If there's one game that needs no introduction, it's Genshin Impact. HoYoverse's free-to-play action RPG took the gaming world by storm when it made its debut in September 2020. Despite some mixed pre-release reception, it ended up generating a shocking $3.8 billion in revenue by the end of 2022, making it the most successful first year on the market for any game ever made. What made Genshin Impact's launch even more impressive, though, was that it accomplished that when it wasn't playable on all platforms. When the game initially came out, it was only playable on PlayStation 4, iOS, Android, and Windows PCs, with no Xbox and Switch versions available.
More than four years later, however, Genshin Impact is finally coming to Xbox consoles. During Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024, HoYoverse announced that the hit gacha game would make its way to Xbox Series X/S and Xbox Game Pass on November 20, 2024. Considering that the Chinese developer had never released a game on a Microsoft console before, this was a pretty big deal. Genshin Impact will likely attract a big audience on Xbox Series X/S, but its surprisingly large file size on the platform may discourage some people from downloading it. Games with high storage space requirements have become a pretty common occurrence on Xbox over the last few years, and Genshin Impact is sadly continuing this trend.
Genshin Impact Has a Very High File Size on Xbox Consoles
Genshin Impact's 100 GB Storage Space Requirement is Larger than Other HoYoverse Games
Genshin Impact may be a free-to-play title, but it is filled to the brim with content. In fact, according to HowLongToBeat, it takes players around 676 hours to complete everything in the game, at least when playing solo. Taking this into account, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Genshin Impact has some fairly hefty storage space requirements. On mobile phones, the game can take up to 31 GB of space. Meanwhile, on PC, PlayStation, and now Xbox, it has a file size of more than 100 GB. Since Genshin Impact is a constantly-evolving game, it's likely that its storage space requirements will become even higher in the future.
Other HoYoverse games have large file sizes as well, but compared to Genshin Impact, they're far smaller. Honkai: Star Rail, for instance, takes up about 14 to 18 GB on iOS/Android, and 30+ GB on PC and PS5. Zenless Zone Zero, on the other hand, has a 55-57 GB storage space requirement on PC and PlayStation, but is only 20 GB on Android devices. The iOS version of the game is slightly larger than its Android counterpart, as it requires around 26 GB of space. Honkai: Star Rail and Zenless Zone Zero are most likely smaller than Genshin Impact due to them being relatively new releases, but it doesn't change the fact that GI's file size is a hard pill to swallow.
Several Recent Xbox Games Have Had Unusually High File Sizes
Although Genshin Impact's storage space requirement is really high on Xbox consoles, there are some other games that have even larger download sizes. The upcoming Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl has a 146 GB file size on Xbox Series X/S, while the recent Xbox port of Final Fantasy 14 requires more than 106 GB of storage. Additionally, there are a couple of titles that have bigger download sizes on Xbox consoles than any other platform. Take, for example, the recent Assassin's Creed Syndicate 60 FPS update. On Xbox Series X/S, it requires roughly 31.8 GB of space, but on PS5, it only has a size of 0.75 GB.
It's not exactly clear why some of these games have such high storage requirements on Xbox consoles, but regardless, they're likely to frustrate a lot of players on the platform. Approximately 50% of all current-gen Xbox owners in the US have a Series S. Since the Xbox Series S is an all-digital console and has limited internal storage compared to the Xbox Series X (at least in the case of its 512 GB launch model), downloading a 100 GB game like Genshin Impact will be a hassle for most players on the system.
Genshin Impact
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 87%
- Released
- September 28, 2020
- ESRB
- Teen / Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items), Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- HoYoverse (Formerly miHoYo)
- Publisher(s)
- HoYoverse (Formerly miHoYo)
WHERE TO PLAY
Step into Teyvat, a vast world teeming with life and flowing with elemental energy.
You and your sibling arrived here from another world. Separated by an unknown god, stripped of your powers, and cast into a deep slumber, you now awake to a world very different from when you first arrived.
Thus begins your journey across Teyvat to seek answers from The Seven — the gods of each element. Along the way, prepare to explore every inch of this wondrous world, join forces with a diverse range of characters, and unravel the countless mysteries that Teyvat holds...
MASSIVE OPEN WORLD
Climb any mountain, swim across any river, and glide over the world below, taking in the jaw-dropping scenery each step of the way. And if you stop to investigate a wandering Seelie or strange mechanism, who knows what you might discover?
ELEMENTAL COMBAT SYSTEM
Harness the seven elements to unleash elemental reactions. Anemo, Electro, Hydro, Pyro, Cryo, Dendro, and Geo interact in all sorts of ways, and Vision wielders have the power to turn this to their advantage.
Will you vaporize Hydro with Pyro, electro-charge it with Electro, or freeze it with Cryo? Your mastery of the elements will give you the upper hand in battle and exploration.
BEAUTIFUL VISUALS
Feast your eyes on the world around you, with a stunning art style, real-time rendering, and finely tuned character animations delivering you a truly immersive visual experience. Lighting and weather all change naturally over time, bringing every detail of this world to life.
SOOTHING SOUNDTRACK
Let the beautiful sounds of Teyvat draw you in as you explore the expansive world around you. Performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the soundtrack changes seamlessly with the time and gameplay to match the mood.
BUILD YOUR DREAM TEAM
Team up with a diverse cast of characters in Teyvat, each with their own unique personalities, stories, and abilities. Discover your favorite party combinations and level up your characters to help you conquer even the most daunting of enemies and domains.
JOURNEY WITH FRIENDS
Team up with friends across various platforms to trigger more elemental action, tackle tricky boss fights, and conquer challenging domains together to reap rich rewards.
As you stand atop the peaks of Jueyun Karst and take in the rolling clouds and vast terrain stretching out before you, you may wish to stay in Teyvat a little longer... But until you are reunited with your lost sibling, how can you rest? Go forth, Traveler, and begin your adventure!
- Engine
- Unity
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- All platforms
- Cross Save
- All platforms
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, iOS, Android
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Action, Adventure, Gacha, Open-World
- X|S Optimized
- yes
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
