Is your PC ready for the Battle Bus? Discover how big is Fortnite, and check if your computer can run it, and use AOMEI Partition Assistant to manage storage and boost performance.
If you are looking for a quick answer to "how big is Fortnite" on Windows PC, here is the bottom line: The base game requires approximately 30 GB to 40 GB of storage space. However, if you choose to install high-resolution textures, "Save the World," and other add-ons, the Fortnite storage size can balloon to over 80 GB or even 90 GB.
Most modern PCs can run it. If you have Windows 10/11 (64-bit), at least 8GB of RAM, and a dedicated graphics card from the last 5-6 years (like a GTX 960 or better), you are good to go.
Don’t worry. You don’t always need to buy a new computer. You can solve this by removing unused game features, moving the game to a different drive, or extending your partition.
Understanding the exact file size and hardware demands is the first step to a lag-free Victory Royale.
Fortnite has evolved significantly since its launch. With the introduction of Unreal Engine 5 updates and realistic graphics in recent chapters, the file size varies greatly depending on what you choose to download.
Many users ask, "how many gigabytes is Fortnite exactly?" The answer depends on your installation options in the Epic Games Launcher.
|
Installation Type |
Approximate Storage Size |
Details |
|
Core Battle Royale |
~30 GB - 35 GB |
The mandatory base game files needed to play Battle Royale and Creative. |
|
High-Resolution Textures |
+15 GB - 20 GB |
Optional 4K textures for high-end PCs. Adds significant visual detail but eats storage. |
|
Save the World |
+4 GB - 6 GB |
The PvE co-op campaign mode. Optional download. |
|
DirectX 12 Shaders |
+5 GB - 10 GB |
Pre-downloaded shaders to reduce stuttering during gameplay. |
|
Total Full Installation |
~80 GB - 95 GB |
The maximum size if you check every box in the options. |
To ensure smooth building and editing without FPS drops, your PC needs to meet these requirements.
OS: Windows 10/11 64-bit
Processor: Intel Core i3-3225 3.3 GHz or AMD equivalent
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: Intel HD 4000 on PC; AMD Radeon Vega 8
Storage: 50 GB available space (SSD recommended)
OS: Windows 10/11 64-bit
Processor: Core i5-7300U 3.5 GHz / AMD Ryzen 3 3300U or better
Memory: 16 GB RAM or higher
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 / AMD R9 280 or equivalent DX11 GPU
VRAM: 4 GB VRAM
Storage: NVMe SSD is highly recommended for faster loading times.
Before fixing the issue, it helps to understand why a cartoon-style shooter requires so many gigabytes.
You might be wondering, "how long is a Fortnite download going to take if it's this big?" The size is driven by high-fidelity assets. Epic Games constantly adds new skins, map changes, and uncompressed audio files to the game.
Optimization vs. Compression: To make the game run smoother on lower-end CPUs, developers often leave audio and texture files uncompressed. This reduces the CPU load but increases how much space Fortnite takes up on your disk.
Cached Data: As you play, Fortnite caches shader data and other assets to prevent stuttering. Over time, this cache can grow significantly.
Frequent Updates: Every new season brings a massive patch. During the patching process, the launcher often needs extra temporary space to unpack files, meaning you might need 10-20 GB more than the final file size just to complete the update.
Here are 5 scenario-based solutions to free up space, ranging from simple settings tweaks to advanced partition management.
If you are seeing "Not Enough Space" errors, follow these steps.
If you are playing in a competitive setting or on a mid-range laptop, you do not need 4K textures. They consume nearly 20GB of space.
Step 1. Open the Epic Games Launcher. Go to your Library and find Fortnite.
Step 2. Click the three dots (...) next to the game title. Select Options.
Step 3. Uncheck High Resolution Textures and DirectX 12 Shaders (if you don't use DX12).
Step 4. Click Apply. The launcher will automatically delete these files, reducing the Fortnite download size instantly.
Your C drive is full, but your D drive has 500GB free. You don't want to redownload the whole game. Redownloading 50 GB+ of data is time-consuming. Instead, you can move the installed game (or other heavy apps) to a different drive without breaking the shortcut. For this, we use the AOMEI Partition Software.
AOMEI Partition Software is a comprehensive Windows disk management toolkit. Unlike the basic Windows Disk Management, it offers advanced features such as "App Mover," which safely transfers installed programs from one drive to another and automatically updates all registry links.
