PS4 updates and save data issue

Hi Guys, just a quick question regarding the PS4. I found out that despite having the physical disc, it downloads updates. For example Killzone had to update a 43.40GB data.. Why so?? Also another question is when my HDD gets full, if i were to delete a game, would that also erase my save data?
Thanks for the answers guys.

Comments

  • +3

    I found out that despite having the physical disc, it downloads updates. For example Killzone had to update a 43.40GB data.. Why so??

    For some reason, most likely for optimal performance of running a game, the first step the PS4 does when inserting the disc is to install it to the HDD. Games vary in size, like Killzone is 43.4GB, Batman Arkham Knight ~55GB, Assassins Creed Unity ~55GB, Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes ~4GB, Knack ~40GB etc (All coming from memory, so may be incorrect).

    This filesize includes the game install files, updates and DLC for a game.

    When my HDD gets full, if I were to delete a game, would that also erase my save data?

    No, you won't lose your data, they are separate. Game recordings are separate again. I would recommend going into Settings > System Storage Management, which gives a nice breakdown of this data, what games take up more space, and how much free space you have left. (http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps4/settings/stor…)

    • Hmm…I guess i can understand that they want to increase performance of the game but then what would be the difference between purchasing physical copies and digital? I know that physical you can resell them again but in terms of efficiency wouldnt digital be better? Im just assuming at this point but if i were to buy Knack for example, the size would be 40GB right? Same with the physical copy?

      That's good to know that both the save data and the game are different. But if someone were to play it again on my console, would they have to download the update again?

      Also just curious, if i had no internet connection, would i still be able to play the games since the updates requires internet connection?

      THanks for the explanation so far :)

      • +1

        yeah IMO this is bullshit and microsoft do it as well

        a bluray is what? 25-50Gb? you're effectively downloading the entire fscking game again

        i've heard some dev say that their update system is easier for them if you download the entire assets again but then it makes a mockey of the disc… in that case the disc holds NOTHING but the license to play the game

        its pretty pathetic IMO

        also then its pretty clear a 500Gb hdd isnt going to be that useful for the life of the console… that is 8-10 full size AAA games?

        Xbox I can forgive as it supports external hdd but what about Sony? IMO its a pain in the ass to backup and upgrade

        • I agree… i mean we should be given an option to download the whole game or just the essential updates like DLC and updates. If we didnt download the game to the HDD then yes the performance wont be optimum as if we were to download. At least we should hv the option to do so..

          I created a US account and most of the games bought are digital. So it does become an issue (or maybe not) that i were to download the game again if i were to delete it because of my HDD being full. Or perhaps there is a way to back up games like the PS Vita???

          So Sony doesnt support external HDD for extra storage??

        • @piggiepanda: I don't think they support external storage for installing games onto.

          And about the whole installing everything from the disc, I would guess like Where's_That_Cake mentioned below, it does make it easier for the devs, but I also think it's a repercussion (at least on Microsoft's side) of their controversial decision to make discs install the game to the HDD then the disc would be basically useless, which that decision was scrapped really quickly. Developers probably just stuck to that model, which was easier to develop for and had better performance for games.

        • @GoldPhoenix0: I doubt that mate, the PS3 was doing this as well as the 360 for many games. I recall MGS4 and TLoU doing it.

  • It's to save wear and tear on your bluray drive and faster loading speeds. The difference with disc and digital is obvious but I'll say it anyway, you don't need to download the game (updates yes, game data no) and you can resell the disc.

    • Just for an example Killzone takes up 43.4GB when using disc to download updates as you mentioned. Would the digital version have the same size though? 43.4GB for both updates and game data? Or would it be more than 43.4GB??

      Also, if i were to delete a game, would i have to re-download again?? Because if this is the case then it does take its toll on peoples internet connection especially those who arent on unlimited data plan (thankfully i am)..

      Is there no way to have a backup of the game like the PS Vita, where we wouldnt have to download again everytime we were to delete games/data??

      Im a real noob when it comes to the ps4. So sorry if the questions so noobish >.<

      • +1

        KZ would be 43.4GB in total.

        Yes, you'd have to redownload the game each time you deleted. You're seeing the advantage of disc now.

