How Much Storage Do Games Need in 2026? PS5, Xbox, Switch 2 and PC

How big are modern video games?

Install sizes vary more than tenfold. Store listings show the required space, which is the most reliable figure for a specific game. As of 3 November 2026, Steam lists the following ^{[10][11][12][13][14]}:

• Baldur's Gate 3: 150 GB available space, SSD required ^[11].
• Call of Duty: 115 GB, with the note 'SSD with 115 GB available space at launch' ^[10].
• Cyberpunk 2077: 70 GB, SSD required ^[12].
• Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024: 50 GB, plus a network speed of 10 Mbps minimum and 50 Mbps recommended ^[13].
• Hollow Knight: Silksong: 8 GB ^[14].

The 'at launch' wording on Call of Duty signals that the required space can grow with later updates ^[10]. Flight Simulator 2024 shows a different approach: its listing pairs a 50 GB install with a minimum network speed of 10 Mbps, and Steam notes that it requires downloads and a broadband internet connection ^[13].

A practical rule from these figures: a large new game needs about 70 to 150 GB, while an indie game such as Hollow Knight: Silksong may need under 10 GB ^{[10][11][12][14]}. Always check the store page before buying, because console and PC versions can differ.

How much storage do PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2 have?

Built-in storage, as listed by each manufacturer as of 3 November 2026:

• PS5: Sony's US site lists the PS5 console with 1 TB and the PS5 Digital Edition with 825 GB ^[3]. The PS5 Pro has 2 TB built in ^[4].
• Xbox Series X: 1 TB custom NVMe SSD for the standard and Digital Edition models, and 2 TB for the Galaxy Black Special Edition ^[5].
• Xbox Series S: 512 GB or 1 TB custom NVMe SSD, depending on model ^[6].
• Nintendo Switch 2: 256 GB of UFS storage, a portion of which is reserved for the system ^[8].

The advertised figure is never all free for games. Nintendo and Sony both state that part of the storage is reserved for the system ^[4][8]. Drive makers also count 1 TB as 1,000,000,000,000 bytes, while many operating systems show capacity in binary units, so a 1 TB drive typically appears as about 931 GB (a unit conversion, not missing space).

Using the PC store figures above (console versions can differ), a 1 TB drive could hold about six games of Baldur's Gate 3's size before running out, before counting system files and updates ^[11].

How do you add storage to a PS5?

The PS5 has two expansion options with different roles ^[1][2].

Internal M.2 SSD (for playing PS5 games)

Sony's requirements are a PCI-Express Gen4 x4 M.2 NVMe SSD, 250 GB to 8 TB, in form factor 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280 or 22110, with a recommended sequential read speed of 5,500 MB/s or faster ^[1]. M.2 SATA SSDs are not supported ^[1]. The drive needs a heat-dissipation mechanism such as a heatsink or heat transfer sheet, and the combined thickness must stay within Sony's limits (up to 11.25 mm) ^[1].

1. Update the console's system software before installing ^[1].
2. Power off, unplug, let the console cool and touch a grounded metal object to discharge static ^[1].
3. Remove the cover and expansion slot cover, set the spacer to the drive length, insert and screw in the drive ^[1].
4. Refit the covers, power on and follow the formatting guide; formatting erases any data on the drive ^[1].

Sony notes that not all games will perform exactly as they do on the internal SSD, even with a faster drive, and suggests moving a game back to internal storage if problems occur ^[1].

USB extended storage (for keeping games)

A USB drive must support SuperSpeed USB 5 Gbps or later and be 250 GB to 8 TB ^[2]. PS5 games cannot be played directly from USB storage and must be copied back to console storage first, while PS4 games can be played from USB ^[2]. Only one USB extended storage drive can be used at a time, and not through a hub ^[2].

How do you add storage to Xbox Series X|S?

Xbox Series X|S offers two routes ^[5][6][7].

• Storage Expansion Card: a card that plugs into the console and, according to Microsoft, matches the performance of the internal SSD ^[5][6]. Microsoft's own listing for Xbox Series S refers to 1 TB expansion cards ^[6].
• USB 3.1 external hard drive: supported on both consoles ^[5][6]. Microsoft says previous-generation Xbox titles can be played directly from external USB drives, but Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S Optimized games should be played from the internal SSD or a Storage Expansion Card to get full performance ^[7].

