In modern mobile gaming, there is a steady trend towards increasing the size of game files. If just a few years ago games with a capacity of 1 GB were considered large, today this threshold has been significantly exceeded. Users often encounter a situation where the internal storage fills up in just a couple of downloads from Google Play or third-party sources.
The main reason for this bloat lies in the quality of the content. Developers strive to provide console-level graphics on portable devices, using high-resolution textures, complex shaders and surround sound tracks without heavy compression. Optimization Often takes a backseat for the sake of visual splendor, which forces you to download additional data packs.
The question is which one? the game occupies a leading position, does not have a single constant answer, since the ratings change with each major update. However, there is a stable group of heavyweight projects that consistently require tens of gigabytes of free space for comfortable work and installation of all resources.
Leaders in space occupied in 2026
Multiplayer online games with an open world are invariably at the top of the list of the most “gluttonous” projects. Remains the leader in recent years Genshin Impact, which after the release of new regions and engine updates can take up more than 35–40 GB of memory. This is due to the fact that the game does not delete old resources, but only adds new ones on top of existing files.
The second place is firmly held by the space RPG Honkai: Star Rail from the same developers. Despite the turn-based combat system, detailing locations and characters requires a colossal amount of data. A complete installation with all language packs and high-quality audio files easily exceeds the 30 GB mark.
Don't forget about the project Diablo Immortal. Ported from PC, this game retains many of the original's features, including heavy dungeon textures and spell effects. After all the story additions and seasonal content, it also claims to be one of the heaviest games in the user’s library.
- 🎮 Genshin Impact - an open world that requires constant loading of assets.
- 🚀 Honkai: Star Rail - highly detailed models and backgrounds in a space theme.
- 💀 Diablo Immortal - complex graphics and effects in the dark fantasy style.
- 🏎️ Asphalt 9: Legends — racing with ray tracing and detailed cars.
⚠️ Attention: The size of the game may vary significantly depending on the selected voice language. Downloading multiple language packs at the same time can increase the installation size by 5-10 GB unnecessarily.
Technical reasons for large file sizes
Why have mobile games started to weigh so much? The main reason lies in the use of high resolution textures. To display clear images on screens with a pixel density above 400 PPI, developers are forced to use 2K and even 4K textures. Graphic assets occupy the lion's share of space in the game archive.
Another factor is audio content. Modern projects often use uncompressed or lightly compressed audio formats to achieve a cinematic sound. Voice acting in several languages, background music and sound effects can take up from 5 to 15 GB in the overall file structure of the application.
Data storage architecture also plays a role. Many engines, such as Unity or Unreal Engine 4/5create duplicate files to speed up loading levels. This is done so that the processor and RAM are not overloaded by unpacking archives in real time, but the price for such speed is storage space.
Use the “Compress unused applications” function in Android settings (available on Android 11 and higher) to temporarily free up space for installing a heavy game.
How to properly prepare your smartphone for installation
Before trying to load a heavy game, you need to audit the internal memory. Simply deleting a couple of photos is often not enough. It is recommended to use built-in cleaning tools or third-party utilities to analyze used space.
Particular attention should be paid to the cache of other applications. Social networks and instant messengers accumulate gigabytes of temporary files over time. Clearing the cache Telegram or WhatsApp can instantly free up from 2 to 10 GB, which is critical for installing a large project.
If the internal memory is absolutely not enough, check the possibility of using a memory card microSD. Although modern games do not always allow you to transfer main files to external media, part of the cache or media files can be uploaded there, freeing up the main storage.
