October DealsAmazon USOctober deal check: compare before you payAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.Check DealsClean PCRecommendedOne scan can reveal what keeps slowing WindowsLook for cleanup and repair opportunities.Run ScanOctober DealsAmazon USDeal season is back - check today's better picksAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.See Picks×
Skip to content
VGSources
Blog

How Many Games Can You Save on 500GB?

A 500GB drive may hold several games or around ten medium-sized ones, but the real count depends on available space, game size, updates, and platform rules.
Length3 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

On a 500GB drive, you might fit several games or around ten medium-sized ones—but there is no fixed count. Divide the space actually available for games by the install sizes of the titles you want to keep. For example, at an assumed 50GB per game, 500GB ÷ 50GB works out to 10 games; if only 400GB is free for games, the same assumption gives 8. Those are arithmetic examples, not a claim that 50GB is a typical game size.

What determines how many games fit?

Two numbers determine the estimate: the storage available for game installs and the combined size of the games. A drive advertised as 500GB does not necessarily provide 500GB of free space for games. System software, updates, saved captures, and other files may also use storage, and the amount available depends on the device and what is already on it.

Game sizes also vary substantially by title, platform, and version. Intel explains that the way games compress art, video, and audio assets affects their size; its examples of large games are illustrations, not a measured average across the market. No representative average for current games across platforms is established by the sources cited here.

Estimate your own game count

  1. Check the available space. Use the storage screen on your console or computer to find the current free space. Use the amount you can actually allocate to games, not the drive’s advertised capacity.
  2. Check each game’s listed install size. Use the size for your platform and version. Include optional content you intend to install.
  3. Add the sizes, then compare the total with available space. For a rough count, divide available space by an assumed per-game size. For an actual library, add the individual listed sizes instead.

For example, if your device shows 400GB available and the games you want take 70GB, 45GB, 30GB, and 20GB, their listed sizes total 165GB. The remaining space is not a guarantee that another game will fit: updates, optional packs, and installation requirements can affect the space needed.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
#1 Best Overall
Sale
PNY CS900 500GB 2.5" SATA III Internal SSD
  • Upgrade your laptop or desktop computer and feel the difference with super-fast OS boot times and application loads
  • Exceptional performance offering up to 550MB/s seq. Read and 500MB/s seq. Write speeds
  • Superior performance as compared to traditional hard drives (HDD)
  • Ultra-low power consumption
  • Backwards compatible with SATA II 3GB/sec

Installed size is not always the space needed to install

A game’s final installed footprint and the storage required to download or install it can differ. Bungie’s Destiny 2 support table lists separate platform-specific file-size and pre-load storage requirements, and those figures can change as the game is updated. Check the current Destiny 2 system requirements for the platform you use rather than treating an older figure as permanent.

Optional content can also change the count. Activision’s installation guide for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War gives historical figures of 93GB on Xbox One and 95GB on PS4, and says PC players can select mode packs to reduce the overall size. Those platform-specific figures illustrate why a single game can have different storage needs; they are not estimates for other games or current titles. See Activision’s installation and setup guide for its instructions.

Rank #2
Crucial BX500 500 GB Solid State Drive - 2.5" Internal - SATA (SATA/600)
  • Provides sufficient storage capacityof 500 GB for your computer, ensuring you have ample space for all your files and applications
  • Power and energy-efficient design ensures maximum reliability for your SSD
  • With the high write speed of 500 MB/s, experience quick responses when updating or transferring files
  • Experience faster data storage with the SATA/600 interface, designed to optimize burst performance for enhanced efficiency
  • The impressive read speed of 550 MB/s enhances system performance, allowing you to complete complex tasks efficiently

Does “save” mean store games or play them from the drive?

If you mean storing games for later, an external drive may help, but compatibility and whether a game can launch from it depend on the platform. PlayStation says compatible USB drives from 250GB to 8TB can add storage. Compatible PS4 games can be played from external USB storage; PS5 games stored there must be transferred back to the console’s internal high-speed SSD to play. Check PlayStation’s external USB drive guidance for the requirements and distinctions.

