Review · Gaming & entertainment
Age of Empires IV review
The newest historical Age of Empires game, sold as the Anniversary Edition with added civilizations and maps.
By the DBotMaker research desk · Updated November 12, 2026
- Capabilities (40%)
- 9.2
- Ease of setup (30%)
- 8.2
- Value (30%)
- 8.8
Age of Empires IV is the newest historical game in the series and the right choice for players who want modern visuals with classic Age play. The Steam listing for the Anniversary Edition describes 10 civilizations at launch, from the English to the Chinese and the Delhi Sultanate, plus the Malians and Ottomans and 8 new maps added as free content. A Mod Editor in beta lets you build skirmish and multiplayer maps, missions and tuning packs, and Steam lists cross-platform multiplayer, online co-op and full controller support, including DualSense. It costs $39.99 and 86% of 29,176 English Steam reviews are positive. It ranks behind Age of Empires II because it costs more, has fewer reviews and a lower positive share, and asks for more hardware: 8 GB of RAM, 50 GB of storage and an AVX-capable processor.
Who it is for
Players who want a modern historical RTS with current visuals and controller support
Price
$39.99 one-time purchase on Steam (US store).
even more epic historical battles that shaped the world. $39.99 Buy on Steam
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 12, 2026.
Key features
- 10 launch civilizations plus the Malians and Ottomans added in the Anniversary Edition
- 8 new maps in the Anniversary Edition
- Mod Editor (beta) for maps, scenarios and tuning packs
- Cross-platform multiplayer and online co-op
- Full controller support, including DualSense
Strengths and weaknesses
- Strength: 86% of 29,176 English Steam reviews are positive
- Strength: Full controller support is listed on Steam, rare for a PC RTS
- Strength: Anniversary Edition content was added as a free update, according to the store page
- Weakness: $39.99 is $5 more than Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition
- Weakness: Needs 50 GB of storage and an AVX-capable CPU
- Weakness: Windows only on Steam
Key facts
- Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
- Released on Steam: October 28, 2021
- Minimum RAM: 8 GB
- Storage: 50 GB
- English Steam reviews: 86% positive of 29,176
Where it ranks
Age of Empires IV is No. 4 in our Best RTS Games verdict.
Alternatives we scored
Visit ageofempires.com · Questions or corrections: editorial@dbotmaker.io