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Baldur's Gate 3 > Guides > アンジェル's Guides
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Update Baldur's Gate 3 with low Storage Space
By アンジェル
Low on storage space and having trouble updating Baldur's Gate 3? A USB-stick can help!
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Created by
アンジェル
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Category: Modding or Configuration
Languages: English
Posted
Nov 2, 2023 @ 8:28am
2,289 Unique Visitors
33 Current Favorites
Guide Index
Overview
What is the problem? 
How to Solve it 
HDD vs. USB 
Other Patch/Update Related Guides 
Comments
What is the problem?


Updating Baldur's Gate 3 can be rather finicky, owing to the game's architectural intricacies.

In contrast to other games, it is more like that the game is performing a complete reinstallation rather than merely overwriting files, as one might anticipate during the patching process. This can give rise to complications when updating the game, particularly if the available free space on the storage drive housing Baldur's Gate 3 falls short of what is required for a fresh installation.



Despite the new patch being approximately 14 GB in size, the game insists on a reinstallation, demanding around 153 GB free space to accommodate the existing files alongside 14 GB for the new 14 GB introduced by the patch. Although this storage space usage is only transient, it remains a crucial requirement for the updater.
How to Solve it
The majority of players can conveniently overlook the matter, either due to an absence of initial storage space constraints or the presence of a high-speed internet connection at their disposal. Regrettably, I do not enjoy such a privilege, and given that downloading the complete game takes a minimum of two full days, undertaking a complete re-download of the game is not a viable option for me.

Nonetheless, this predicament can be easily resolved.
All that is required is an additional storage drive at your disposal, and a USB-stick can serve as a suitable solution!

Step 1 - Move the Game

Open Steam Settings from the main menu of Steam



Go to the Storage tab

If you have not done it yet, Add Drive on another storage drive, which can be a USB-Stick and create a new Steam Library folder on that other storage drive.



Then select Baldur's Gate 3 and move the game to the new added storage drive with enough space (360 GB free space minimum / 400 GB recommended)





Important

It is imperative to designate the storage drive with the greatest amount of available free space as your default Steam Library drive for the process. Steam will initially download the update files onto this storage drive before proceeding to apply them to the game.



Step 2 - Let the Baldur's Gate 3 Upater do its thing



Final Step - Move it Back

With the update all done, you can now move the game back to its original location. That was it.
By adopting this approach, you can update the game even when faced with limited space on your swiftest storage drive, making use of a slower storage drive for the update.
HDD vs. USB
If your PC boasts a speedy USB controller and you possess a fast USB-stick (3.1 or faster), having the game installed permanently on a USB drive could prove to be more advantageous than running the game from a HDD. This choice can result in a reduction of loading times by approximately 70% and a notable decrease in stutters. It is advisable to consider acquiring an internal NVMe SSD for optimal performance.