A free and reliable disk partition software that helps you resize partitions, migrate OS, convert disks, and optimize PC efficiently.
Click “Free up”, then select the “App Mover” feature.
In the new window, click “App Mover”. If you want to move folders, you can choose "Move Folders".
In the new window, you will see all partitions, and the number and size of installed programs on every partition will also be displayed. Select one partition where the target programs are stored and click "Next".
Choose the applications you want to move and select the target location, then click "Move".
In the pop-up window, you need to confirm forcibly closing running applications when moving starts. Click "OK" to begin the process.
Warning: To ensure the apps run properly during the move, please don't move or delete files by yourself in the source and target directories. Just leave it all to the software.
If you only have one C drive partition that is running out of space, but there is unallocated space or free space on the disk.
If you cannot move the game, the best option is to make your C drive bigger. Windows Disk Management often greys out the "Extend Volume" option if the free space isn't right next to the C drive. AOMEI Partition Software solves this with its "Allocate Free Space" or "Merge Partitions" features. It allows you to take free space from a data partition (like D:) and add it directly to C: without losing any data.
Step 1. Open AOMEI Partition Software. Right-click a partition that has plenty of free space (e.g., D: drive) and select "Allocate Free Space".
Step 2. In the pop-up window, type in how many gigabytes you want to move (e.g., 50GB).
Step 3. In the "From" drop-down, select the source (D:). In the "To" drop-down, select the target (C:).
Step 4. Click OK. You will see a preview of the new partition sizes. Click Apply in the top-left corner and then Proceed to commit the changes.
Note: The computer may need to restart to resize the system drive.
Scenario: You are on a laptop with no internal expansion slots.
If upgrading internal storage isn't an option, you can purchase an external SSD (Samsung T7 or SanDisk Extreme are good choices).
Step 1. Plug in the external SSD via USB 3.0 or USB-C. Open Epic Games Launcher.
Step 2. Uninstall Fortnite from your internal drive.
Step 3. Click Install, and when asked for the location, browse to your new External SSD.
Tip: Ensure the external drive is always plugged in before you open the launcher, or Epic Games might fail to recognize the installation.
Other Handy Functions of AOMEI Partition Software like
While we focused on storage, this software is a "Swiss Army Knife" for PC management:
Delete Large Files: Identifies huge, forgotten files (like old movie downloads) to free up Fortnite download space quickly.
Convert MBR to GPT: Essential if you want to upgrade to Windows 11, which is required for the best Fortnite performance.
In 2026, the answer to how big Fortnite is is nuanced. While the base game sits comfortably around 30-40 GB, the full experience with high-res assets can demand upwards of 90 GB. Ensuring your PC meets the system requirements is vital, but managing that storage is equally important.
Whether you choose to slim down the installation via the Epic Launcher or use powerful tools like AOMEI Partition Software to move apps, extend partitions, or upgrade disks, you now have a roadmap to solve your storage woes. Don't let a full disk stop you from dropping off the Battle Bus.
Q1: Why is my Fortnite 90 GB while my friend's is only 35 GB?
A: This is usually due to "High Resolution Textures." Your installation likely includes the 4K texture pack and "Save the World" content, whereas your friend likely only installed the core Battle Royale mode. You can modify this in the Epic Games Launcher options.
Q2: Can I run Fortnite on 4GB of RAM in 2026?
A: Technically, the game might launch, but it will be unplayable with severe stuttering and crashes. The absolute minimum is 8GB, but 16GB is the standard for a smooth experience on Windows 10/11 today.
Q3: How long is a Fortnite update download?
A: This depends on your internet speed. A typical seasonal update is 15-25 GB. On a 100 Mbps connection, this takes about 30-40 minutes. On a 1 Gbps fiber connection, it can take less than 5 minutes.
Q4: Will moving Fortnite to an external HDD cause lag?
A: It might increase loading times (getting into the match), but it shouldn't severely impact FPS once the game assets are loaded into RAM. However, an external SSD is strongly recommended over an HDD to prevent texture pop-in issues.
Q5: Does AOMEI Partition Software work on Windows 11?
A: Yes, AOMEI Partition Software is fully optimized for Windows 11, 10, 8.1, and 7. It fully supports the latest file systems and SSD technologies used in modern gaming PCs.