How many GB is rdr2 on Steam?

As an epic open-world title, Red Dead Redemption 2 (RDR2) requires a beefy 150GB of storage space on Steam. This makes it one of the largest AAA games available on the platform.

Let‘s take an in-depth look at RDR2‘s storage needs, why it takes up so much room, and how to run it properly even with limited space.

Hard Drive Space Required for RDR2

Here are the official installation sizes for RDR2:

As you can see, the Steam version demands the most real estate at a staggering 150 gigs. This gives it a larger footprint than competitors like Grand Theft Auto V (72GB), The Witcher 3 (50GB), and Horizon Zero Dawn (70GB).

Why RDR2 Requires So Much Disk Space

Developer Rockstar Games jam-packed RDR2 with advanced features – resulting in the huge install size:

• Massive Open World Map: RDR2‘s map covers over 29 square miles, nearly 1.5 times bigger than GTA:V.
• 4K Textures & Assets: With over 300,000 textures, RDR2 was built for modern displays.
• 300,000 Lines of Dialogue: Bringing characters to life required high-quality voice work.
• 105,000 Animations: Advanced motion capture brings NPCs and animals to life.
• Sophisticated Game Systems: Complex AI, physics, weather use cutting-edge computations.
• 65GB Game Engine: Rockstar‘s proprietary RAGE engine enables immersive worlds.

All of these technical achievements let you experience an incredibly realistic Wild West…at the cost of storage capacity!

Minimum and Recommended System Specs

You don’t necessarily need a full 150GB free in order to run RDR2 on PC.

Here are the minimum and recommended hard drive requirements:

As you can see, the minimum and recommended specs match. But just meeting the baseline 150GB requirement can impact performance:

• Longer load times due to asset streaming from HDD
• Low resolution textures pop-in during gameplay
• Environmental details appear suddenly
• Frequent crashes or display driver failures

For the best experience, ensure you have at least 150GB free, and install RDR2 on an SSD if possible.

RDR2 Install Size vs. Download Size

One common point of confusion is the difference between install size and download size for RDR2.

On Steam, RDR2‘s download is around 110GB. But it unpacks to require 150GB once installed.

So make sure your SSD or HDD has sufficient capacity before purchasing and downloading!

How Storage Space Impacts Framerates

If you don’t have 150GB spare, can you still run RDR2 smoothly by tweaking the graphics options? Let‘s see how storage space impacts framerates.

As you can see, framerates take a massive hit on lower-capacity drives. You‘ll also experience more texture pop-in, lag, and crashes.

So try to avoid the minimum 150GB storage if possible. An SSD with 200GB+ available space is recommended for 60 FPS gameplay.

Ensuring You Have Enough Space for Updates & DLC

Besides the base install, also account for future RDR2 updates, patches, and DLC when budgeting drive space:

• Updates can be over 10GB to fix bugs/optimize performance
• Rockstar has released multiple 5-10GB DLC packs
• User-made mods can take significant additional storage

Baking in buffer room of 50GB or more ensures you won‘t have to shuffle game files around to free up capacity down the road.

Comparing RDR2‘s Size to Other AAA Titles

To put things in perspective, here‘s how RDR2 fares size-wise against other AAA mega-games:

As expected, other recent open-world titles with highly detailed graphics and expansive maps also require tons of space.

RDR2 matches up closely with competitors in terms of installation footprint.

The Verdict – 150GB is Worth It for This AAA Epic!

At the end of the day, RDR2‘s 150GB storage demand, while hefty, delivers one of the most impressively detailed and engrossing open worlds ever created.

From horseback riding across picturesque plains to gun-slinging through crowded frontier towns, the textures, models, dialogue and gameplay come together into a Wild West alive with adventure.

If you have space, RDR2‘s technical achievements and best-in-class creative worldbuilding make it more than worth the hard drive real estate!

Just be warned – you may need to delete a few games to free up room for this AAA monster.