News 'Starfield' System Requirements Demand an SSD and 125GB of Storage

[Admin]

"Starfield" becomes one of the very few games to require an SSD to play the game at all.

'Starfield' System Requirements Demand an SSD and 125GB of Storage : Read more

 

[Deleted member 2731765]

And that's "without" counting any game patches/updates, 125GB as min.

Still can't beat COD MW's storage requirements, which can eat up to 200-300 GB of space counting all the updates and patches/DLCs installed.

"Ark: Survival Evolved" leads the chart when it comes to storage space though IMO. 250+GB required as a minimum. Given how minimalistic ARK can seem at times, this might come to be somewhat of a surprise.

But the game has come a long way since its release, having gone through the kind of quality-of-life tweaks one would expect from a title of its size. There are also a variety of expansion DLCs that only add to the initial file size, making it much bigger than most players would initially think.

 

[Deleted member 2731765]

These days AAA games take a whole lot of space, and more importantly they are horriblly optimized at the same time (poor PC ports). Even after the huge and steep system requirements, they fail to deliver a playable performance even on high-end PCs.

That's why I have stopped playing AAA games these days. Some games in particular really ramp up the file size to the point where it's ridiculous.

Sure, with the evolution of tech in the gaming world, games' graphics and quality of life/QOL features have skyrocketed substantially compared to a decade ago. And, with improved technology comes bigger file sizes to be able to fit everything into the game, but at what cost ?

Just to play a stuttering mess or a poorly optimized game on the PC ?

 

[TerryLaze]

The burning question...
is this because this game will use dx12 directstorage (like all the time and not just to load in) or this just bethesda being bethesda?

 

[gggplaya]

The burning question...
is this because this game will use dx12 directstorage (like all the time and not just to load in) or this just bethesda being bethesda?

I hope it's using the direct storage API. It's supposed to be a large expansive world. I hate loading between areas.

 

[sherhi]

These days AAA games take a whole lot of space, and more importantly they are horriblly optimized at the same time (poor PC ports). Even after the huge and steep system requirements, they fail to deliver a playable performance even on high-end PCs.

That's why I have stopped playing AAA games these days. Some games in particular really ramp up the file size to the point where it's ridiculous.

Sure, with the evolution of tech in the gaming world, games' graphics and quality of life/QOL features have skyrocketed substantially compared to a decade ago. And, with improved technology comes bigger file sizes to be able to fit everything into the game, but at what cost ?

Just to play a stuttering mess or a poorly optimized game on the PC ?

That's true when they are released and maybe for next year or two after that. If you can delay gratification (which is an adult characteristic hence why many legally adult people can't do that and often drive the market with poor spending behaviour) you can actually enjoy those games 1-2 years after release, patched many times, maybe even with some community mods and patches (games like Skyrim are incredible), heavily discounted and even older system can run them easier. Plus even though I have been heavy gamer for past 25 years I am still years behind most recent releases, it's impossible to consume gaming content, there is too much of it. I am not even going to install this on my Series X, I still haven't finished AC Odyssey and Hotwheels, then lawn mowing simulator caught my eye (I'm getting old)...by the time I finish my list it's Christmas and Starfield will most likely even have performance mode for 60fps or something.

 

[Giroro]

The burning question...
is this because this game will use dx12 directstorage (like all the time and not just to load in) or this just bethesda being bethesda?

Directstorage can support HDDs now. You might not have noticed because directstorage support is so poor that you can't even look up a list of software planning to someday use it.

 

[mamasan2000]

These days AAA games take a whole lot of space, and more importantly they are horriblly optimized at the same time (poor PC ports). Even after the huge and steep system requirements, they fail to deliver a playable performance even on high-end PCs.

That's why I have stopped playing AAA games these days. Some games in particular really ramp up the file size to the point where it's ridiculous.

Sure, with the evolution of tech in the gaming world, games' graphics and quality of life/QOL features have skyrocketed substantially compared to a decade ago. And, with improved technology comes bigger file sizes to be able to fit everything into the game, but at what cost ?

Just to play a stuttering mess or a poorly optimized game on the PC ?

Titanfall Needs 50GB of Space on PC Due to Uncompressed Audio Files

Respawn took this decision to make the game playable on underpowered PCs

news.softpedia.com

Then you might have many different audio languages in your game and you add the textures too. Data keeps getting bigger, no surprises there. People want 2k, 4k+ resolution textures. This is the price we pay.

