NieR: Automata is asking some Steam players for 366GB, and Square Enix has a temporary workaround
An update to NieR: Automata has left some Steam players facing an unexpectedly large storage requirement when installing the game. Square Enix has acknowledged the problem and offered a way to download the base game while it works on a fix.
Players and outlets have reported an installation requirement of around 366GB, far above the 50GB listed on the game's Steam store page. GamesRadar reported seeing the 366.56GB figure when it tried to reinstall the game. That number describes the space Steam requested for that installation, not a confirmed new permanent size for every player's copy.
The November 6 update was intended to add Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese and Korean language support. Square Enix says it is investigating why the installation now asks for more storage than intended; it has not announced a date for a fix.
Image: Square Enix / PlatinumGames
Square Enix suggests installing the base game without DLC
In a Steam announcement, the publisher says players can temporarily uncheck each DLC item in the game's properties to download the base game using the intended amount of storage.
Image: Square Enix / PlatinumGames
To find the setting, open your Steam library, right-click NieR: Automata, choose Properties, and select DLC. Uncheck the listed add-ons before starting the base-game download. This is a temporary route around the installation issue, and it means those add-ons are not included in that download.
If you want to play with DLC immediately, waiting for the publisher's fix is another option. Square Enix has not said in its workaround announcement that every add-on can be re-enabled without encountering the problem again, so players should check for an update before assuming it has been resolved.
Image: Square Enix / PlatinumGames
A storage check is different from a game's final size
The inflated number can be especially awkward on a handheld or a PC with limited free space, because an installer can refuse to proceed when it cannot meet its space check. It does not by itself establish that hundreds of gigabytes of new content were added to the game.
The store's published system requirements still list 50GB of available storage. That is a useful point of comparison, but the number Steam asks for during a particular installation can differ from a store-page requirement. The issue may not present identically for everyone, depending on their installation and selected add-ons.
The developer has not publicly confirmed the technical cause in its notice. For now, the reliable steps are to try the DLC workaround if downloading the base game is enough, or wait for the next official update. Check the game's Steam news page before installing later, as the status of the fix could change.