That PlayStation guidance does not establish the rules for Xbox or PC. In particular, a nominal 500GB capacity should not be treated as a universal amount of usable game space across devices. Check the storage display and compatibility guidance for your exact system before buying an expansion drive.

What’s actually slowing this PC down?

Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
Rank #3
SSK Portable SSD 500GB External Solid State Hard Drive USB C Up to 1050MB/s
  • Capacity Display Variance: 500GB external ssd often appears as around 465GB on Windows. MacOS can show full 500 GB capacity. This is binary calculation difference and doesn’t affect SSD hard drive actual physical storage
  • 1050 MB/s Speed: Instantly access to your files with blazing-fast 10Gbps external SSD read up to 1050MB/s and write up to 1000MB/s. LED Light indicates USB SSD instant activity
  • Data Security: Solid state drives S.M.A.R.T. health diagnostics​ and adaptive TRIM optimizing data block management ensures consistent write speeds and extends the longevity of the portable SSD
  • USB-C & USB-A Cable: Both cables featuring rapid USB 3.2 Gen2, this USB SSD effortlessly bridges devices, enabling seamless cross-platform file transfers and backup between computers, smartphones, tablets and iPhone
  • Always Fast: No slowdowns for large file transfers. With SLC caching (25% of current available capacity allocated as high-speed cache), this external SSD delivers steady 10Gbps for transfers within the cache capacity
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

What to do when 500GB is not enough

  • Remove games you are not playing. On PS4, PlayStation says deleted games can be downloaded again from the Library. Its PS4 storage-management guidance also covers deleting applications, using USB extended storage, and upgrading the console’s HDD.
  • Consider compatible external storage. Confirm your console or computer supports the drive and decide whether you need to play games from it or only keep them stored. Play/archive behavior differs by platform and game generation.
  • Recheck before installing large games. Leave room for updates, optional packs, or additional installation space when the platform or publisher specifies it.

For a practical answer on your own device, check its current free-space figure and the listed size of every game you want installed. Their total—not a universal games-per-500GB average—will tell you whether they fit.

Quick Recap

SaleBestseller No. 1
PNY CS900 500GB 2.5' SATA III Internal SSD
PNY CS900 500GB 2.5" SATA III Internal SSD
Exceptional performance offering up to 550MB/s seq. Read and 500MB/s seq. Write speeds; Superior performance as compared to traditional hard drives (HDD)
$89.00
Bestseller No. 2
Crucial BX500 500 GB Solid State Drive - 2.5' Internal - SATA (SATA/600)
Crucial BX500 500 GB Solid State Drive - 2.5" Internal - SATA (SATA/600)
Power and energy-efficient design ensures maximum reliability for your SSD; Easily access and retrieve files frequently, making the process convenient
$129.99
SaleBestseller No. 4
Kingston NV3 500GB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD | PCIe 4.0 Gen 4x4 | Up to 5000 MB/s | SNV3S/500G
Kingston NV3 500GB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD | PCIe 4.0 Gen 4x4 | Up to 5000 MB/s | SNV3S/500G
Ideal for high speed, low power storage; Gen 4x4 NVMe PCle performance; Up to 5,000MB/s read, 3,000MB/s write
$99.85
Rank #4
Sale
Kingston NV3 500GB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD | PCIe 4.0 Gen 4x4 | Up to 5000 MB/s | SNV3S/500G
  • Ideal for high speed, low power storage
  • Gen 4x4 NVMe PCle performance
  • Up to 5,000MB/s read, 3,000MB/s write
  • Includes Acronis cloning software
  • 5-year limited warranty

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

More quests from Patch Notes

  1. How to Turn On Vibrant Visuals in MinecraftMinecraftBlog3min
  2. Best Multiplayer Games for Low-End PCsBlog4min
  3. Minecraft: How To Use And Install OptiFineBlog5min
Recommended PC Tool
Recommended PC Tool
Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You DownFree scan - exact matches
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?Free scan - under a minute

Two free Windows tools

One Free Minute Could Fix That PC

Before you go - each of these free tools takes about a minute and tackles what quietly slows a Windows PC down.

Special offer. View Outbyte info, uninstall instructions, EULA, and Privacy Policy.