The Slowly Evolving Problem Of Video Games File Size

Introduction

Video games are widely considered an essential part of today’s popular culture. Over the years, their evolution has required the need for sophisticated and high-performance computer and gaming systems that can allow gamers to properly sink their teeth in and enjoy a few hours of good gaming. Therefore, it might not be wrong to imply that games along with gaming consoles and computer gaming evolved almost simultaneously throughout the 90s, 2000s, and 2010s. The early 2000s decade witnessed games with cutting-edge graphics that improved the demand for highly compatible gaming consoles. From there, storage requirements became the most necessary option to consider before buying your favorite gaming system. As a result, this trend has only grown in popularity ever since. Let us know ‘The Slowly Evolving Problem Of Video Games File Size’.

The Slowly Evolving Problem Of Video Games File Size

The Slowly Evolving Problem Of Video Games File Size

One terabyte is enough for gaming if you choose to install about 5 to 6 AAA games or titles along with other less file-size games. However, if you are an avid gamer and only prefer playing larger file-size games then one terabyte might not be enough for all your needs. Updates and versions of certain AAA titles can further increase the game’s file size for example call of duty: modern warfare. Hence, 2 terabytes or higher hard disk space is recommended.

The evolution of graphic-heavy games

  • One of the main factors for modern games reaching almost 100 gigabytes in size is their use of high-resolution textures. Since most modern video games use 4k resolution textures to guarantee an ultra-realistic experience for their players, it comes at the cost of large hard drive space which gamers will have to surrender to enjoy that experience.  
  • Back in the 90s, realistic video gaming took its first step with the release of Virtual racing; a Formula one racing video game developed by SEGA in 1992. 
  • Games before Virtual Racing that came close to adapting 3D graphics but couldn’t create 3D setting gameplay were called Pseudo-3D or 2.5D graphics. 
  • Most of the games released during this period were vibrant and more colorful and had satisfying gameplay. One of the examples of this period of games was Street Fighter II which came out in 1991.

The era of AAA games

  • As we enter the era of 4k becoming the standard in modern video games, the next stage in gaming evolution is going to be of monumental significance. 
  • It should come as no surprise that as games become bigger, flashier, and more complex, the average file size of games will also get bigger. It’s an unavoidable cycle and is turning at a fast pace.
  • Technology advancements have allowed grander visions to come to fruition and game developers take advantage of this technology to reach new heights and offer greater visual experiences. 
  • For consumers, i.e. gaming enthusiasts, it means more strain on their storage drives as most spaces will be taken by individual games. To properly portray how big the latest games are today, we will take the example of Demon Souls, one of PS5’s latest releases. 
  • Demon souls are known for being PlayStation 5s biggest first-party launch title. The game size is approximately 54 gigabytes. In comparison, Dark souls 3 was less than 20 gigabytes with bloodborne coming up at 27 gigabytes. 
  • Till the end of the seventh generation of consoles which are the PlayStation 3, the Xbox 360, and the Nintendo Wii, physical games were directly playable from whatever physical media they came on i.e disks or cartridges.
  • Besides rare exceptions, gamers didn’t have to install the games directly onto a hard drive to play the games, and even if they did, they weren’t installing entire games. Sometimes these procedures were just recommended for better loading times to avoid any gameplay hindrance.

2013 – Present: the growing trend of bloated video game file sizes

  • With the arrival of the next generation of gaming consoles such as PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, console owners had to get used to the installation process as well because the average game size was going to grow, and reading the game from the disks wasn’t as fast as reading it from the hard drive. As a result, storage space became significantly more important, almost overnight. 
  • From that point forward, it became apparent just how massive some games can get. In the beginning, we already had games crossing 40 gigabytes which didn’t seem unreasonable at the time. But in the last half-decade, they finally began crossing the 100-gigabyte limit. 
  • The release of Red Dead Redemption II shocked everyone with its 90 gigabytes install size on the first day before the addition of any new patches or updates that might contribute to the overall game size. 
  • A good example of this is gears of war 4 and destiny 2 both of which crossed the 100-gigabyte limit. Thankfully, both the games received updates that addressed the size issue and shrunk them down either by implementing new compression techniques or by simply eliminating old content from the game. 
  • However, the game with the most unbelievable file size which is such a space hog that the size of its updates sometimes outweighs other entire AAA games is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. 
  • Depending on which platform you play on it could approach a frustratingly huge 250 gigabytes in Size requirement for the entire package. 
  • To counter this, players of the game have the option to uninstall certain parts of the game i.e either the single-player campaign, multiplayer, or special Ops to free up some space.
  • The type of call of Duty players who only play the campaign part will eventually uninstall the whole thing once they complete it. Multiplayer-focused Modern Warfare owners however will still have to surrender a large portion of their storage; around 170 gigabytes of space which is still unbelievably large for an AAA game. 

