Fortnite is one of the most popular cross-platform games among avid gamers.
However, like any modern AAA game, you’d expect it to be huge, taking up large amounts of storage.
Knowing a game’s size is essential in ensuring you have the proper size storage.
Read on to learn how big Fortnite is on a PC.
How Much Storage Is Fortnite On PC?
Fortnite’s installation file is around 27 GB on PC, growing to about 30 GB after the installation is complete.
It used to be huge, taking up 90 GB of space before the developers optimized it for PC and other devices in 2020.
This file optimization reduced the size to a third, freeing up space for other games.
In addition, this smaller size leads to faster load times and smoother gameplay.
The update files have also become smaller, taking up to 1 GB.
Fortnite Installation File Size
Fortnite used to be a massive game, taking up 90 GB of storage on a PC.
The main reason was that Epic Games wasn’t so much concerned about file optimization.
However, since most AAA games take up massive amounts of storage space, Fortnite developers tried to fix the issue to help avid gamers free up more space to play other games.
As a result, its last update in October 2020 increased the patch size on PCs to 27 GB and reduced the file size significantly.
The installation file size was much smaller than the previous versions, requiring only 10 to 17 GB.
However, the updates made it much larger.
The installation file size is 27 GB in the new version, but the attachments are smaller.
After getting smaller by 60 GB, the new Fortnite file is around 30 GB (29.2 GB, to be exact).
The same thing goes for new updates.
The Epic developers have optimized the game files and the update files, so the update files are also smaller than before.
That’s a lot lower than other Battle Royale games, making it a great advantage for Fortnite lovers.
For example, COD Warzone can be as big as 250 GB, much higher than Fortnite.
However, the game size varies depending on whether you have the paid Battle Pass system or if it’s free.
The paid Battle Pass is around 1 GB larger than the free version because it allows you to get in-game challenges and cosmetics.
As a result, the paid version is 28 GB, while the free version without the Battle Pass is around 27 GB.
In addition, you may like to make in-game purchases using the V-Bucks because these purchases allow you to add more maps and add-ons.
You should expect to add around 1 GB for each map.
That’s why Fortnite can end up larger on some PCs.
Gamers have different gaming habits and preferences.
As a result, although the game will take up around 30 GB, you may need to have more than 40 GB of free storage on your hard disk when you install the game.
This way, you won’t need to worry about future updates or making in-game purchases to add more challenges.
Why Is Fortnite So Big?
Generally speaking, most modern video games take up huge space on the hard drive because all of them compete to offer high-resolution images.
Textures in 4K are the main factor that adds to the game size.
Since each game can have thousands of textures, they can take up massive chunks of disk space.
All those details that make you enjoy your game with real-life accuracy take a toll on your storage.
In addition, video games have to download lots of items onto your hard disk to enable smooth gameplay whenever you open the game.
These can include APIs, plugins, shader libraries, and most importantly, game codes.
After each update, some games save the older version, leading to different versions saved on your computer.
As a result, a game like Minecraft, which doesn’t seem like a visually impressive game, can be as big as 30 GB due to its large number of mods.
The same thing holds for Fortnite.
All the skins, emoticons, and textures you add to your game increase the game’s file size.
Fortnite’s file size, pretty much like any other modern video game, can be divided into different parts.
Only 20% of the total file size is the game content, such as text and menus, and the remaining 80% belongs to graphics and audio.
Interestingly, PC file sizes are much bigger than mobile or Xbox file sizes.
The main reason is that you don’t have the same audio and graphics features across all platforms.
For example, the number of sounds for the ammo box is different across mobile devices and Windows PCs.
All the skins, maps, and weapons you add to your game via regular updates can significantly add to your game file size.
Fortnite updates are also usually huge, with most of them taking up 1 to 2 GB of storage.
As a result, the longer you have the game in your system, the bigger it will get.
If you’ve had your game for many seasons, the file size can get overwhelmingly large.
How Big Is Fortnite On Other Platforms?
As mentioned, the Fortnite file size on PC is the largest of all platforms due to the varied textures and contents available on the PC version.
When the developers shrank the Fortnite size to a third in 2020 to increase loading speed, the same thing happened on other platforms.
The Fortnite file size on Windows and macOS is the same: 29.2 GB.
If you intend to play Fortnite on your Xbox, you can expect it to be much smaller than macOS and Windows.
The installation size is only 13 GB, and you may need an extra 5 GB after installing the game, making a total of 18 GB.
The game size on different series of Xboxes is also different due to the different features and the fact that the game isn’t backward compatible.
As a result, the game file size on Xbox series X is 22.5 GB.
On the other hand, the Fortnite file size is considerably lower on Android devices.
It can reach up to 3.3 GB after it’s installed, while it’s between around 1.5 GB to 3 GB before installation.
Again, the difference between the installation file sizes is due to the version of the game you purchase: whether you get the free version or the paid Battle Pass.
However, you should expect the file size to grow as cache files and game data add up.
Depending on the version, you can expect the Fortnite file size to be around 1.14 GB to 1.76 GB on iOS.
However, it can reach up to 2 GB, making it even smaller than Android.
On PS4, the same thing applies.
You can download the base game file at around 18 GB.
First, you’ll need to download an 8 GB file to install the game.
To play the game, you’ll have to download an extra 10 GB.
You’ll need more storage space on the PS5 because it has better features.
For example, it has 60 fps and 4K resolution, requiring more resources.
You should expect it to take up 18 GB initially, growing up to 25 GB to play the games.
