The Biggest PC Games By File Size

If you find consoles too restrictive, PCs have been a fantastic development in gaming over the last twenty years. It’s easy to see why – powerful gaming PCs that outperform consoles are made constantly. However, PC gaming isn’t perfect. A major downside is the large size of game files, which often need to be downloaded, especially with the rise of digital game stores.

Large PC games can be frustrating to install for players with limited storage space. However, if a game promises a great experience, most players will find it worth the installation size, even if that size seems enormous.

Okay, so when I’m checking how much space a game needs, I usually go with the size listed in the Xbox PC app if it’s there – that seems the most accurate. If it’s not on Xbox, I’ll grab the storage info from Steam. Just to be clear, I’m only looking at the base game size, not including any extra downloadable content or expansions. For example, if a game like Train World Sim 6 comes in at 40 GB for the standard version, that’s the number I’m using – no extras!

Why Are Modern PC Games So Large?

Before looking at the game rankings, it’s worth considering why game file sizes have gotten so huge. Not long ago, a 512GB solid-state drive could easily hold all the year’s major game releases, plus all your other programs. Now, a single game can take up half that space! This trend keeps increasing every year, and it seems inevitable that we’ll eventually reach a limit.

What’s causing games to take up so much space, particularly on computers? Here are the main reasons:

While developers might compress games for consoles, this practice does not seem to extend to the PC versions.
In recent years, we have arguably seen a rise in suboptimized releases, and that goes beyond just the hardware required to run the games.
Multiplayer and live-service modes are part of most major AAA games, and they take up a lot of space.
Open-worlds. Simply, open-worlds.
Cutscenes have gotten very high quality. Also, nearly all big projects launch internationally, so they will need audio files for multiple languages.
If you want 4K textures, you need the space to have 4K textures.
Ray-tracing also contributes, although not directly.

Ray tracing itself doesn’t add much to a game’s file size. The real reason modern PC games are so big is the incredibly detailed textures and other assets that come with them.

Can You Reduce the Install Size on PC?

That’s right, but what you can do changes depending on the game. If you’re playing with limited space, look for these features if they’re offered:

Disable language packs
Do not install HD textures
Install only the single-player mode if you have no intention of playing multiplayer (very few games offer this, but some of the biggest titles do)
Use NTFS compression (on Windows, just right-click on the game’s folder, select properties, General’s Advanced, and select “compress contents to save disk space.”) This usually results in lower performance, so it depends on your priorities.

25. Mass Effect: Legendary Edition

120 GB (But Varies, As You Can Pick Which Game To Install)

The release of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition excited fans old and new. Commander Shepard’s story is a classic in gaming, and it was fantastic to be able to experience the entire trilogy again with improved graphics.

The recent release of the Legendary Edition really highlighted how much storage space modern texture packs require. Even though it includes three games, the total installation size of 120 GB is quite large for a single game collection.

24. Forspoken

121.73 GB

Square Enix has a poor track record with its games released in Western markets, and Forspoken likely represents the last game fully funded by the company before it sold the developing studio to Embracer Group. The game, an attempt at an open-world adventure inspired by the ‘isekai’ genre, suffered from problems with both its gameplay and story, resulting in a disappointing release that didn’t sell well.

While getting around in this game is fun, it’s not enough to make up for the repetitive and unengaging story and battles. The biggest issue, though, is the game’s massive file size – 150 GB is excessive, especially considering the visuals aren’t impressive and the game seems poorly optimized. The system requirements don’t match the quality of what you actually see.

23. Crimson Desert

124.72 GB

Crimson Desert takes up 124.72 GB of space on Steam, but the Xbox Store lists it as 150 GB. Since I’ve already downloaded and installed the Steam version, I’m using that size as the accurate one. Regardless, it’s a massive game – you’ll quickly realize that when you start playing.

Pearl Abyss’s Crimson Desert feels like a blend of many popular open-world games. It borrows ideas and features from hits like Breath of the Wild, Red Dead Redemption 2, The Witcher 3, and even Pearl Abyss’s own Black Desert Online, aiming to offer something for every type of player. Whether you enjoy action-packed combat with lots of skills to unlock, a strong narrative with engaging cutscenes, or simply exploring a vast world, Crimson Desert attempts to deliver. It’s an ambitious combination that, surprisingly, often succeeds.

Even though the massive 120+ GB install size is daunting, Crimson Desert earns it with its incredible scale and bold vision. The game consistently introduces fresh concepts and feels endlessly inventive.