What is the reason for some games having inflated file sizes?

  • A huge reason for games having inflated file sizes is duplicated assets. Games typically put copies of assets all over the game’s files so that they are easier to locate and thus, minimize loading times at the cost of increasing size.
  • At the game developers’ conference in 2019, insomniac games, the developers of marvel’s Spiderman gave a presentation. In their presentation, they shared file duplication information on their Spiderman game showing that almost 56 thousand assets were duplicated one or more times which inflated the game size from .910 gigabytes to 11 gigabytes.
  • This meant that on average, each asset was duplicated up to 11 times. Considering that when the game was released its file size was 45 gigabytes, this meant that the duplication took up to 22% of its size. 
  • This begs the question, why Call of Duty games requires their owners to surrender hundreds of gigabytes of space? Judging from the example above it’s most likely the big assets supported by the IW engine and tons of duplication of those assets just so that loading times do not take an eternity. 
  • But with games making the move over hyper-fast SSDs (solid state drives) over slowly becoming old-school hard disk drives, games can do away with constant asset duplication to save on loading times. 
  • However, considering the high cost of SSDs at the moment, currently, we are likely going to end up spending more money on space than we did before. 
  • Another reason why huge file sizes are an issue isn’t just because of storage space, it’s the total lack of consideration for people who have not-so-stellar internet connections within the United States and in several other countries around the world.  
  • As the quality of in-game assets grows, game sizes are going to follow. It’s an inevitability that is going to follow hand in hand with ever-evolving hardware and game development technology.

What would be the ideal terabyte space for gaming? 

  • Judging by the absurd size of games that have come out in the last five years, it would suffice to say that 1 terabyte of hard drive space is the minimum necessary if one is to store and play only 4k UHD games in their PS4, PS4 Pro, Xbox One, Xbox series X, S, and PS5. 
  • If some of you mostly prefer playing older or less demanding games, then 1 TB should be more than enough. However, if you are interested in playing newer and heavier file-size games, then you may need more storage space.
  • Another factor to consider is the gaming setup. If you have a high-end gaming computer with a powerful graphics card and lots of RAM, then you may not need as much storage space as someone with a lower-end system.
  • Whether one terabyte of space is enough for gaming depends on the preference of the gamers. If you are comfortable with managing your storage space and only plan on installing a few high-demand games, then one terabyte should be plenty. 
  • However, if you want to install multiple high-end games, several factors can affect how much storage space you need for gaming. 
  • Professional gamers are always aware of their requirements one of them being the type of games they play. Games like Gears of War 4, Forza Horizon 3, Battlefield 1, and cyberpunk 2077 will collectively require up to 250 GB of storage space.
  • The size requirements can be higher courtesy of the updates if the games are downloaded months or years past their release dates.
  • As pro gamers and frequent gamers are aware of the games’ large storage size, they simultaneously update their gaming setups before immersing themselves in their desirable gaming experience. 
  • Professional gamers recommend those with keen interests in playing the latest releases have a hard disk space of a maximum of 3 terabytes. However, if casual gamers are only interested in playing older games or less demanding titles, then one terabyte of space should be more than enough. 
  • Simply put, one terabyte may be enough for some gaming purposes, but it likely will not be enough for those interested in the latest releases.

Conclusion

If you plan on using your computer for other activities along with gaming such as video editing or music production, you may need more than 1 terabyte of storage like most professional gamers. Many high-end games require significant storage space, and one terabyte may not be enough to hold all of your favorite titles.

2 to 4 terabytes of space is a better option for more committed gamers as they would require plenty of available storage space for gameplay editing, recording, and purposes. Thus, an ample amount of storage space also allows people to have plenty of room for all their music, videos, and other files.

The Slowly Evolving Problem Of Video Games File Size

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to top