The Storage Problem with Modern Games

Games have gotten enormous. Titles regularly exceed 100GB, and some with all DLC installed push 200GB or more. If you have a 500GB or 1TB SSD as your primary drive, a handful of modern games can fill it fast. Managing this effectively means you stay in control — without constantly uninstalling and re-downloading.

Step 1: Know What's Taking Up Space

Before managing storage, get a clear picture of where it's going.

  • Windows Storage Sense — Settings → System → Storage shows a breakdown by category. Not game-specific, but gives a quick overview.
  • WinDirStat or TreeSize Free — These free tools visually map your drive usage. You can immediately see which game folders are the largest offenders.
  • Steam — In Steam, go to Settings → Storage to see a per-game breakdown of disk usage across your library.

Step 2: Move Games to a Secondary Drive

The best long-term solution is a dedicated games drive. Here's how to do it without reinstalling:

Moving Games in Steam

  1. Go to Steam → Settings → Storage
  2. Add your secondary drive as a Steam library folder
  3. Right-click any game in your Library → Properties → Local Files → Move Install Folder
  4. Select the new drive and click Move — Steam handles the transfer cleanly

Moving Games in Epic Games Launcher

  1. Go to your Library and click the three dots on the game
  2. Select Manage
  3. Under Installation, click the folder icon and choose a new location

Step 3: Uninstall Smartly — Keep Save Files

Uninstalling a game doesn't have to mean losing progress. Before uninstalling:

  • Steam Cloud Saves — If enabled, saves sync automatically. Check the game's Steam page to confirm cloud save support.
  • Manual save backup — Most PC game saves are stored in Documents\My Games\, %AppData%, or the game's install folder. Back these up before uninstalling.
  • GOG Galaxy — GOG games often include save backup tools built into the launcher.

Step 4: Use Compression and Cache Management

  • NTFS Compression — Right-click a game folder → Properties → Advanced → Compress contents. Can save 5–15% on some games. Not recommended for games that are actively loading assets from disk (may cause stutters).
  • Delete shader caches — Games build shader cache files that can be safely deleted. Look in the game's folder for folders named cache, shadercache, or pipeline.
  • Steam shader cache — In Steam settings, there's an option to clear the shader cache under the Shader Pre-Caching section.

Step 5: Build a Rotation System

If storage is genuinely limited, adopt a rotation mindset:

  1. Keep only 2–4 active games fully installed on your primary SSD
  2. Use a larger, slower HDD as an archive for games you play occasionally
  3. Re-download from Steam/Epic as needed — your purchase history and saves persist

Recommended Storage Setup

Drive Type Best Use Recommended Size
NVMe SSD (primary) OS + actively played games 1TB minimum
SATA SSD (secondary) Larger game library 1–2TB
HDD (archive) Rarely played games 2–4TB

Final Thoughts

A little organization goes a long way. With the right tools and a basic system, you can keep your game library large without constantly fighting for space. The key is acting proactively — before your drive is full — rather than scrambling when you're trying to install something new.