Even with newer eFootball releases on the market, eFootball PES 2021 remains one of the most beloved football games for PC players, thanks to its polished core gameplay, extensive mod support, and far fewer intrusive microtransactions than later entries. If you’ve been looking to revisit the title or try it for the first time, you might be confused by conflicting advice online about safe, working download methods. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to get the game running smoothly, no hidden tricks or risky downloads required. We’ll cover exactly how to download eFootball PES 2021 on PC, plus pre-install checks, fixes for common errors, and tips to make your gameplay experience even better.
Pre-Download Checks to Run Before You Install eFootball PES 2021 on PC
Jumping straight into the download without a few quick checks can lead to hours of frustration, from failed installs to laggy gameplay that makes the title unplayable. I learned this the hard way a few years back when I tried to install the game on an old laptop without checking specs first, only to have it crash every time I tried to launch a match. Take 5 minutes to run through these checks first, and you’ll avoid 90% of common installation issues.
First, confirm your PC meets either the minimum or recommended system requirements for the game. The minimum specs will let you play on low to medium settings, while the recommended specs let you run the game on high settings with no lag, even when running mods. You’ll need minimum 8 GB of RAM for basic gameplay, and 16 GB if you plan to use large mod packs with custom teams and stadiums.
- Confirm your PC meets at least the minimum system requirements to avoid lag or installation failures
- Free up at least 40 GB of available SSD storage (HDD works but load times will be 2-3x slower)
- Verify you have a stable internet connection of at least 10 Mbps to avoid corrupted download files
- Whitelist your download source in your antivirus or firewall to prevent false positive file deletions
You should also make sure your Windows operating system is updated to at least the 64-bit version of Windows 10, as the game does not support 32-bit systems or older Windows versions like Windows 7 or 8. If you’re not sure what system type you have, you can check in your PC’s About section in Settings. Don’t skip this step, as trying to install the game on an unsupported OS will lead to an immediate error message.
Official, Safe Methods to Download eFootball PES 2021 on PC
Once you’ve completed the pre-download checks, it’s time to grab the game files. There are only two official, safe sources for the game, and you should avoid any other site that claims to offer a free or cracked version. I’ve heard dozens of stories from players who downloaded pirated copies only to end up with malware on their PC, corrupted save files, or no access to online multiplayer or official patches. Always purchase the game from official platforms only to protect your device and get full access to all game features.
The most popular method is via Steam. To download through Steam, first create or log into your Steam account, then type “eFootball PES 2021” into the search bar. Select the game from the results, add it to your cart, and complete the purchase. The game regularly goes on sale for 70% off or more during seasonal Steam sales, so if you’re not in a rush, waiting for a sale can save you a lot of money. Once you’ve purchased the game, it will be added to your Steam library permanently, so you can re-download it any time you want even if you switch PCs.
To start the download, navigate to your Steam library, find eFootball PES 2021 in your list of games, and click the blue Install button. You’ll be prompted to choose an install location, so make sure you select the drive with the 40 GB of free space you set aside earlier. You can adjust the download speed in Steam’s settings if you don’t want the download to use all your bandwidth while you browse or work on other tasks. The download size is roughly 30 GB, so the time it takes will depend on your internet speed.
The second official method is via the Konami official store, though the Steam version is far more popular for its automatic updates, cloud save support, and easy mod management. The process for the Konami store version is almost identical: purchase the game, download the official launcher, and follow the on-screen prompts to install the game to your chosen location. Both versions are identical in terms of gameplay, so the choice comes down to personal preference.
Step-by-Step Installation Process Post-Download
Once the download finishes, Steam will automatically verify the game files to make sure none are corrupted or missing. Don’t cancel this process, even if it takes a few minutes. Skipping file verification can lead to random crashes mid-match, missing textures, or the game failing to launch entirely. If the verification process finds any corrupted files, Steam will automatically re-download the missing parts for you, no extra work required.
When verification is complete, click the Play button to launch the game for the first time. The initial launch will install required supporting software like DirectX and Visual C++ redistributables, so don’t close the pop-up windows that appear during this step. These tools are required for the game to run properly, and canceling their installation will cause launch errors.
Once you reach the main menu, take a few minutes to adjust your basic settings before jumping into a match. Set your preferred resolution, graphics preset, and controller mapping first, so you don’t have to pause your first match to fix input issues or blurry visuals. Create a backup of your save file folder once you finish setting up, so if you ever need to reinstall the game or your hard drive crashes, you don’t lose months of progress in Master League or MyClub. I lost 6 months of Master League progress a few years ago when my old SSD failed, so I now back up my saves to cloud storage every week to avoid that mistake again.
If you run into launch issues after installation, the first fix to try is re-verifying your game files on Steam. 80% of common launch errors are caused by missing or corrupted files, and re-verification almost always fixes the problem. If that doesn’t work, try updating your graphics card drivers, as out-of-date drivers are another common cause of crashes or poor performance.
Tips to Optimize Your eFootball PES 2021 PC Experience After Installation
Once the game is running smoothly, there are a few simple tweaks you can make to improve your gameplay experience even more. For mid-range PCs, switching from TAA anti-aliasing to FXAA will give you almost identical visual quality with a 10-15 FPS boost, which makes a huge difference if you’re hovering around 60 FPS on high settings. You can also turn off crowd quality if you don’t care about detailed stadium crowds, which will give you another small FPS bump.
One of the biggest draws of PES 2021 on PC is its massive mod community, which creates everything from updated 2024 team kits and rosters to classic World Cup team packs from the 90s and 2000s. Only download mods from trusted community sites to avoid malware, and always back up your original game files before installing any mods, so you can revert to the vanilla version if something breaks. Most mod packs come with simple installers that walk you through the process step by step, so you don’t need any technical knowledge to use them.
If you play with a PS5 or Xbox controller, make sure you enable controller support in your Steam settings to eliminate input lag. You can also customize your controller mapping to match the layout you’re used to from console versions of the game, which makes the transition to PC feel much more natural. If you mostly play offline, you can disconnect your internet before launching the game to skip the Konami login screen, which cuts down on launch time by a few seconds.
You can also adjust the game’s difficulty sliders to match your skill level, even in single player modes. A lot of new players assume the default difficulty is the only option, but you can tweak everything from pass accuracy to opponent AI aggression to make the game feel as challenging or casual as you want. I’ve been playing the game for 3 years, and I still adjust the sliders every few months to keep the gameplay feeling fresh.
At the end of the day, learning how to download eFootball PES 2021 on PC doesn’t have to be complicated, as long as you stick to official sources and follow the pre-download checks we covered. The game has aged incredibly well, and with the huge library of community mods available, you can customize it to feel like a brand new football game even years after its original release. Whether you’re a long-time PES fan revisiting the title or a new player trying it for the first time, following these steps will get you on the pitch and playing in no time, no risky downloads or complicated fixes required.