Image: Willis Lai/Foundry
Deciding on a new game can quickly lead to frustration when I click the purchase button and see how big the file size is and how long it’s going to take to download. Suffice to say, waiting for a game to finish downloading can be like watching paint dry – not one of my favorite pastimes.
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The frustration is real
When I mean big, I’m talking about file sizes that exceed 120GB and can take a half day to land on my PC. Meanwhile, these ginormous downloads render any online gaming I try to do virtually impossible as they chew up my router’s bandwidth and send my pings sky high.
While some might balk and tell me to just deal with it, when you consider that the reason for game downloads being so large is the fact that they’re comprised mainly of 4K textures, I think I’ve got a good case to question the status quo.
I mean, why do I need to be wasting my time – the very limited free time I have – waiting for something that’s as useful to me as a screen door on a submarine since I mostly game in 1080p? I have no choice since 99 percent of games lump all the data together like a rat king tied at the tail.
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High resolution texture packs lurk within a lot of game downloads and most are unaware of it. These textures can take up such a substantial amount of the final file size they can total as much as 70 percent of the download, which is astounding!
Why I’m sticking with my 1080p setup
So, why do developers continue to drop all the files on us in one go? By bunding all the files together, they likely believe we’re all going to rush out and buy 4K capable hardware. Well, I’ve got some news for them… some of us simply can’t afford the upgrade. And others? We’re completely happy with our 1080p setups, thank you.
For starters, I don’t need a 4K texture pack to enjoy how good my games look. Games like Sucker Punch Production’s Ghost of Tsushima still look spectacular at the lower resolution settings, which is a testament to how they’ve been designed.
There’s also the question of how much value I’d get from higher resolution textures anyway. I find I barely have time to sit back and admire the sprawling landscapes as it is. That said, the biggest reason I’m sticking with 1080p is for the higher framerates. It makes my gameplay just that much smoother and more enjoyable.
Some games still look amazing at 1080p.
Some games still look amazing at 1080p.
Sucker Punch Productions
Some games still look amazing at 1080p.
Sucker Punch Productions
Sucker Punch Productions
So, isn’t it a little unfair that I have to download game files at the rate a snail might run a 100-meter sprint and fill up my valuable SSD space with files I’m not even going to use? I’ve got a message for any developers reading this post: I love your work, but please find a solution for the out-of-control game sizes we’re seeing right now before they reach the ridiculous 231GB peak we saw with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
I’m not asking you to do away with 4K textures. But if you could please just make 4K texture packs a separate DLC at checkout, I’d be super grateful. If that’s not possible, you’ll need to explain yourself because you may soon have an uprising on your hands.
Others feel the same way
Maybe uprising is too strong a word, but I’m not in the minority here. Check out this Reddit post from TheGoldminor, in which the 4K texture topic has stirred up more than a little debate. Frustrations aside, healthy discussion on the topic has raised some great questions about the practicalities of a separate DLC for higher resolution textures.
For example, one gamer expressed fears that developers could use it as an opportunity to (dare I say it) “put high-resolution texture packs behind paywalls.” Others have questioned whether it’s even possible considering how intricately connected to other game files high-resolution textures are.
Admittedly, I don’t have the answers to those questions, but you developers do, which is why I’m reaching out specifically to you!
What I do know is it’s not impossible. Monster Hunter World on Steam is a case in point. It allows you to download a free high-resolution texture pack as an add-on to the base game, saving you from having to download 50GB of pointless high-resolution textures, especially if you mainly game at 1080p.
If Capcom can do it with Monster Hunter World, who’s to say it can’t be done on other titles too?
Author: Dominic Bayley, PCWorld Australia Editor
Based in Australia, Dominic Bayley is a hardcore tech enthusiast. His PCWorld focus is on PC gaming hardware: laptops, mice, headsets and keyboards.
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