 

[Alvar "Miles" Udell]

Disagree on now being the best time to buy a SSD, or anything electronic. Next month is Prime Day.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

The burning question...
is this because this game will use dx12 directstorage (like all the time and not just to load in) or this just bethesda being bethesda?

Probably. Keep in mind that this game was tailored around the Series X/S consoles and the assets used incorporate up to 4K resolution. By today's standards, 125GB is average for an XBOX Series X/S game.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 requires even more than 125GB. I'm curious what the disk requirements will be for MSFS 2024?

 

[bit_user]

Disagree on now being the best time to buy a SSD, or anything electronic. Next month is Prime Day.

Or, just forget about Prime Day and grab a datacenter SSD on ebay. Intel P5520 (Solidigm D7-P5520) has up to 16 TB of capacity and way better tail latencies than any consumer drive.

P5520 for sale | eBay

Get the best deals for P5520 at eBay.com. We have a great online selection at the lowest prices with Fast & Free shipping on many items!

www.ebay.com

Yeah, it's "only" PCIe 4.0, but it performs where it counts. The main downsides are higher idle power, and you have to deal with getting a cable adapter and putting in a 2.5" slot with some airflow.

 

[Deleted member 2731765]

Then you might have many different audio languages in your game and you add the textures too.

No, I don't actually personally own all these new AAA games though, only few of them, but that was in 2019/20. Just read about them in online forums about the huge storage and system requirements. But yeah, these localization files actually do eat up a lot of space, Audio that is.

Some games even have these huge HD texture packs that take much space, but at least they are "optional" in some titles.

That's true when they are released and maybe for next year or two after that. If you can delay gratification (which is an adult characteristic hence why many legally adult people can't do that and often drive the market with poor spending behaviour) you can actually enjoy those games 1-2 years after release, patched many times, maybe even with some community mods and patches (games like Skyrim are incredible), heavily discounted and even older system can run them easier. Plus even though I have been heavy gamer for past 25 years I am still years behind most recent releases, it's impossible to consume gaming content, there is too much of it. I am not even going to install this on my Series X, I still haven't finished AC Odyssey and Hotwheels, then lawn mowing simulator caught my eye (I'm getting old)...by the time I finish my list it's Christmas and Starfield will most likely even have performance mode for 60fps or something.

I agree. Even I do the same. It's better to buy these so-called AAA games after 2-3 years when they are fully patched, and discounted as well. Frankly I don't remember when I last bought/played any AAA game lately.

Thankfully I finished both AC: Origins and AC Odyssey on time, before my last GPU died. Now I'm on onboard graphics, lol. I also have a lot of games on my backlog list to complete before I can even hop on these new AAA games.

 

[Math Geek]

I don't play such games but I wonder why such big file sizes. Is it mostly high res data not needed by everyone?

I'd think they could save some bandwidth and let you only download what you need. At 1080p I assume there was be a massive drop in how much needs to be downloaded and stored.

 

[USAFRet]

Disagree on now being the best time to buy a SSD, or anything electronic. Next month is Prime Day.

Much like Black Friday/Cyber Monday, Prime Day is a myth.

Buy what you need, when it is available, and at a price you want to pay.

 

[bill001g]

I suspect the SSD is going to be the easy part. I would like to see what they actually recommend to get 60fps at 4k. This could be another pig like cyberpunk. If the 2080 recommendation is for a 1080 resolution on high settings it is likely even a 4090 is going to struggle at 4k.

 

[eldakka1]

Titanfall Needs 50GB of Space on PC Due to Uncompressed Audio Files

Respawn took this decision to make the game playable on underpowered PCs

news.softpedia.com

Data keeps getting bigger, no surprises there.

Data will expand to fill available space ...

 

[bit_user]

Much like Black Friday/Cyber Monday, Prime Day is a myth.

Sorry, but you're just wrong about that. Speaking specifically of Amazon & Newegg, in recent years, you can genuinely find some deals on those days which are decidedly better than any time before/after. It's only certain products or models, so either you get lucky or you need to be flexible to truly capitalize on it.

Buy what you need, when it is available, and at a price you want to pay.

In general, I agree. My low-key tech hoarding paid off, during the pandemic. In general, it's a losing proposition to buy something before you need it.

