PES 2019

PES 2019 – The Last Great “Pure” Football Game Before Everything Changed

Attribute	Details
Publisher	Konami
Developer	PES Productions
Release Date	August 28, 2018 (NA) / August 30, 2018 (Worldwide)
Genre	Sports Simulation
Platforms	PC (Windows), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Android, iOS

So, What Exactly Is PES 2019?

Remember when Pro Evolution Soccer was actually called PES? Before the weird “eFootball” rebrand that nobody asked for? PES 2019 is from that era. The good era.

This game came out in August 2018, a full month before FIFA 19 . Konami knew they were the underdog. They had just lost the UEFA Champions League license to EA – that was a huge blow. No more hearing that iconic anthem before your virtual matches. But instead of panicking, they did something smart. They doubled down on what actually matters: the football on the pitch .

You play football. That’s it. There’s no fancy story mode like FIFA’s “The Journey”. There’s no cinematic cutscenes with Hollywood actors. Just you, the ball, and 21 other players (plus a referee who loves giving out cards). And honestly? That’s exactly what PES fans wanted.

The cover stars were Philippe Coutinho of Barcelona on the standard edition and David Beckham on the Legend edition . Beckham was a big deal – he hadn’t been in a PES game for years. Seeing him bend those free kicks again with that gorgeous ponytail? Pure nostalgia.

Here’s what made PES 2019 special. It introduced something called “Magic Moments” – 39 different player traits that made footballers actually feel like themselves . Kevin De Bruyne could smash those rising thunderbolts. Ronaldo’s headers were basically laser-guided. Neymar had a trait called “malicia” (craftiness) that made him win more free kicks. Harry Kane would hang around the box like a proper poacher. Manuel Neuer would randomly sprint off his line like a madman. The game understood football in a way that stats alone never could.

How Does It Actually Play?

Let me break down what you’re actually getting into.

The gameplay is slower and more thoughtful than FIFA.

This is the biggest difference. FIFA is fast, flashy, arcade-y. PES 2019 is methodical. You can’t just sprint down the wing and spam crosses. You have to build up play. Pass the ball around. Wait for openings. Create space .

The passing is the star of the show. Lofted through balls that land perfectly on your winger’s foot. First-time passes that ping around the midfield. Early crosses that curve away from defenders and onto your striker’s head. When you score a goal in PES 2019, you actually feel like you earned it .

But here’s the problem. Defending is HARD. The AI defenders sometimes just stand there and watch. Center-backs don’t track runners properly. Jostling for the ball usually ends in a foul. Slide tackles almost always get you a card . You end up relying on the “teammate pressure” button – calling a second defender to help – while you manually cut off passing lanes. It works, but it’s not ideal.

Shooting looks great but feels weird.

This is a weird one. Longshots are incredible. Ronaldo’s dipping, swerving rockets that leave goalkeepers helpless. Messi curling one into the top corner with the outside of his foot. The replays are beautiful.

But the moment of impact? It’s anticlimactic. In FIFA, you KNOW a shot is going in the second it leaves the player’s foot. The ball flies, the net ripples, the crowd roars. In PES 2019, the ball seems to float into the net. The sound design just isn’t there. A lazy header from 15 yards might trickle under the keeper’s arms, while a point-blank blast goes embarrassingly wide. There’s a looseness to shooting that takes getting used to .

Dribbling is either too easy or too hard.

You can literally just run through defenders sometimes. The AI doesn’t challenge you. You hold the sprint button and walk past three players without even using a skill move. It feels cheap .

But if you try to actually use the skill moves? Good luck. The controls are awkward. Holding two buttons while moving the right stick while also aiming? Nobody has that many fingers. The skill system hasn’t evolved in years, and it shows.

Goalkeepers are schizophrenic.

One minute your keeper makes a world-class save, tipping a rocket onto the crossbar. The next minute, he spills a simple catch directly to an onrushing striker. Same keeper. Same game. It’s frustrating and feels random rather than skill-based .

What Are the System Requirements for PES 2019?

Here’s the thing about PES 2019. The official requirements from Konami are surprisingly low. But the file size is actually bigger on consoles than the manual says. Let me clear this up.

The PES 2019 download size is 30 GB on PC according to the official manual . But on PS4, the PlayStation Store lists the requirement as 39.5 GB . The free-to-play PES 2019 Lite version is around 31 GB . So make sure you have at least 40 GB free to be safe.