The reason is speed. Microsoft lists I/O throughput for the internal SSD of 2.4 GB/s raw and 4.8 GB/s compressed, using a hardware decompression block ^[5]. Microsoft says that full Xbox Velocity Architecture performance needs the internal SSD or an expansion card, not an external hard drive ^[7].

One lower-cost approach is to keep current games on internal storage, archive others on a USB drive, and copy them back when needed, which avoids downloading them again.

What storage does Nintendo Switch 2 need?

Nintendo Switch 2 has 256 GB of internal storage ^[8]. For expansion, its card slot is 'compatible with microSD Express cards only (up to 2 TB)' ^[8]. microSD Express is a faster type of microSD card, announced by the SD Association in 2019, that uses the PCIe and NVMe interfaces also used by SSDs ^[15]; ordinary microSD cards that are not Express-compatible can only be used to copy screenshots and videos from a Nintendo Switch ^[8].

This matters for owners upgrading from the original Nintendo Switch: an existing microSD card full of games is not a storage expansion on Switch 2 ^[8]. The console also accepts both Switch 2 and Switch game cards ^[8]. Not every boxed Switch 2 game carries the full game: a game-key card is only a key, and the game must be downloaded to system memory or a microSD Express card before it can be played ^[16].

How much storage does a gaming PC need?

Steam's monthly Hardware and Software Survey gives a picture of what PC players actually have. In the October 2026 survey ^[9]:

• 48.62% of users had more than 1 TB of total storage ^[9].
• 25.07% had 750 to 999 GB, and 18.16% had 250 to 499 GB ^[9].
• For free space, 23.88% had 100 to 249 GB free, 23.24% had 250 to 499 GB free, and 15.96% had only 10 to 99 GB free ^[9].

With big releases at 70 to 150 GB ^[10][11][12], a user with under 100 GB free could not install the two largest of them without deleting something. The survey is optional and anonymous, so it describes Steam users who take part, not all PC players ^[9].

The type of drive also matters. Baldur's Gate 3, Cyberpunk 2077 and Call of Duty each list an SSD as required ^[10][11][12]. On these figures, a 1 TB or 2 TB SSD is a reasonable baseline for a new gaming PC, with a hard drive better suited to archives or to games that do not list an SSD requirement.

Should games go on an SSD, a hard drive or a USB drive?

Internal SSD or console expansion. The fastest option, and listed as required by several new PC games ^[10][11]. The downside is cost per gigabyte, and on PS5 the need for a compatible drive with a heatsink ^[1].

USB hard drive or SSD. Cheaper and portable. On PS5 it can store PS5 games but not run them, though PS4 games can run from it ^[2]. On Xbox, previous-generation titles can run from it, while Optimized games should not ^[7].

Cloud and streaming features. Some games lean on an internet connection rather than local storage alone; Flight Simulator 2024, for example, lists a minimum network speed alongside a 50 GB install ^[13]. On slow or capped internet connections, that trade-off can be worse than simply using more disk space. As a rough calculation, a 100 GB download takes about 22 hours at 10 Mbps and about 2.2 hours at 100 Mbps, before overheads.

How can you save storage space on a console or PC?

1. Check the required space before buying on the store page, including notes such as 'at launch' ^[10].
2. Move, do not delete, games you will return to. On PS5, finished or unplayed games can be moved to USB storage and copied back later ^[2].
3. Use the right expansion for the job: M.2 on PS5 or an expansion card on Xbox for games you play, USB for archives ^[1][2][7].
4. On Switch 2, buy microSD Express, not a standard microSD card ^[8].
5. Use physical game cards on Switch 2 where available, since the console reads both Switch 2 and Switch cards ^[8], but check the box first: a game-key card still needs a full download and free space ^[16].

Will games keep getting bigger?

The listings point both ways. Several big releases already need 100 GB or more ^[10][11], and Call of Duty's 'at launch' note signals growth after release ^[10]. At the same time, hardware decompression on Xbox ^[5] is one way of fitting more data into the same local space, and Flight Simulator 2024 pairs a 50 GB install with an internet-speed requirement ^[13].

Manufacturers also now sell 2 TB models, for example the PS5 Pro and the 2 TB Xbox Series X Galaxy Black Special Edition ^[4][5]. As of 3 November 2026, the listings above suggest that at least 1 TB of fast storage, plus a cheaper drive for archiving, covers what current large games require.