Why Does Xbox One Take So Long To Download Games

Why Xbox One Takes So Long To Download Games
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Why does it take so long to install a game? Game installs depend on how fast a drive can transfer files. The maximum data transfer rate for the Xbox One disc drive is currently 54 Mbps. If you think your game is installing too slowly, see Troubleshoot slow game or app downloads on Xbox One. For Xbox One on the Xbox One, a GameFAQs message board topic titled 'Why do games take so long to install on the xbox one?' This is the only reason why all the optical disk based games on Xbox One install like their digital counterparts. I have a moderate 8Mbps Internet connection and it took me more than 3 hours to install a game with updates.

We wanted to test the install times of both new consoles, so we plugged a PS4 into an Xbox One's TV input and watched them race to install a game. You can see in our video, there's a big difference in the two systems.

Both the Xbox One and PS4 require all games to be installed from the disc, due to the increasing size of games and the relatively low speed of optical drives. So both consoles have a feature that allows you to launch a game as soon as enough content is installed to begin running it, while the rest of the data continues to install in the background. Our test was how long it takes to launch the game from the time you insert a disc, with a normal console connected to the internet.

We tested six multiplatform games on both consoles and every time, the PS4 was under a minute while the Xbox One install was several minutes long and required downloading an update before beginning the installation. When you include downloading those updates for each Xbox One game that happen in the background on PS4, the install times can get as high as fifteen minutes before you can even launch the game.

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Remember that this is only a test of how long the games initially take to install. Once the games are fully installed, they take about the same amount of time to boot up on either console.

So here's the general idea: You put in a game to install it, a progress bar comes up, and at some point you can launch the game and start playing while it keeps installing.

On PS4, after inserting a disc, you'll be shown a progress bar that ends when you're able to launch the game, and if there's a day-one update, it downloads in the background, and you can install it when you want to play online or whatever the case may be for that update.

On Xbox One, you insert a disc and are shown a progress bar showing the percentage of the full installation, and when enough is installed to run the game, you'll see a message that says 'Ready to Start!' The only difference is that the installation from the disc doesn't seem to start until you've downloaded and installed the update.

Now, there's another big difference here. Both consoles will let you know when the game is ready to launch. But once you get into the game, some parts may not be finished installing. For ACIV and Battlefield 4, that would mean the multiplayer modes (on both platforms). However, it seems that Xbox One lets you launch a game even before some singleplayer content is ready. I tested this with Madden 25 on Xbox One. Once the game was 'ready to start' most modes like Connected Franchise or Practice were locked off until the game was completely installed. However, after installing the same game on PS4, those modes were playable after the initial install, which took 38 seconds.

We tested Assassin's Creed IV on two different Xbox Ones, and had the same issue, resulting in standing in that beautiful Animus loading void while it installed the last bits of singleplayer content required to start the story. Although in that case it only required a couple of extra minutes to get those modes. Unlike Madden, the full disc didn't need to be installed. On both consoles, the game has a timer or progress meter in the main menu telling you the progress of the full install. So at least you aren't left blindly guessing when you'll be able to play.

Since all of the games we were testing required an update, we factored this into our times. On the PS4, they happened in the background and didn't affect our ability to install or begin the game, while on Xbox One, the installation from disc wouldn't begin until after the update finished.

I was using an Xbox One connected via Wi-Fi, getting about 9-11Mbps download speed, so we ran a test with another Xbox on a faster internet connection installing Assassin's Creed IV to see how much of a difference that could make in downloading the update. To give you an idea of the time difference the 300-500MB updates added, we tested installing Assassin's Creed IV on two consoles with the internet disconnected.

How Long Until You Can First Play A Game On PS4 And Xbox One

[Since this has been asked in the comments a lot: We recorded these times with the consoles hooked up normally. Even though having the PS4 plugged into the Xbox shouldn't affect anything, we only did that for the video]

Assassin's Creed IV:
Xbox One (offline, no update): 5 minutes 50 seconds
Xbox One (with update, fastest connection): 7 minutes 2 seconds
Xbox One (with update, 10Mbps connection): 10 minutes 32 seconds
PS4: 42 seconds

The rest of these were tested on our office Wi-Fi which is around 9-11Mbps. It may have been faster on a wired connection, but you can compare your own connection speed here. These are our results:

Need For Speed Rivals:
XBO: 09:25 (including update)
PS4: 00:32

Just Dance 2014:
XBO: 08:48 (including update)
PS4: 00:45

NBA Live 14:
XBO: 16:26 (including update)
PS4: 00:35

FIFA 14:
XBO: 16:06 (including update)
PS4: 00:34

Madden 25:
XBO: 9:38 (including update)
PS4: 00:38

Do you have an Xbox One or PS4? Time a test, and let us know what you get. Include your internet speed, and make sure to note any other important information. Like if you timed from putting the disc in to launching the game, or actually getting to gameplay, or some other metric.

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My Xbox One was taking 8-12 hours to install a game.

I thought it may have been a faulty console, but I had the shop replace it, and it still takes as long.

Why Xbox One Takes So Long To Download Games

Star Wars: Battlefront has taken 10 hours to reach 36%. I am use to PlayStation; is this normal for an Xbox One?

user106385

BettyBetty

2 Answers

Your internet speed is likely at fault here.

I have just installed the game, and here are my observations:

It took about 30-45 minutes to install enough of the game to run, on an Xbox Elite console. Regular consoles may take a little longer, as the elites solid state drive performs faster, allowing quicker install and loading times.
As of 1/4/2016, Battlefront requires approximately 8.5 GB of updates. This accounts for patches, as well as new content; There is at least one map (The Battle for Jaku) that was released as a free DLC, that was not immediately available with release. This took about an hour, for me. However, I have a fast cable internet connection, for where I live.
The reported percentage on the Xbox Dashboard appears to be the percentage of game installed directly from the disc. When the Xbox reported '42% complete', Battlefront reported '12% complete'.
Both progress bars are in no way designed to progress smoothly. I had several pauses, before the bar would jump anywhere from 5% to 30% ahead of itself. I speculate that the bar represents chunks of varying sizes, so 5 updates would individually account for 20%, even if one update was considerably larger (and took a far greater time) than the other.
At approximately 42% installed, you can actually play Battlefront. However, until you have completed the install, you are limited to a game of Darth Vader vs The Rebels. At this point, however, you can confirm that the game actually runs. Furthermore, as I said before, your given a more accurate progress bar in game.

What if I have extremely slow internet, and wish to forgo the update?