later that month.

Years later, the game is still one of Square Enix’s biggest successes. In December 2024, Square Enix confirmed that NieR Automata had surpassed 9 million units in worldwide shipments and digital sales.

For anyone starting the game now, here’s what you need to know about its story, combat, characters, endings, platforms, DLC and PC requirements without spoiling its biggest moments.

What Is NieR Automata About?

NieR Automata takes place thousands of years in the future after Earth has been invaded by aliens and their machine lifeforms.

Humanity has been driven from the planet, and android soldiers are sent to Earth to fight the machines on its behalf. Among them is YoRHa, an advanced android military unit created to help break the stalemate.

The story initially follows two YoRHa androids: 2B and 9S.

2B is a combat model sent on dangerous missions against the machines. 9S is a scanner model who specializes in reconnaissance, gathering information and hacking.

Their mission sounds straightforward: destroy the machine lifeforms and help reclaim Earth.

It doesn’t stay straightforward for long.

As 2B and 9S explore the planet, they encounter machines behaving in ways that don’t fit what they’ve been told. Some form communities. Others attempt to imitate human behavior. That gradually pushes the story away from a simple war between androids and machines.

You don’t need to play the original NieR before starting Automata. The earlier game provides additional background and connections, but NieR Automata tells a story that can be followed on its own.

How Does NieR Automata Gameplay Work?

The core NieR Automata gameplay combines fast melee combat with ranged attacks, dodging, character upgrades and exploration.

Players can equip weapons to light and heavy attack slots, creating different combinations depending on which weapons they use.

There are four main weapon types:

• Short swords
• Large swords
• Spears
• Combat bracers

Switching the same weapons between light and heavy attack slots can also change their attacks and combos. Xbox’s official guide specifically recommends experimenting with different weapon combinations because the same weapon behaves differently depending on how it is equipped.

Your character is also accompanied by a Pod, a small support unit that can continuously fire at enemies while you fight at close range. Pods can use different programs that provide additional attacks and abilities.

Combat isn’t locked to one perspective either.

During certain sections, the camera moves from the usual third-person view into side-scrolling or top-down perspectives. Other sequences use shoot-’em-up and bullet-hell mechanics, while hacking sections introduce a separate arcade-style system.

These shifts happen throughout the game rather than being limited to optional minigames.

How Are 2B, 9S and A2 Different?

Although 2B is the character most closely associated with NieR Automata, she isn’t the game’s only playable character.

2B

2B has the most conventional action-focused playstyle. She can equip two weapon sets and quickly switch between them during combat.

Her Pod handles ranged attacks while she focuses primarily on melee combat.

9S

9S can also use weapons, but hacking is his defining ability.

Certain enemies, machines and computer systems can be hacked. Doing so opens a short arcade-style sequence where the player must destroy digital targets.

Successful hacks can damage enemies or give 9S access to systems that other characters cannot use.

A2

A2 becomes playable later in the story.

Her combat is closer to 2B’s than 9S’s, but she has her own abilities and mechanics. Explaining exactly how she becomes involved would spoil an important part of the game, so new players are better off discovering that themselves.

The changes between characters aren’t simply cosmetic. Each character has access to information, abilities and perspectives that affect how parts of the story are understood.

How Many Endings Does NieR Automata Have?

NieR Automata has 26 lettered endings, from A through Z.

That sounds more complicated than it actually is.

Endings A through E are the important story endings. The remaining endings are mostly alternative, hidden or joke endings triggered by specific actions.

Microsoft’s official Xbox guide confirms the 26-ending structure and specifically recommends seeing at least Endings A through E.

The most important thing for a new player to know is this:

Do not stop after Ending A.

When the credits roll for the first time, load the completed save and continue.

The next route isn’t simply New Game Plus. It changes perspective and reveals information that wasn’t available during the first part of the game.

The same applies after the second ending.

Eventually, the story moves beyond the events you’ve already seen and into entirely new material.

Searching for all the ending requirements before playing isn’t necessary. Most players are better off completing the main endings naturally and looking for the optional endings afterward.

What Platforms Is NieR Automata Available On?

NieR Automata has been released across several platforms.

Platform	Release
PlayStation 4	2017
Windows PC / Steam	2017
Xbox One	2018
Nintendo Switch	2022

The Xbox release is known as NieR Automata: Become as Gods Edition.

