Video games are progressively getting bigger and bigger. Such is a side effect of increasing technological power, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. After all, a bigger file size equals a better game, right? This might not be the case for everyone, but a larger file size does typically correlate tobetter graphics(at the very least).
However, when someone buys a video game, they expect to be able to play it. The problem of waiting for a 100 GB file to download is an increasing problem for gamers, but that doesn’t seem to be a problem for developers. With that in mind, these are thebiggest Xbox One games by file size.
Updated on June 08, 2025, by Gerardo Molina:While the correlation between larger game file sizes and newer games is very clear to some, it might not be so for other players. The explanation is simple: the better game engines and development tools get, the more possibilities that are opened for developers to improve their games' graphics, mechanics, storylines, and designs.
Nowadays, there are game engines that allow for rendering billions of polygons that result in more realistic graphics without causing players' consoles or PCs to catch on fire. And while this is great in terms of performance and the overall experience, the same can’t be said for the storage space modern games require, as there’s more information to be stored and accessed. Large game file sizes are an unavoidable side effect of making more complex, visually stunning titles, and this probably won’t change in the coming years.
Grand Theft Auto 5is a monster of a video game, and it comes equipped with a suitably monstrous installation size. With all the updates done over the years, the listed required space on the Xbox website measures 84 GB. This isn’t particularly out of the ordinary today, and many games have since surpassed it in size (including one ofRockstar’s other popular franchises,Red Dead Redemption 2).
Between updates and expansions, the game can fluctuate in size. Giving up almost 90 GB for a game that is now already ten years old, being released in 2013, might be a bridge too far for most gamers out there.
Mass Effectis one of BioWare’s most beloved franchises. What makes the Legendary Edition file size so big is the fact that it includes all three base games in the series, along with 40 DLC packs. Moreover, it has been remastered to be able to run in 4K ultra HD, which contributes toward the big file size.
Nevertheless, for die-hard fans of this critically acclaimed franchise, 93 GB might not be too much hard drive space to sacrifice, since it does after all include three games and not only one.
Although sports games are entertaining and beloved by millions of players worldwide, it’s undeniable that the changes between one year’s installment and the next have fewer changes than titles in other genres and their sequels.NBA 2K23understood this perfectly and innovated in the areas it could by introducing new game modes, gameplay improvements, and a few more features—some of which were removed in subsequent installments.
Standing at 95 GB for the Xbox One,NBA 2K23isn’t even close to being the largest game on this list, but considering that most games back in the Xbox 360 era were in the 9-25 GB range, this is quite a stretch.
Forza Motorsport 7garnered a bit of controversy when people realized it came with an unbelievable 95 GB install at the time of its release. That sort of thing is typically reserved for massive open-world games - not for a simple racing title. Of course, this hefty size requirement includes 4K texture packs.
The Blu-ray disc itself held about 45 GB of data, butForza Motorsport7also required an additional 50 GB download (hence those texture packs). One could play the game without it, however, those who wanted the “definitive ‘Forza’ experience” were forced to cough up the extra 50 GB in hard drive space.
Halois obviously Microsoft’s (and the Xbox’s) ace in the hole. It is also the one thing that Sony and the PlayStation can’t get their hands on.Fans have plenty of theoriesabout the next chapter in Master Chief and Cortana’s saga even if many don’t regardHalo 5as a total winner in the series.
The problem withHalo 5being a bit of a middling game is that it has a file size of about 100 GB. A game this old would only warrant that if it was one people wanted to revisit over and over again. Fortunately for Microsoft and Xbox, fans haveHalo Infinitein theHaloarsenal to enjoy.
Quantum Break,the fast-paced mind-bending, time-splitting game is not three games in one, likeMass Effect: Legendary Edition,nor is it an open-world game likeThe Elder Scrolls Online, and so it is surprising that it eats up over 100 GB of storage space on Xbox.
Even thoughQuantum Breakwaswell received in 2016when it was first released, over 100 GB of storage space might be too much to ask for an old game that is not an MMORPG. Since it is on Xbox Game Pass though, first-person shooter fans that have not played it before might want to give it a shot.
Red Dead Redemption 2is a gargantuan, realistic recreation of the American countryside. It was many years in the making, the graphics are otherworldly, and Rockstar delivered on their promised open-world experience like no other.
It was clear that this beast was going to eat up some prime hard drive real estate, so it came as no big shock when its base size was 88 GB. As of now, the game is up to around 105 GB in total size, but no one can resist the disarmingly ornery yet charming Arthur Morgan and the vast open-world possibilities that the game offers.
Warhammer Vermintide 2is a great horde-style co-op game to play with friends. Slashing through crowds of anthropomorphic rat creatures while slinging fireballs never really gets old. However, in tandem with its latest updates, the total file size ofVermintide 2is about 112 GB.
People who love to play multiple games at one time might want to avoid this one despite how fun the gameplay is, especially when other newer titles, likeDiablo 4,are available.
TheForzafranchise has been regarded as one of the best in racing for years, but what developer Playground Games achieved withForza Horizon 5completely changed the game in many ways.
Set in a fictional version of Mexico, this title allows players to race across highways and Mexican cities that are designed with great attention to detail and faithfulness to their real-life counterparts. With an approximate file size of 116 GB on the Xbox One,Forza Horizon 5is, without a doubt, a top contender on this list, so players will have to erase some old games from their hard drive in order to install it.
Gears 5gave fans another excellent installment into the franchise with plenty of chainsaw guns and surprisingly emotional moments. There is even an update thattransforms Marcus Fenix into Dave Bautista, believe it or not.
But the game sticks out as having one of the larger file size requirements available. The good news is thatGears 5is one of those install it, play it through all the way once, and then leave it alone for a while kind of games. If players want to revisit it, they can just re-download it later.
