Fallout Co-Creator Explains Why Modern Games Take Up So Much Disk Space

The size of modern video games continues to grow at an alarming rate, and for many players this has already become a serious issue. Fallout co-creator and industry veteran Tim Cain explained why installs measuring hundreds of gigabytes have become the norm, and what changes in game development over the past decades have led to this trend.

According to Cain, one of the main reasons is the evolution of display technology. Monitors have become larger and now support much higher resolutions, which directly affects data size. Every object in a 3D game is covered in textures, and to look good on modern displays those textures have to be increasingly detailed and heavy. The same applies to character models and environments.

Another major factor, Cain says, is the race toward higher frame rates. The jump from 60 to 120 FPS—and now even discussions of 240 FPS—requires more complex and detailed animations, especially in multiplayer games where every millisecond of input latency matters.

However, Cain points out that the biggest contributor to massive install sizes is still the visual side of games. According to him, art assets—textures, models, animations, and visual effects—remain the primary reason modern games continue to grow in size.

Notably, Tim Cain has recently made a full return to the video game industry. The acclaimed developer has joined Obsidian Entertainment and is already working on a new project.