Phantom Blade Zero Pre-Loads Need 300GB of SSD Space as Early Reviews Arrive

Phantom Blade Zero launches October 29 on PC and PlayStation 5, and S-Game's parting advice for PC players is a storage audit: the game installs at roughly 145GB, but pre-loading it requires at least 300GB of free SSD space, per PC Gamer.

"The game is approximately 145 GB. Please reserve at least 300 GB of free disk space for the pre-load process," the developer posted on X — the extra headroom covers temporary decompression while the pre-load unpacks, after which the install settles at its final size.

The requirement lands alongside S-Game's updated PC specs, and they're friendlier than the storage ask: minimum is a GTX 1660 or RX 5500 XT with an i7-8700K for 1080p at 30 fps with upscaling, while recommended is an RTX 3060 Ti or RX 6700 XT for 1440p at 60 fps. Ray tracing and path tracing are disabled across both tiers, and an SSD is mandatory either way.

The details

• Launch: October 29 on PC and PS5
• Install: ~145GB final, 300GB free space needed for PC pre-load; SSD required
• Specs: GTX 1660 / i7-8700K minimum (1080p30 upscaled); RTX 3060 Ti / Ryzen 5 5600X recommended (1440p60 upscaled); ray tracing off in both tiers
• Reception: GamesRadar+ calls it "a GOTY contender with combat that looks as good as it feels"

How are critics rating it?

Early reviews skew strongly positive. GamesRadar+'s review praises the combat outright, Push Square's roundup frames it as another game of the year contender, and the PC version is being called a solid port — with the game's Metacritic reportedly running ahead of fellow 2026 action releases Onimusha: Way of the Sword and Nioh 3. Not everyone is sold: Eurogamer's Emma Kent found the fluid, cinematic kung fu undercut by underwhelming boss fights and rough polish.

The combat doing the heavy lifting is the system we broke down yesterday — boss-claimed weapons that double as exploration keys — and for anyone holding out for a disc, the physical PS5 release lands in 2027.

Why it matters

Phantom Blade Zero is a major test for Chinese action games in the global premium market, and the early signals — strong reviews, a competent port — are the ones that matter. The 300GB pre-load is a one-day inconvenience, but it arrives while SSD prices are climbing on AI-driven memory demand, which makes "clear a third of a terabyte" a real ask. The space comes back after launch day. The habit of games demanding it probably won't.