Halo Infinite’s huge file size isn’t a surprise, but it’s a growing problem on Xbox Series X
Opinion: Space is at a premium on Xbox Series X|S
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Halo Infinitewill apparently require 97.24GB of storage space to download, according to aleaked image from the Microsoft Store.
If that turns out to be true,Halo Infinitewill be yet another Xbox exclusive that comes with a massively bloated file size – and it’s something that’s become a real point of contention onXbox Series X|S.
A quick look at some ofMicrosoft’s first-party exclusives shows a worrying trend:Gears 5takes up 101.5GB,Forza Motorsport 7needs 98.6GB, Halo 5: Guardians gobbles up 98.8GB,Forza Horizon 4requires 86.2GB,Halo: The Master Chief Collectioneats 103.9GB of space, andFlight Simulatortakes up no less than 102GB.
Yes, you can shrink some of these titles’ file sizes by installing and uninstalling specific parts, like only downloading the campaign in Gears 5. But on average – and if you want to experience everything a game has to offer – you best be prepared to sacrifice a large chunk of your storage space.
Large and in charge (of your storage)
When you compare the file sizes of Xbox Series X games to notable PlayStation 5 titles, it becomes even more frustrating.Sackboy: A Big Adventureis 31.24GB,Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apartis 42.19GB, whileReturnalandDemon’s Soulsare 55.56GB and 53.65GB respectively.
Other titles likeDestruction AllStarsweigh in at only 36.66GB, whileMarvel’s Spider-ManRemastered – which includes all the game’s previously released DLC – takes up 53.66GB. The only first-party title that I found that comes close to matching Microsoft’s line-up of heavyweight file sizes isGran TurismoSport, which is a chunky 97.38GB.
Yes, you can argue there’s some disparity over file sizes due to the types of gamesSonyand Microsoft offer, with the latter’s titles tending to be more online focused. But there’s still a clear gap between the two when it comes to the average file size.
Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.
Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.
As we’ve seen with somePS4 gamesreleasing on PS5, theconsole’s compression technology, known as Kraken, seems to be one of the reasons why PlayStation 5 games are smaller in general.
Subnautica takes up 14GB on PS4; however, its re-release on PS5 only requires 3.5GB of space – a reduction of 70%. We’ve also seen the benefits of the PS5’s SSD compression tech on games likeControl: Ultimate Edition, which weighs in at 42.5GB on Xbox Series X, but only 25.79GB on PS5. That’s a reduction of 39%.
Tight squeeze
The burgeoning size of Xbox games is even more egregious if you own anXbox Series S. The digital-only console comes with364GB of usable storage, which means you’d be able to install just over three of the titles listed above on Microsoft’s diminutive Xbox. File sizes do tend to be slightly smaller on Xbox Series S, due to the console targeting a lower resolution, but it’s still not enough to claw back some much needed space.
Of course, you can expand both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S’ storage with theSeagate 1TB Storage Expansion Cardor use anexternal hard driveto store largerXbox One games(something that is far simpler to do than finding thebest SSD for PS5), but those drives will continue to fill up fast unless Microsoft finds a way to control the file sizes of its games.
Halo Infinite is scheduled to release in Holiday 2021, which falls between November and December. A recenttechnical previewlet players go hands-on with the game’s multiplayer, and it was, by all accounts, extremely well-received. Let’s just hope that when Halo Infinite does launch, we won’t have to forgo such a large portion of storage space to play it.
Adam was formerly TRG’s Hardware Editor. A law graduate with an exceptional track record in content creation and online engagement, Adam has penned scintillating copy for various technology sites and also established his very own award-nominated video games website. He’s previously worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor and once played Halo 5: Guardians for over 51 hours for charity. He is now an editor at The Shortcut.
Where to buy the new Xbox Series X and S consoles - including the gorgeous Galaxy Black 2TB machine
Final Fantasy 14 on Xbox Series X|S will require Xbox Game Pass to play when it launches in full
Anker Nebula Mars 3 review: A powerful and truly portable projector
