If you’re thinking about downloading Genshin Impact for the first time or preparing for the next big patch, one of the first questions you’ll ask is how much gb is genshin impact pc. It’s a fair question too, open-world games with constant updates are famous for eating up storage space fast, and no one wants to delete half their game library just to install one title. I’ve been playing Genshin on PC since launch, and I’ve messed up enough updates and run out of storage enough times to know exactly what size you need to plan for, plus how to cut down on unnecessary bloat if you’re tight on space.
Exact Storage Size for Genshin Impact PC
As of the latest version, the base install of Genshin Impact for PC with only the English voice pack enabled takes up 72 GB of storage space. If you choose to install all four available voice packs (English, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean), that size jumps to roughly 88 GB total. Keep in mind this number goes up slightly every six weeks when a new patch drops, with most updates adding between 5 and 15 GB of new content per release.
You might notice the initial download size listed in the launcher is smaller than these numbers, and that’s because the game files are compressed for transfer. They’ll expand to the full size once the download finishes and the launcher runs the installation process. If you’ve been playing for a year or more without a fresh install, your game folder could easily hit 100 GB+ thanks to leftover update files and cached data, even if you only have one voice pack installed.
It’s also worth noting that size doesn’t include any screenshots or video recordings you save directly through the game’s photo mode. Those are stored in your user folder by default, and can add several extra gigabytes if you take a lot of shots of in-game scenery or character pulls.
Why You Need Extra Free Space Beyond the Base Game Size
You should never only have exactly enough space to fit the base game install, because that’s a guaranteed way to run into problems when the next patch drops. I learned this the hard way a few years back, when I cleared exactly 70 GB to install the game, only to have the first update fail two hours into download because I had no room left for temporary files.
There are three main types of extra space you need to budget for when planning your Genshin Impact install:
That means even if the base game is 72 GB, you should have at least 100 GB of total free space on your drive before you start the download, and ideally 120 GB if you plan to play long-term without clearing space every few months. If you only have a 256 GB SSD, that might sound like a lot, but there are easy ways to cut down the game’s size without losing any core functionality.
Easy Ways to Reduce Genshin Impact PC Storage Usage
If you’re running low on space and don’t want to delete other games to make room for Genshin updates, there are four quick tweaks that can free up 10-20 GB of space in just a few minutes. The easiest and most effective fix is to delete unused voice packs from your game settings. Most players only use one voice language, so removing the other three will free up roughly 16 GB of space immediately, and you can re-download them any time through the launcher if you change your mind later.
Another quick win is to clear your game cache every three to four months. The game stores data for past events, old cutscenes, and unused assets that you don’t need anymore, and clearing that cache through the in-game settings menu will usually free up 2-5 GB of extra space. You won’t lose any save data, character progress, or quest progress when you do this, so it’s completely risk-free.
If you don’t play on a 4K monitor, you can also disable high-resolution cutscene downloads in the launcher settings. The 4K cutscene files take up an extra 8-10 GB of space, and you won’t notice a difference in quality if you’re playing on a 1080p or 1440p screen anyway. I turned this off two years ago, and I haven’t noticed any drop in cutscene quality at all on my 1440p monitor.
If you haven’t done a fresh install of the game in over a year, that’s another great way to free up space. Incremental updates leave behind small leftover files that add up over time, and a fresh install will remove all that junk. You can save your screenshot folder separately before you uninstall, so you don’t lose any of your photo mode shots.
Common Storage-Related Issues for Genshin Impact PC and Fixes
Most Genshin PC issues that players blame on bad internet or broken game files are actually caused by insufficient storage space, and they’re really easy to fix once you know what to look for. The most common issue is an update that fails halfway through download, with an error message that says “insufficient disk space” or just stops with no explanation. 9 times out of 10, this is because you don’t have enough temporary space to unpack the patch files, even if you have enough space to fit the final updated game size. The fix here is simple: free up at least 30 GB of space before you start any new patch download, and you won’t run into this problem.
Another common issue is the game crashing on launch right after an update, or having broken textures and missing audio during quests. This usually happens when the patch unpacking process was interrupted because of low space, leading to corrupted game files. You don’t need to reinstall the whole game to fix this, though. Just use the verify file integrity tool in the launcher settings, which will scan all your game files and only replace the broken or missing ones. It only takes 5-10 minutes, and saves you from downloading the entire 70+ GB game again.
If you notice the game running slower over time, with longer load times and more stuttering in open-world areas, that’s usually a sign your game cache is too full, or you have the game installed on a slow hard drive. Clearing your cache will fix the stuttering, and if you can move the game to an SSD, you’ll cut load times by up to 70% in my experience. You don’t need a super fast NVMe SSD for this, even a cheap SATA SSD will make a huge difference in how the game runs.
The only time you’ll really need to upgrade your storage is if you’re consistently running out of space every time a new patch drops, even after clearing cache and deleting unused voice packs. A 1 TB SSD is more than enough for Genshin plus 5-10 other popular PC games, and they’re pretty affordable these days if you decide it’s worth the investment.
At the end of the day, how much gb is genshin impact pc will vary a little depending on what voice packs and extra features you have installed, but planning for at least 120 GB of total space will keep you covered for at least the next year of updates. You don't need to splurge on a new SSD just to play, but a few small tweaks like deleting unused voice packs and clearing your cache every few months will make sure you never run out of space mid-update. If you've been holding off on playing because you're worried about storage, these tips should give you enough room to jump in without deleting your favorite games.