PES 2019 Minimum System Requirements (PC)

Here’s what Konami officially says you need at the bare minimum :

OS: Windows 7 SP1/8.1/10 – 64-bit
Processor: Intel Core i5-3450 (3.10 GHz) / AMD FX 4100 (3.60 GHz)
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 650 / AMD Radeon HD 7750
VRAM: 2 GB
DirectX: Version 11
Storage: 30 GB available space
Resolution: 1280 x 720

PES 2019 Recommended System Requirements (PC)

For the smoother experience at 1080p :

OS: Windows 7 SP1/8.1/10 – 64-bit
Processor: Intel Core i7-3770 (3.40 GHz) / AMD FX 4170 (4.20 GHz)
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 660 / AMD Radeon HD 7950
VRAM: 2 GB
DirectX: Version 11
Storage: 30 GB available space
Resolution: 1920 x 1080

A quick note about other sources: Some websites list different requirements – like 4GB minimum RAM or a GTX 670 . But the official Konami manual is the source you should trust. Stick with 8GB RAM and a GTX 650 minimum.

Will it run on my laptop? Yes, probably. These requirements are from 2018 and weren’t demanding even then. A GTX 650 is ancient (released in 2012). Even budget gaming laptops from the last 5-6 years should handle this game fine. Just make sure you have a dedicated GPU – integrated graphics might struggle.

What about consoles? The game runs at 1080p on PS4 and Xbox One. On PS4 Pro and Xbox One X, you get 4K resolution and HDR support . The lighting system was a big focus – it’s beautiful.

What Makes PES 2019 Special?

Look, I’m going to be straight with you. PES 2019 is not for everyone. If you want licensed teams, flashy menus, and a huge online community, FIFA is your game. But if you care about how football actually FEELS, PES 2019 is something special.

It’s the most realistic football game ever made (at that point).

The “Magic Moments” system was a game-changer. Players feel like themselves. Not just a bundle of stats, but actual personalities with unique behaviors . You notice when Kevin De Bruyne is on the ball. You fear when Ronaldo lines up a header. You get annoyed when Neymar flops. That level of authenticity had never been done before.

The lighting and visuals are stunning.

Konami spent money on “Global Illumination” lighting technology instead of licensing. And honestly? It paid off . Shadows stretch across the pitch as the sun sets. The autumn air looks cold. The way light reflects off players’ shirts is unmatched. This is the closest a football game has ever come to replicating a real TV broadcast.

Master League is still great (if you squint).

Master League is PES’s career mode. It’s not flashy. The menus are ugly. The presentation is dated. But the core loop – taking a struggling team and building them into champions – is still addictive .

New for 2019: team roles. There are 22 different roles like “Hero,” “Superstar,” and “Workhouse.” A Hero brings in extra sponsorship money. A Workhouse improves team stamina. If you lose a Superstar like Messi, your club takes a financial hit. It adds a layer of strategy that FIFA’s Career Mode doesn’t have .

The AI makes intelligent runs.

Your teammates actually move off the ball. They find space. They make clever runs. You don’t feel like you’re dragging 10 statues around the pitch. When you play a through ball, your striker is already sprinting into the gap .

Quick Subs are a lifesaver.

The menus in PES are terrible. Everyone admits this. But the quick substitution system lets you change players without diving into those awful menus. It’s fast, it’s intuitive, and it’s actually better than FIFA’s version .

You can fix the licenses (mostly).

Here’s the thing about PES. Out of the box, Manchester United is “Man Red.” Chelsea is “London FC.” It’s ridiculous. But the PC and PlayStation communities release option files – basically fan-made patches – that add all the real kits, team names, and logos. Within a week of release, you can have a fully licensed game . Xbox players are out of luck, though – Microsoft doesn’t allow file imports.

The Not-So-Great Stuff (Being Honest)

I always try to give you the full picture. So here’s where PES 2019 falls short.

The license situation is a mess.

No Premier League licenses. No Bundesliga. No Champions League. The Scottish league is there (Celtic and Rangers) and the Russian league is exclusive to PES, but that doesn’t make up for losing the biggest competition in club football .

Master League is largely unchanged.

If you played PES 2018’s Master League, you’ve basically played PES 2019’s. The same interview cutscenes. The same menu structure. The same transfer system. It’s not bad, but it’s not new .

MyClub is just worse FUT.

MyClub is Konami’s answer to FIFA Ultimate Team. It’s fine. But it’s not as deep, not as addictive, and the online community is smaller. Featured Players and Legends are in the game now, but it still feels like a pale imitation .

The commentary is terrible.

I’m not exaggerating. It’s bad. The lines are repetitive, the delivery is flat, and sometimes it’s just wrong. Turn it off. Play with stadium sounds and music instead.

Defending is frustrating.

The AI doesn’t track runners. Center-backs stand still. Referees call everything. You’ll concede goals that feel completely undeserved, and you won’t know what you could have done differently .