22. NBA 2K25

141.13 GB

It’s frustrating when games take up an enormous amount of space on our devices, and sports games are often the biggest offenders. While large file sizes are expected due to the amount of data they contain, some exceed 100 GB, which seems excessive. The NBA 2K series is particularly notorious for this, followed closely by MLB games. For example, NBA 2K26 needs over 110 GB of storage, but the previous version actually requires more – just above 140 GB to install on Xbox Series X/S.

The game looks great, and it has a huge roster of players, both old and new. There are also plenty of game modes to keep you entertained for hours, whether you’re playing alone or with others online. However, it does take up a lot of storage space – twice as much as the game Elden Ring.

21. Genshin Impact

142.63 GB

Genshin Impact is a popular, free-to-play game that’s been around for five years, and it’s become incredibly large in terms of storage space. If you’ve been playing since it launched in 2020 and keeping it updated, you might not realize just how much space it now takes up – over 140 GB! And with the game continuing to grow, the installation size will only increase in the future.

It’s easy to see why Genshin Impact is such a large download – at 140 GB, the game includes several incredibly detailed regions that would be considered substantial in other open-world games. While the anime art style isn’t as technically demanding as photorealism, the game’s graphics are still quite beautiful and generally look fantastic. Plus, all those playable characters take up a lot of space!

20. Delta Force (Including Campaign)

144.23 GB

Delta Force has had a bit of an unusual journey. While it’s a free-to-play shooter, it actually has some strengths. The game is visually impressive, standing out as one of the best-looking titles on PC. It offers two distinct multiplayer experiences: Warfare, which focuses on vehicle combat with classic modes like King of the Hill and Team Deathmatch, and Operations, which is inspired by extraction shooters. Plus, there’s a challenging single-player or co-op campaign based on Black Hawk Down, featuring a series of difficult missions.

Despite some flaws, Delta Force is worth checking out. The single-player campaign can be challenging, and online play on PC sometimes suffers from cheaters. However, since the game is free, it’s a good option to try, just be aware that the download is quite large.

If you’re not planning to play the campaign, you can download just the multiplayer portion, bringing the total download size to around 116 GB.

19. Microsoft Flight Simulator

157 GB

Flight simulators might seem like a very specific type of game, but they’re often incredibly detailed. Microsoft Flight Simulator is a standout example, known for its impressive realism and attention to detail, making it a massive and immersive experience.

The standard version of the game includes over 20 playable aircraft. The deluxe and premium deluxe editions add even more, with five and ten extra aircraft respectively. Surprisingly, this year’s game takes up less storage space than the previous one, requiring only 50 GB on Steam.

18. Black Myth: Wukong

130 GB

When Black Myth: Wukong launched, it quickly became a huge hit, breaking player count records on Steam. Within just 24 hours, over 2 million people were playing. Its popularity is likely due to being the most accurate and detailed adaptation of the classic Chinese tale, Journey to the West, ever created.

This action RPG is visually stunning, packed with incredibly detailed textures and effects. It’s impressive that the developers, Game Science, were able to fit all of this into a 130 GB package for release. The game is so beautiful that players will immediately understand why the file size is so large just by looking at it.

17. Gears of War Series (4 And 5, Mainly)

125–135 GB

Most of the Gears of War games are now available on PC, and the next installment, E-Day, will be too. Because the series is known for its stunning graphics, the games tend to be very large in terms of file size. Gears of War 4 and Gears 5 each need over 100 GB of storage to install. While Reloaded and Tactics don’t take up quite as much space, they’re still substantial games – especially considering one is a remastered title and the other is a strategy game.

Are these games worth their large file sizes? Yes, they still look fantastic, even though they’re older titles, and they offer substantial campaigns. Plus, with the inclusion of multiplayer options, each package provides a lot of content overall.

16. WWE 2K26

144.79 GB

Like NBA 2K26, WWE 2K26 is surprisingly large for what it is, but the series has steadily grown over time. It’s now bigger than many modern open-world games, which seems strange until you consider everything included. While the core gameplay isn’t groundbreaking, WWE 2K26 needs to contain hundreds of wrestlers, arenas, videos, and various game modes.

While the game’s length isn’t ideal, it’s especially disappointing considering WWE 2K26 is the weakest installment since 2020, undoing the progress made by previous versions. It’s not a terrible game overall, but the yearly release cycle is clearly starting to affect its quality.

2026-04-19 12:37