Why your games use more drive space than listed
Patches, language packs, shader caches and saved clips make games bigger than their store page says, and uninstalling can leave files behind.
The facts
- According to Engadget, Shadow of the Tomb Raider needs 40GB for the base game, against about 100MB for the original Tomb Raider on PC.
- Patches, DLC, extra language packs, shader caches and screenshots all add to the store figure, and Steam counts owned DLC as part of the game.
- Uninstalling on Steam removes game files but can leave saves, shader caches, mods, crash dumps and Workshop content behind.
- The PS5 version of Grand Theft Auto VI is reportedly listed with a 210GB download, per the PlayStation Game Size account. Rockstar has not confirmed it.
Case notes · Danny's take
Why it matters
The number on the store page is a starting point, not the real cost. Patches, caches and capture files build up quietly, and nobody tells you. That matters more if you pay for data by the gigabyte, where a 50GB day-one patch is not a small thing. Not the headline size. The total.
For builders
Developers can cut waste by making language packs optional and keeping patches lean. If you build storage or cleanup tools, the gap is leftover files that a game's uninstaller never tracks.
Not financial advice. Do your own investigation.
This story was summarised with AI from Engadget's reporting and checked against our editorial policy. Danny's take reflects his views. Disclaimer.
Danny Walter
Founder of Moon Republic, Volt Terminal and Moon Republic Academy. Author of The Market Is a Crime Scene and After the Applause.