Console storage fills faster than the box capacity suggests. This guide gives you a repeatable way to estimate how much space your PS5, Xbox or Nintendo Switch games will need, including updates, physical-disc installs and expansion hardware, so you can choose storage with fewer surprises.
Overview
A console’s advertised storage capacity is not the same as the space available for games. The operating system and reserved system data use part of the drive, while a game may need additional temporary space during installation or an update. Some titles also have optional high-resolution texture packs, language files or downloadable expansions that change the final footprint.
As a practical planning guide, treat game sizes as bands rather than fixed numbers:
| Game type | Planning allowance per game | Typical examples |
|---|---|---|
| Small digital game | About 10–30GB | Indie games, smaller downloads and older titles |
| Standard modern game | About 30–80GB | Many mainstream digital releases |
| Large modern game | About 80–150GB or more | Large open-world games, simulations and games with substantial optional content |
These are budgeting bands, not guarantees. Check the listing on your console or the publisher’s current requirements before downloading a particular game. A sensible target is to leave at least 15–20% of usable storage free. This gives the console room for updates, temporary installation data and games you have not yet planned for.
How to estimate your required storage
Use this simple worksheet before buying an expansion drive or a large batch of games:
- List the games you expect to keep installed. Include multiplayer games that you return to regularly, not only your next single-player download.
- Assign each game a planning size. Use the displayed download size where available. If you do not have an exact figure, use the small, standard or large bands above.
- Add an update allowance. For a cautious estimate, add 10–25% to the game total. Some updates are small, but a large patch or rebuilt data package can require more working space.
- Add downloadable content. Count season passes, expansions, texture packs and extra language files if you intend to install them.
- Keep a free-space reserve. Subtract your chosen reserve from the advertised capacity when deciding whether a drive is large enough.
The basic formula is:
Required usable space = game installs + optional content + update allowance + free-space reserve.
For example, five games planned at 60GB each total 300GB. Adding 20% for updates brings the working total to 360GB. If you also want to keep a 100GB reserve, you need roughly 460GB of usable space for that library. The console’s advertised capacity must be higher than this because usable space is reduced by system software.
Inputs and assumptions by platform
PS5 storage planning
PS5 games installed on the internal drive or a compatible internal M.2 SSD can be played from that storage. A USB external drive is useful for storing PS5 games and moving them back when needed, but it is not normally a substitute for compatible internal expansion when you want to play PS5 titles directly. PS4 games can generally be stored and played from supported USB extended storage, subject to the console’s requirements.
When comparing a PS5 storage expansion in the UK, check the current console firmware guidance, the SSD’s capacity, read-speed recommendation, physical dimensions, heatsink clearance and installation requirements. Do not compare capacity alone. A drive that does not meet the console’s compatibility conditions may not be suitable, even if its price per gigabyte looks attractive.
Xbox storage planning
Xbox Series consoles use a dedicated expansion-card format for playing current-generation games from added storage. Compatible USB storage remains useful for storing games and for playing titles that support it, but current-generation games may need to be moved to the internal drive or an approved expansion card before they can run. Always check the game and console compatibility information rather than assuming every external drive behaves the same way.
For Xbox storage expansion, compare the card’s usable capacity, warranty, connection type, compatibility with your console generation and price. A smaller card may suit a rotating library, while a larger card can be more practical if you keep several large multiplayer games installed.
Nintendo Switch storage planning
Nintendo Switch consoles use compatible microSD cards to expand downloadable game storage. Card support and maximum capacity can vary by Switch model, so check Nintendo’s current specifications before buying. Downloaded games can be moved between system memory and a supported card, while save-data arrangements should be checked separately rather than treated as ordinary game files.
Physical Switch games usually reduce the download requirement, but updates and downloadable content may still use storage. Some releases also require a download, so a cartridge does not always mean zero storage use. If you buy physical games, include update space in your estimate.
Worked examples
Example 1: A PS5 digital library
Suppose you want to keep two large games at 100GB each, three standard games at 55GB each and two smaller games at 20GB each. The game total is 200GB + 165GB + 40GB, or 405GB. Add a 20% update allowance of 81GB and a 100GB reserve. Your target is approximately 586GB of usable space, before accounting for the console’s reserved system storage.
This estimate suggests that an expansion smaller than the target may feel restrictive, even if it technically fits the initial downloads. If you regularly install and remove games, a USB drive can also be useful as an archive, provided you understand that storage and play locations are not always the same.
Example 2: A mixed Xbox library
Assume four current-generation games at 75GB each and four smaller or older games at 35GB each. The total is 300GB + 140GB, or 440GB. Adding 15% for updates gives 506GB, and a 100GB free-space reserve produces a target of roughly 606GB usable. Because the current-generation games have different storage requirements from older backward-compatible titles, decide which games must be immediately playable before choosing between internal, expansion-card and USB storage.
Example 3: A Switch download collection
For ten games averaging 18GB, the initial total is 180GB. Add 25% for updates and downloadable content, producing 225GB, then leave at least 40GB free for future purchases and system breathing room. A microSD card with a higher advertised capacity than this target would provide a more comfortable buffer, subject to your console model’s compatibility and the card’s genuine retail provenance.
When to recalculate
Revisit your storage plan whenever you buy a major release, install a large expansion, change from physical to digital games or notice that free space is falling below your chosen reserve. Recalculate before shopping during a sale: several cheap games can still create a large storage requirement, and the lowest headline price is not necessarily the best overall value if you also need expansion hardware.
Storage specifications, console firmware requirements and UK drive prices can change. Check the manufacturer’s compatibility guidance and the retailer’s current listing before purchase, particularly for PS5 M.2 SSDs, Xbox expansion cards and high-capacity microSD cards. Compare the total cost, warranty and return terms rather than price per gigabyte alone.
For a quick decision, write down your installed library, add the next three games you expect to play, apply a 10–25% update allowance and protect a free-space reserve. If the result is close to your console’s usable capacity, choose the next practical storage size up rather than planning around a completely full drive. For wider buying decisions, see our guide to checking whether a console bundle is good value and our advice on comparing UK game prices beyond the headline cost.
