Diablo 3 is one of the most long-awaited games of all time, and will certainly be the biggest title to hit the Mac in 2012. Diablo 3 is officially launched tomorrow, May 15th, so we’ve put together this guide to ensure that you’re ready to play the minute the servers go live.

Diablo 3 Digital Pre-Sale

If you don’t mind not having a physical copy of the game, the easiest way to get your hands on Diablo 3 is via the digital pre-sale. This enables you to download a full copy of the game – which you can’t install – until 8:01 am PDT May 14th. The installer is in excess of 7GB, so it may take some time to download depending on your connection.

Diablo 3 BattleTag

Your BattleTag is a non-unique account name (so you can choose anything you like) and is needed to play the game. You can create your BattleTag on the BattleNet website now. The BattleTag is not your Diablo 3 character name, but rather a unified account for all of your Blizzard games. It’s how you’ll manage your profile, chat and team up with friends as well as post in the forums. Eventually, World of Warcraft and Starcraft II will also integrate the feature.

Diablo 3 Install Day – 14th May

From 8:01 am PDT today, you can install the game, troubleshoot any errors that may arise and install the launch day 1.0.1 patch. Once installed and updated, you’re ready to go come the official launch on May 15th.

Diablo 3 Launch Day – 15th May

Diablo 3 server launch times differ depending on region, with The Americas servers (U.S., Canada, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, and South East Asia) coming online first at 12:01 am PDT, May 15. Once all regions have launched, you will be able to transfer your account (but not your characters, items or friends lists) between regions.

Given that Diablo 3 has had the most pre-sales of any game, ever, be prepared for some server congestion. If after 40 seconds of attempting to connect you get an ‘Error 37’, this means that the servers are busy, and you should try again.

Diablo 3 Mac System Requirements

The system requirements below are the minimum required to run Diablo 3 on your Mac:

  • Mac OS X 10.6.8, 10.7.x or newer
  • Intel Core 2 Duo
  • NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT or ATI Radeon HD 2600 or better
  • 2 GB RAM
  • 12 GB available HD space
  • DVD-ROM (required for retail disc versions only)
  • Broadband Internet connection
  • 1024×768 minimum resolution

The system requirements below are recommended:

  • Mac OS X 10.7.x or newer
  • Intel Core 2 Duo
  • 2 GB RAM
  • NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M or ATI Radeon HD 4670 or better