Nintendo Switch received NieR Automata: The End of YoRHa Edition on October 6, 2022. Nintendo confirms that the Switch edition includes the main game and the 3C3C1D119440927 DLC.

You can find the official Nintendo Switch version here.

That also means older articles describing the Switch version as an upcoming release are now outdated.

NieR Automata PC Requirements

The official NieR Automata PC requirements remain relatively modest compared with modern PC games.

According to the official Steam listing, the minimum and recommended requirements are:

Specification	Minimum	Recommended
Processor	Intel Core i3-2100 / AMD A8-6500	Intel Core i5-4670 / AMD A10-7850K
RAM	4 GB	8 GB
Graphics	GTX 770 2 GB / Radeon R9 270X 2 GB	GTX 980 4 GB / Radeon R9 380X 4 GB
DirectX	Version 11	Version 11
Storage	50 GB	50 GB
Resolution listed	1280×720	1920×1080
Network	Broadband connection	Broadband connection

Those are still the requirements shown on Steam.

There is one important detail for anyone installing the game today.

The original specification lists Windows 7, 8.1 and 10 because those operating systems were supported when the PC version launched. Steam itself stopped supporting Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 on January 1, 2024, so Windows 10 or later should be treated as the practical requirement for the Steam version.

Was the NieR Automata PC Version Fixed?

The original PC release had technical problems, and many early reviews and forum discussions still reflect the condition of the game in 2017.

Square Enix eventually released a substantial Steam patch on July 15, 2021.

The update included:

• Borderless video settings
• FidelityFX CAS support
• HDR detection
• Anti-aliasing adjustments
• Around 270 upgraded UI textures with 4K support
• 60 FPS pre-rendered cutscenes
• Global illumination settings
• Changes to ambient occlusion and bloom
• Frame-rate stabilization
• Additional stability fixes

The official patch notes also state that pre-rendered cutscenes were adjusted to play at 60 FPS and display at the correct aspect ratio.

That doesn’t mean every PC configuration is guaranteed to run perfectly, but articles describing the current version solely on the basis of its 2017 launch problems are outdated.

What DLC Does NieR Automata Have?

The main NieR Automata DLC is called 3C3C1D119440927.

It was released in May 2017 and adds three battle colosseums alongside additional side quests.

Completing the DLC content can unlock outfits inspired by NieR Replicant:

• Revealing Outfit for 2B
• Young Man’s Outfit for 9S
• Destroyer Outfit for A2

It also contains additional cosmetic rewards, equipment and a special music video. Steam confirms that the DLC’s side quests are built around three separate colosseum challenges.

The DLC isn’t required to understand the main story.

Some later editions of NieR Automata already include it, so check what’s included with the version you’re buying before purchasing the DLC separately.

Where Can You Buy NieR Automata?

The game remains available through official digital storefronts.

PC players can purchase it through Steam, while console versions are available through the relevant PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo stores.

Avoid unofficial websites offering supposed “free installers” or cracked copies of the game.

Those downloads aren’t official Square Enix releases, and executable files from unknown third-party sources can be modified or bundled with unwanted software.

If you’re buying the PC version, Steam is the simplest official option.

How Successful Is NieR Automata?

NieR Automata grew far beyond the audience of the original NieR.

Square Enix announced on December 27, 2024 that worldwide shipments and digital sales had exceeded 9 million unitsacross PlayStation 4, Steam, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.

That figure is important because older articles still quote milestones such as 6.5 million or 7 million copies. Those numbers were accurate at the time but no longer represent the latest officially announced total.

Is NieR Automata Still Worth Playing?

Yes.

The combat remains fast, the different playable characters keep the campaign from becoming mechanically repetitive, and the shifts between third-person action, hacking, side-scrolling and shoot-’em-up sequences still give the game an identity of its own.

Some parts have aged more than others. The open areas can feel sparse, and several side quests are much simpler than the main story.

But those weaknesses don’t change what the game does best.

NieR Automata gradually changes the player’s understanding of its characters and world instead of explaining everything at the beginning. Its multiple routes are part of that structure, which is why stopping after the first credits means missing a large portion of what the game actually has to offer.

If you’re starting it for the first time, the best approach is simple: avoid major spoilers, keep playing after Ending A, and let the story reveal itself in the order the game intended.