Ever downloaded a game to see only a failure message after a few hours just because there was insufficient disk space? Is it annoying to see a game crash when you are in the middle of something critical? Well, it is time to know how much storage do I need for gaming.
These experiences are due to low disk space. If you still do not resolve it, more similar issues will surface to irritate a serious gamer like you.
It is also important to know the storage space required if you are upgrading the internal hard drive or are thinking to buy an external USB drive for playing intensive games. These days, you truly need lots of hard drive space.
You require it to store not only your games but also other multimedia files and documents. Those who want to store their movies and games know how quickly a drive with 1080p or 4K capacity can fill up. If you intend to play AAA games, know that many new games need beyond 100 GB of storage space.
When it is the matter of playing games on a computer, it is a fact that storage space or hard drives are often overlooked. Still, this cannot deny the fact that it is one of the most important components to consider.
After all, the available storage space makes you determine the quantity of four favorite games and media that you can store simultaneously. Similarly, the storage’s speed will determine the pace at which a game loads.
Thus, this post aims to guide you on how much storage do you need for gaming to ensure a smooth experience you crave for.
Disk Storage Capacities for Common Game Sizes
Let’s first comprehend the average game sizes. The standard modern AAA game is likely to be at least 25 GB in size. The maximum size is likely to reach 50 GB and beyond. Some may even reach 100 GB. So, on an average, three such games can fit on a hard disk of 100 GB.
Interpreting this statement further, each terabyte of storage can encompass around 30 games, provided all the games you wish to store are AAA and 3D. Indie games such as the 2D ones that has a lower budget than other games take less space. Even the older and last-generation AAA games need less space.
Frankly, the ratio of 30 games in just 1 terabyte of storage space is unfavorable. If you can invest in these many games to get started, you can actually then afford a larger hard drive. Below are the common drive sizes to consider for gaming according to your requirements:
- 500 GB: Is perhaps the disk for an enthusiast who is about to start playing. It is an ideal choice for a naïve budget player or a casual gamer. They are the ones who do not have a big stream library to store, who do not play several games, and who play small titles. When you start filling the library with different games and you find that the library is about to get full, it is time to step up to a storage drive whose capacity is beyond 500 GB. Or else, be ready to remove some games or multimedia to make space for other games.
- 1000 GB (1 TB): Is one of the most used hard drive sizes, particularly by those who want to invest in a cheap disk. Yes, 1 TB hard disks have become cheaper these days. You can store a fairly substantial variety of games on a 1 TB disk, even if there is a big backlog. Nevertheless, it will give up finally when you store more and more games that together exceed its storage capacity.
- 2000 GB (2 TB): Is also one of the most preferred storage sizes. This is also a value-for-money deal. Even if you play only modern games and keep investing in new ones regularly, it will take a significant amount of time for this drive to get full. The only exception here is storing frequently recorded videos or downloaded media files.
- 3000 GB (3 TB) or Beyond): Is the high-end collection in the world of consumer hard drives. For gaming, you will usually not see hard drives larger in capacity than this. Hard drives beyond 3 TB are available but they are reserved for servers and high-end networks. The hard drives with 3 TB capacity are ideal for gaming fanatics who see no end to expanding their collection and playing more and more new versions. You can also consider a hard disk of 3 TB or more if you do not wish to upgrade your PC any time soon.
Solid-State Drives (SSDs), Hard Disk Drives (HDDs), or Solid-State Hybrid Drives (SSHDs): Which to Choose?
SSDs are replacing HDDs due to their faster loading times, as they need not spin a platter to find data. This makes SSDs the top choice of several gamers. In fact, they are already integrated into the latest laptops.
An SSD with a storage capacity of 256 GB is commonly in use for general purposes. However, this much storage is likely to hamper your gaming experience. Many passionately famous games such as Witcher 3 and FIFA 19 need over 50 GB. If you need these games, then a 256 GB SSD can accommodate only up to four or five such games.
This is why gaming laptops have an SSD of 1 TB storage capacity although SSDs of 512 GB are available to serve minimum requirements of the gamers. While anything less can negatively influence your gaming experience, anything more can make you store even movies and videos.
Investing in an SSD of 1 TB capacity instead of an HDD of the same capacity means running applications and relevant software components faster and smoother. Obviously, SSDs are more expensive than HDDs.
Conclusion
The answer to “How much storage do I need for gaming?” is 512 GB for beginners and 1 TB or more for gaming aficionados. Anything below this is just not recommended.