As mentioned before, the free and paid versions of the game take up different amounts of space because of the extra features offered in the paid version.
As a result, on PS4 and Xbox One, you’ll need 3 GB more for the paid version.
How To Play Fortnite Without Downloading the Game
If you don’t have enough storage on your PC, you may look for other ways to play the game without downloading it.
The best solution for such cases is cloud gaming.
Since Epic Games owns Fortnite, you can’t play it on platforms like Steam.
Therefore, the only way to play Fortnite in the cloud is via the Xbox Cloud Gaming platform.
It doesn’t require an Xbox Game Pass subscription, and you can play it completely free of charge.
It’s also straightforward, and you can stream games via Xbox Cloud Gaming on any device, including tablets, Windows PC, iOS, Android devices, and iPads.
The best thing about streaming Fortnite is that you don’t need a high-end rig to play the game at full settings because you’ll be using the servers’ computing resources.
The only thing you need is a fast internet connection to allow you to play lag-free.
That said, you may need to meet some minimum requirements for your mobile devices, which you can find on the Xbox Support Page.
In addition, you can play all Fortnite modes, including imposters, Zero Build, Save the World, and Battle Royale.
All but one of these modes are available on all mobile and Windows games.
The only exception is the Save the World mode, which is only available for Windows PCs.
To play Fortnite in the cloud, open your browser and go to Xbox.com/play.
You can choose your controllers from a supported controller or a touch controller for mobile devices.
You can use a wide range of browsers, including Google Chrome, Safari, and Microsoft Edge.
Log into your account using your Microsoft account, which is free to set up, and start playing.
If you play Fortnite on other platforms and wish to save your progress across all platforms, you can connect your Epic account to the Microsoft account to transfer your game progress.
Fortnite System Requirements
To play Fortnite on basic settings, you don’t need much of a high-end system.
However, if you’re an avid gamer, you may not be satisfied with the basic game and want to crank things up.
As a result, you’ll need to raise the specs to accommodate more features.
Here are the minimum and recommended system requirements for Fortnite.
- RAM: 4 GB, but the recommended RAM is 8 GB
- CPU: Intel Core i3-3225, while the recommended process is Core i5 2.8GHz or above
- Graphics Card: Intel HD 4000 or Radeon HD 7870, but an NVidia GeForce GTX 960 or an AMD Radeon HD 7870 is recommended as they have more VRAM. If you don’t have a dedicated graphics card, you can still play Fortnite, but you can’t play it at high settings.
- OS: Windows 7/8/10 64-bit, but it’s recommended to play Fortnite on Windows 10.
Fortnite Installation Errors
Users have reported different errors while installing Fortnite.
These errors can be due to various issues and show different messages.
Some of these installation errors have to do with the storage issue, such as insufficient storage.
For example, although you have enough storage, the error message, as the IS-DS01, says you don’t have enough space on your hard disk, or it requires more storage space than the 29 GB required by Fortnite on a Windows PC.
In such cases, the first thing you’re advised to do is disconnect your internet connection and try installing the game again.
That’s because interruptions in the internet connection can lead to errors in reading the disk space.
If you have an SSD and an HDD, you should pay attention to the storage space left on each device and where the downloaded games go.
For example, if you have a 500 GB SSD and the games are downloaded onto that device, you may have run out of space to accommodate Fortnite.
As a result, you may want to download it on your HDD with a higher capacity or move things around to make room for the new files.
If you’ve already installed the game and now get a low-storage error message, you need to uninstall and reinstall it.
Note that you’ll lose your saved data locally stored on your computer if you uninstall your game.
The only data you can recover is the profile data saved in the cloud via your Epic account.
After uninstalling the game, you can reinstall it and log into your Epic account to recover your profile data.
Alternatively, you may want to upgrade your storage when you run into a low-storage error.
If you have low hard disk space, you may want to add an SSD to your storage to increase your space and speed up your games’ loading time.
You may also encounter this low-space error while playing Fortnite, an error that says data can’t be downloaded.
In such cases, you could free up some space by deleting your old files.
If you go to your saved game files, you’ll see pretty old stuff that belongs to previous updates, and you don’t need anymore.
Decide which of them you don’t want and delete them to make room for new files.
FAQs
1. What RAM Size Is Enough For Fortnite?
According to Epic Games, the minimum RAM size for Fortnite is 4 GB.
However, this is the bare minimum only for running the game on your computer.
You will not be able to play the game at the highest settings or get impressive graphics with this RAM size.
The recommended RAM size is 8 GB, supported by 2 GB of VRAM.
2. How Do I Download Fortnite?
You can download Fortnite for PC via the Epic Games Launcher.
After downloading the Launcher, log into your account, go to the Store tab, and search for Fortnite.
Click on the Get button to start downloading the game, choose the install file directory, and click Install.
You can’t download Fortnite for Android and iOS on Google Play or Apple Store, but instead, you should use the Epic Games’ website.
3. Is Fortnite Free?
Fortnite is free, and you can get it via Epic Games and download it on different devices.
However, you’ll need to pay via in-game Battle Pass to access more costumes, textures, and skins.
Different modes also come in free or paid versions.
For example, the Battle Royale is 100% free, while Save the World is paid.
4. Where Does Fortnite Store Games?
The installation file is stored on drive C in a directory that you choose upon installation.
Fortnite stores game data both locally and in the cloud.
The game files are stored locally, in the same location as the installation files, while the profile data are stored in the cloud.
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