If you’re getting ready to download Genshin Impact’s 2026 5.4 update or install the game for the first time this year, your first question is likely how many gbs does genshin impact take before you hit that download button. I’ve been playing on three different devices for the past four years, and I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had to delete old photos or unused apps to make room for a new region drop. This guide breaks down exact storage requirements for every platform in 2026, plus workarounds if you don’t have enough space right now.
How Many GBs Does Genshin Impact Take Per Platform in 2026?
All numbers below are for the full 5.4 version of the game, including all regions up to Natlan’s second area drop and the recent Fontaine endgame expansion released in early 2026. Note that you’ll need an extra 15-20% of free temporary storage to install updates, even if the base game size fits on your drive. Let’s break down exact numbers for each supported device:
I tested these sizes myself last week when I reinstalled the game on my Steam Deck and my iPhone 15 Pro, so these numbers are up to date as of March 2026. If you’re playing on a custom gaming PC, you might have extra cached files that add 2-5 GB on top of these numbers over time, so it’s good to check your install folder every few months. If you want to cross-check these numbers before you download, you can find the latest official patch notes on HoYoverse’s official support page to confirm no last-minute changes were made to the install size for the latest update.
Why Genshin Impact’s Storage Size Keeps Growing in 2026
A lot of new players are shocked that the game is nearly 100 GB on PC in 2026, especially when the 2020 launch version was only 12 GB. The biggest reason for the growth is the constant addition of new regions, character skins, voiced story quests, and high-resolution texture packs that HoYoverse releases every six weeks. That means every time a new update drops, you can expect to add 2-8 GB to your total install size, depending on what content is included in the patch.
High-resolution cutscenes are one of the biggest hidden storage hogs that most players don’t think about. The 2026 5.0 update added over 10 hours of fully animated Natlan story cutscenes with support for 4K 60FPS on PC and PS5, which added nearly 12 GB to the total install size on its own. If you don’t care about watching cutscenes in the highest possible quality, you can disable this feature in the game settings to save space.
Another big contributor is voice packs for all four supported languages. Most players only use one language for voice acting, but the game defaults to installing all four packs when you first download it. That’s nearly 18 GB of unused audio files for most people, which is a huge waste of space if you never switch voice languages. I deleted the Japanese and Korean voice packs last year and haven’t looked back, since I only play with English voice acting anyway.
Easy Ways to Reduce Genshin Impact Storage Usage Without Uninstalling
You don’t have to delete your entire game library to make room for the latest Genshin update in 2026. I’ve used all of these tricks over the past year to cut my PC install size from 98 GB to 76 GB without losing any of my save data or access to core game features.
First, delete unused voice packs from your game settings. You can find this option under the Settings > Audio tab, and you can delete any languages you don’t use with one click. This will save you 8-12 GB of space instantly, and you can always re-download the packs later if you want to switch languages for a specific character story quest.
Turn off high-resolution texture and cutscene packs if you don’t play on a 4K display. Most players who use a 1080p monitor or a standard mobile device won’t even notice a difference in graphics quality when they turn these off, but you’ll save 10-15 GB of space right away. You can toggle these settings on or off any time from the game’s main menu before you log in.
Clear your game cache every 2-3 months to get rid of old temporary files that the game no longer uses. These files include old event assets, cached cutscenes you’ve already watched, and outdated patch files that can add up to 5 GB of extra storage over time. You don’t have to worry about losing your save data when you clear the cache, since all save data is stored on HoYoverse’s servers.
One last trick that works for PC and PS5 users is to install the game on an external SSD if you don’t have space on your internal drive. Genshin Impact runs perfectly on external SSDs with read speeds of 500 MB/s or higher, so you won’t notice any lag or longer load times compared to installing it on your internal drive. I’ve been running the game off a 256 GB external SSD on my PS5 for six months, and it works just as well as the internal install.
What Happens If You Don’t Have Enough Storage for Genshin Impact 2026 Updates?
A lot of players put off clearing storage when they see a new update alert, but that can cause more problems than just being unable to play the latest content. If you don’t have enough temporary storage to install an update, the game might corrupt your existing install files, which means you’ll have to re-download the entire 90+ GB game instead of just the 2-8 GB update. I made this mistake back in late 2025, and I had to wait 6 hours for the full game to re-install before I could play the new Natlan launch event, so trust me when I say it’s worth clearing extra space ahead of time.
You also risk missing out on limited-time event rewards if you can’t install the update before the event ends. Most events only run for two weeks, and many of them give out free primogems, character ascension materials, and exclusive skins that you can’t get after the event ends. If you’re low on storage when a new update is announced, it’s a good idea to clear at least 20 GB of free space to avoid running into issues during installation.
If you really don’t have enough space right now, you can also use the game’s cloud play option that launched in 2026 for select regions. Cloud play lets you stream the full game to your device without downloading it, and it only takes up 100 MB of storage for the cloud app. The only downside is that you need a stable 5G or high-speed Wi-Fi connection to play without lag, so it’s not a good option if you have spotty internet or regularly play while commuting.
At the end of the day, exactly how many gbs does genshin impact take in 2026 depends entirely on what platform you play on and what optional content you choose to install. You don’t need a top-of-the-line device with terabytes of storage to enjoy the game, though, since the tips we covered can cut your install size by nearly 30% without impacting your gameplay experience. Before you download the latest update, just double check you have enough extra temporary storage for the installation, and you’ll be exploring Natlan’s new volcano region with no issues.