Having said that, I'm making a couple strategic PC component buys, during this low spot in the market. I don't want to get caught out, when the next crisis happens that triggers the return of pandemic-era pricing.

 

[USAFRet]

Sorry, but you're just wrong about that. Speaking specifically of Amazon & Newegg, in recent years, you can genuinely find some deals on those days which are decidedly better than any time before/after. It's only certain products or models, so either you get lucky or you need to be flexible to truly capitalize on it.


In general, I agree. My low-key tech hoarding paid off, during the pandemic. In general, it's a losing proposition to buy something before you need it.

Having said that, I'm making a couple strategic PC component buys, during this low spot in the market. I don't want to get caught out, when the next crisis happens that triggers the return of pandemic-era pricing.

And I've bought parts in July, cheaper than on Black Friday.
The exact same part.

Trying to strategize parts buys around Prime Day, or BF/CM, is generally a losing proposition.

For some specific things, sure.
I got a 8" Fire Tablet for stupid cheap, specifically to use with my UAV. But that was a very targeted buy.

 

[bit_user]

And I've bought parts in July, cheaper than on Black Friday.
The exact same part.

Sure, it happens. But, to say that Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or Prime Day is a myth simply isn't true. If you're looking to buy something around that time, you truly do tend to find the best deals on those specific days.

 

[Deleted member 2838871]

These days AAA games take a whole lot of space, and more importantly they are horriblly optimized at the same time (poor PC ports). Even after the huge and steep system requirements, they fail to deliver a playable performance even on high-end PCs.

That all depends on your definition of high end PCs... because I can tell you that I have had absolutely no issues with Jedi Survivor, CP 2077, Last of Us, Hogwarts, Diablo 4, MSFS 2020, RDR2, GTA5, Forza 5, Street Fighter 6, ACC, Elden Ring and RE4... all on 4K Ultra with RT capping max fps.

It got to the point where I was unsubscribing from YouTube channels because every video was about poor game performance... with Daniel Owen even going as far to say that a 5 year old Ryzen 5 2600 was a "fairly recent CPU."

I don't deny that these games are poorly optimized... but they definitely don't run bad on high end systems.

Or, just forget about Prime Day and grab a datacenter SSD on ebay. Intel P5520 (Solidigm D7-P5520) has up to 16 TB of capacity and way better tail latencies than any consumer drive.

$1300? Totally overpriced!

 

[palladin9479]

The burning question...
is this because this game will use dx12 directstorage (like all the time and not just to load in) or this just bethesda being bethesda?

Likely storing a ton of assets in an uncompressed format so their poorly optimized port doesn't have to both trying to uncompress it on the fly.

 

[vehekos]

I saw 1 hour long presentation from Bethesda, and it was the soulesst thing ever. It sparked zero interest.

If they don't know how to present a game, they don't know how to make a game.

 

[Deleted member 2838871]

I saw 1 hour long presentation from Bethesda, and it was the soulesst thing ever. It sparked zero interest.

If they don't know how to present a game, they don't know how to make a game.

Darn... and I was just about to get excited about this release.

 

[TerryLaze]

Directstorage can support HDDs now. You might not have noticed because directstorage support is so poor that you can't even look up a list of software planning to someday use it.

I did hear about that, but that doesn't mean that a hard drive will be able to keep up with the speed this game needs.

I do hope that modders come out with a way to use a hard drive so that people can do benches and see what happens when you run it on a mechanical disk.

Likely storing a ton of assets in an uncompressed format so their poorly optimized port doesn't have to both trying to uncompress it on the fly.

But GPU Decompression is part of directstorage?
It's tailor made for lazy devs like bethesda, you can have compressed textures and all the work is being done by the GPU.

DirectStorage 1.1 Now Available - DirectX Developer Blog

The DirectStorage team is pleased to share that GPU decompression with DirectStorage 1.1 is available now. This new version of DirectStorage contains everything a developer needs to get started with GPU decompression. For more information on this feature and how it benefits gamers,

devblogs.microsoft.com

 

[Dr3ams]

I've spent 6284 hours playing Fallout 4 and 3580 hours in Skyrim. Obviously these are my favorite games. This game looks absolutely amazing! Can't wait to get my hands on it.

Prices for SSDs are very good right now. Just bought a 1TB M.2 drive from Western Digital...cost around 55 Euros.