How Many GB is Call of Duty? A Deep Dive into Storage Requirements
Determining the exact storage space Call of Duty occupies can feel like hitting a moving target. The size varies dramatically depending on the specific game, platform, and whether you’re including additional content like Warzone or campaign modes. To answer the core question directly: the total storage requirement for Call of Duty, including its various components, can easily exceed 235 GB on PlayStation 5, and this number continues to grow with new updates and releases. This hefty size is due to the high-fidelity graphics, extensive content, and uncompressed assets that make the game immersive, but also incredibly demanding on storage.
Breaking Down the Gigabytes: What Makes Call of Duty So Large?
The overall size of Call of Duty is not just a single number; it’s a culmination of several factors. Here’s a breakdown of elements contributing to its large file size:
- Multiple Game Components: The modern Call of Duty experience often isn’t just one game; it’s a collection. This includes the base Modern Warfare game (or the latest title), Warzone, and often a separate campaign mode. Each of these comes with its own set of textures, models, and gameplay data, inflating the total size.
- High-Resolution Textures and Graphics: Call of Duty aims for realistic and visually stunning graphics. This means using high-resolution textures, complex character models, and detailed environments, all of which require significant storage space.
- Uncompressed Assets: Some developers believe that a key reason for Call of Duty’s massive size is the lack of aggressive compression of game assets. While compression can reduce file sizes, it can also impact loading times and performance, leading developers to choose higher-quality uncompressed assets, particularly for PC versions.
- Cosmetics and Microtransactions: The game’s various cosmetic items, weapon skins, and other purchasable content add to the overall size, as each one must be stored locally. Even if you don’t own them, the game often contains files for all purchasable items.
- Constant Updates and Patches: Regular updates and patches, often introducing new maps, weapons, and modes, continuously add to the game’s size. Every significant content update usually comes with a download that can be multiple gigabytes.
Platform Specifics: How Size Differs Across Devices
The storage requirement for Call of Duty isn’t uniform across all platforms. Here’s a general overview of how size varies:
PlayStation 5
As mentioned earlier, a full Call of Duty install on PS5 can easily reach 235 GB, especially including components such as Modern Warfare III, Warzone and Call of Duty HQ. This can even grow further with future updates and content additions.
Xbox Series X/S
While sizes can vary, Warzone 2.0 alone comes in at approximately 62 GB on Xbox Series X/S. A complete Call of Duty experience on Xbox, inclusive of Modern Warfare titles, will also hover around the 200GB+ range.
PC
The Call of Duty experience on PC is more nuanced, with varying sizes depending on which store you’re using (Steam, Battle.net) and the specific games installed. Storage requirements can reach 172GB with Modern Warfare II campaign and Warzone installed, with a recommended 125GB of available space for some installs. Warzone 2.0 on PC has shown to be smaller than on console, ranging between 22GB and 24GB as a base download, however this number jumps up once everything is installed. Modern Warfare can also take up 175 GB of space on its own.
A Word on Warzone
Warzone, being a standalone free-to-play component, also contributes significantly to the total space. The base Warzone 2.0 requires between 55 GB and 70 GB on console, and 22 GB and 24 GB on PC, but these numbers are only for the base game and will be much larger with other Call of Duty components installed. The original Warzone needed 175GB of hard drive space on PC, with Xbox requiring nearly 92GB as a base download. The inclusion of Modern Warfare can push the total size beyond 250GB on PC and 150GB on consoles.
Why So Big? The Ongoing Debate
The sheer size of Call of Duty has been a source of debate within the gaming community. Many players believe the game has too many high-resolution assets, cosmetic store items, and uncompressed textures. Some argue that developers haven’t done enough to effectively compress the game, while others point out that the push for highly realistic graphics inherently demands more space.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How much space does Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II take up?
The base download for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is about 151.4 GB. Including co-op and multiplayer packs can increase this figure. A PC install with the campaign and Warzone will require approximately 172GB of storage space.
2. Is Warzone 2 really only 25 GB?
No, the base download for Warzone 2.0 can be between 55 GB and 70 GB on console, and 22 GB and 24 GB on PC. However, this does not include additional content such as Call of Duty HQ, or Modern Warfare titles, which when installed alongside Warzone 2.0 drastically increase this number.
3. Why is Call of Duty so large?
The large size is primarily due to high-resolution textures, extensive content, uncompressed assets, and the inclusion of multiple game components like campaign mode and Warzone. Constant updates also add to the game’s overall footprint.
4. How much storage space does the original Modern Warfare (2019) need?
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) requires around 175 GB of storage space.
5. Is Warzone 1 still playable?
Yes, Warzone 1 was re-released as Warzone Caldera and is still playable. Player progression, cosmetics, and battle pass content were carried over to Caldera.
6. What’s the difference in size between console and PC versions of Warzone?
The base download of Warzone 2.0 is usually smaller on PC (22-24 GB) compared to consoles (55-70 GB). However, the overall size including the base install along with other components, can be similar across all platforms.
7. How big is the download size for Apex Legends?
Apex Legends requires a 25.82 GB download and 40.40 GB of free space for install.
8. What was the biggest Call of Duty game ever in terms of sales?
Call of Duty: Black Ops (2010) is the best-selling game in the franchise, selling over 31 million copies.
9. Is Call of Duty addictive?
Yes, gaming can be addictive because it releases dopamine in the brain, making it hyper-stimulating and creating a desire for more.
10. What is the storage size requirement for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2?
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 requires a minimum of 16 GB of hard drive space.
11. What could make Call of Duty file sizes smaller?
Better compression of game assets, a more streamlined content delivery system, and options to uninstall specific modes or campaign could reduce the game’s overall size.
12. Why are some suggesting Call of Duty has uncompressed textures?
Some players and developers suggest that Call of Duty maintains uncompressed or minimally compressed textures for optimal graphics performance, leading to a larger file size.
13. Can I uninstall parts of Call of Duty to save space?
In some cases, you can uninstall specific content packs, but this feature varies across games and platforms. Generally, you can choose to uninstall campaign modes or multiplayer, but this isn’t always a feature.
14. Is Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto (GTA) bigger in total sales?
While both are massively successful, Call of Duty (400M sold) has surpassed Grand Theft Auto (370M sold) in total sales.
15. How large is the Call of Duty Modern Warfare III file size on PS5?
Call of Duty in total, which currently includes Modern Warfare III and components such as Warzone and Call of Duty HQ, now weighs in at a whopping 235GB on PS5. This could get bigger with further updates and patches.
Conclusion
Call of Duty’s large file size is a complex issue stemming from its graphical fidelity, diverse content, and often uncompressed game assets. While the exact size varies across platforms and game versions, it’s clear that players need to allocate a substantial amount of storage to enjoy the full Call of Duty experience. As the franchise continues to grow and evolve, so too will its storage demands, making it important for players to be prepared for these large downloads and installations.