☑️ Preparing to install a heavy game
| Game name | Approximate size (GB) | Required RAM | Recommended processor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genshin Impact | 35–45 GB | 6 GB | Snapdragon 865 / Dimensity 1000+ |
| Honkai: Star Rail | 30–40 GB | 6 GB | Snapdragon 870 and higher |
| Diablo Immortal | 25–35 GB | 4 GB | Snapdragon 730 / Exynos 980 |
| Call of Duty Mobile | 15–25 GB | 4 GB | Snapdragon 665 and higher |
The impact of updates on the size of the application
Users often notice that after each major patch the game begins to take up even more space. This phenomenon is called “data sprawl.” Developers add new locations and events, but rarely delete old, deactivated resources from the game files.
Over time, this leads to the fact that a year or two after release the game can weigh one and a half to two times more than at the start. Update cache It can also take up additional space until the files are completely rewritten, so it is important to have some space to spare.
Some games allow you to manage downloaded resources through the internal menu. For example, in the settings you can remove voice packs of unnecessary languages or reduce the quality of textures for old levels, which will return several gigabytes of free space.
⚠️ Attention: Do not interrupt the game update process if there is less than 2 GB of free space left on your phone. This can lead to file corruption and the need to completely reinstall the application.
Why does the game take up more space than indicated in the store?
In Google Play or the App Store, only the size of the installation APK file is indicated. The actual size of the game consists of this file plus additional data (OBB, cache) that is downloaded after the first launch. The difference can be from 5 to 30 GB.
Optimizing storage for gamers
For owners of smartphones with a small amount of memory, there are special strategies included. Regular folder cleaning Android/obb from the remnants of deleted games is the first step to order. Often there remain “tails” from long-deleted projects.
Use cloud storage to backup photos and videos. Transferring media files to the cloud allows you to keep the internal memory as free as possible for installing games and system needs. Google Photos or Yandex.Disk do an excellent job of this task.
If your The smartphone supports memory expansion using internal flash memory (technologies like RAM Plus or Virtual RAM), make sure that it does not take up all the free space. Leave a buffer of at least 10% of the total storage capacity for correct system operation.
Regular manual cleaning of cache folders and deleting language packs inside games can save up to 20% of storage space without loss of functionality.
Problems with launching on devices with low memory
Even if the game is installed, lack of free space can cause serious performance problems. The Android system uses free space for the page file. If the space runs out, the smartphone begins to slow down, and the game may crash.
A common mistake is installing the game “back to back”. If the game weighs 30 GB, and exactly 30 GB is free, the launch may not take place. The unpacking process requires temporary duplication of files. Free buffer 5-10 GB is required for stable operation of heavy projects.
In some cases, the system can automatically delete the game cache when there is not enough space, which leads to endless loading of resources every time you enter the application. This is not only annoying, but also wastes mobile traffic.
⚠️ Attention: Settings interfaces and game requirements are constantly updated. Always check the current requirements for free space on the official project page in the application store before downloading.
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
Can a heavy game be transferred to a memory card?
In modern versions of Android (starting from 10-11), the ability to transfer applications to an SD card is severely limited by developers. Most heavy games do not support this feature due to the low reading speed of memory cards, which causes lags. However, part of the cache can sometimes be transferred through the storage settings.
Why is the space not freed up after deleting the game?
When deleting an application through the standard interface, some files may remain in the Android/data or Android/obbfolders. You need to go to the file manager and manually check these directories, deleting the folders with the name of the remote game.
What is the minimum amount of memory needed for Genshin Impact?
Although the minimum requirements may indicate 8 GB, for a comfortable game and installing all updates, it is recommended to have a smartphone with a drive of at least 64 GB, of which at least 40 GB will be free. On 32 GB devices, the game may be unstable.
Does the size of the game affect the rate at which the battery drains?
The file size itself does not affect the battery. However, data-intensive games usually have complex graphics and load the CPU and GPU, resulting in high power consumption. A heavy game drains the phone faster due to the load on the hardware, and not because of the disk space.
How to find the exact size of the game before downloading?
In the Google Play store, the size is indicated approximately. The exact volume becomes known only after loading the main file and loading additional resources at the first launch. Focus on the developer's requirements with a margin of 20%.