Arrowhead Game Studios recently shed some light on the mind-boggling 141.51GB install size of Helldivers 2 on PC. So, like, I don’t really play this game as much as I should, but when I saw that number pop up on Steam, I was like, “What the heck, man?” My computer is always running out of space, so I guess it’s partly my fault. But seriously, why is this game so darn huge?
According to Arrowhead’s deputy technical director, the massive size is due to the old-school hard-disk drives (HDDs) that are still being used by about 12 percent of PC gamers. These drives are super slow because of their spinny discs, which is why the game has to duplicate bits of data to improve performance on older hardware. This means that when you install Helldivers 2, you’re actually getting multiple copies of the same code to reduce the “seek time” needed to load up the game.
The blog explained that this duplication is done to ensure that essential data is stored close together on the disk, making it quicker for the read head to access everything needed for the game. So, like, it’s all about reducing loading times and making sure everyone, even those with outdated drives, can have a good experience playing the game. Not really sure why this matters, but I guess it’s important for multiplayer games like this one. If you’re still rocking an old machine, maybe consider upgrading to an SSD for better performance. It’s a more affordable option than splurging on a new graphics card or CPU, and it’ll definitely improve your gaming experience.