        Personally I usually buy disc unless it's a very cheap digital deal.

        • Sorry im a bit confused.
          I understand from what you told me that if i were to delete a "digital" game that i would have to redownload everything both game data and updates.

          So by having a disc, would that mean we wouldnt have to download the "updates" again each time we delete it?
          From what i've found so far is that after entering the disc for ex. KZ.. It starts downloading the updates. but when my internet was down it stopped??

          Would you know why? I understand if the game is being copied to the HDD from the disc which wouldnt be affected by internet connection. But since it is, does that mean that they're downloading the data from somewhere else??

  • Updating a game at 43G is insane! Are you sure you didn't misread it at 43MB? lolz!

    • I know right!!! Buy sadly No, i didnt misread. My 500GB HDD is halfway full just from updates from these games:

      Little Big Planet 3
      God of War remastered 3
      Killzone Shadow Fall
      Stick it
      Knack
      Final Fantasy Type-0 + FF15
      Monopoly

      All using disc except FF15..LOL

      • Holy XXXX. 43GB Update on a new game? That would have exceeded my old internet quota for the month. that is just idiotic.

        downloading the game from the blu ray to the hdd is one thing but FFS updates are just idiotic. I thought it was bad enough on the PS3 when I might have to put up with an occasional 1GB update, but that is insane.

        I remember when you could put the disc in and play. It is like we are going backwards. Remember the old "be kind rewind" vhs rage. I remember some Fast Forward skit where they invited friends over to watch a movie and they put it on and it is at the end, so they are apologising, and rewinding the tape, but it takes too long so the friends leave. That is what modern gaming is like now. You get a brand new game and think "Oh man I'm gonna play it". So you put it in then it downloads updates, then it installs, and by the time it is finished you've given up. It got to the point I'd have to plan the day before and get everything installed etc the day before. And just get used to never being in a hurry. And never try ask a friend who is over if they want to check out this game you just got - a very quiet and boring embarassing wait…

        • Just to clarify, you don't usually download the 43GB from the internet, it's installed from the disc and the update (which is downloaded from the internet) can vary from just a few MB to double digit GB (e.g. Evolve has had a couple of 13GB updates…). I'm just glad I have no worry for download quotas any more… just below average download/upload speeds.

        • @GoldPhoenix0: yeah this guy doesn't get it at all. It's not a 43GB update. It's the friggin game install from disc to HDD. Updates are often 2-3GB but usually 100mb or so but never 43GB.

        • @GoldPhoenix0: I could be wrong but i dont think its installed from the disc. I read somewhere (might be reddit) that once you insert the disc and it starts downloading/update, you can eject the disc and it'll still continue. Wouldnt this mean that its not installed from the disc?

        • @Where's_That_Cake: You may be right, i dont get it hence why i'd like to know. Because when i insert the disc and starts to install, the "update" appears on the download section. As mentioned to GoldPhoenix0, if the friggin game was installed from disc to HDD then why is it possible to eject the disc when the downloading/update/installing is happening?

        • @piggiepanda: It's just how Sony have it set up, I too have noticed this once or twice but noticed that these updates take no more than an hour or two and I only have a 20mb line so its impossible to download those kind of figures in that time.

        • @Where's_That_Cake: I cant tell you for sure how fast my line is but for me, i had to wait 1 day so that Killzone would finish updating. I believe i had to wait 3-4 hours for Knack and 1-2 hours for Monopoly to finish updating/downloading..
          One game in particular, "stick it" didnt require any update/download. I could just stick the game in and play straight away.

          I just like to figure out what does the "update/downloading/installing" actually refer to that's all. =D

        • @piggiepanda: Best way to figure out what it is doing is to disconnect your PS4 from the internet and put in a disc. I bet that 100% of the time, it'll still install the game and it can be played (bugs and all without them day one/future patches).

          Also, for the installing of games to the HDD from disc or digitally, Sony has implemented a "Play before it is fully downloaded/installed" feature to try and get you into the game asap. Once the game is first inserted, the PS4 will start downloading any updates it can find to help the process be smooth. I would guess that ejecting the disc during the installation would pause the install (bar the file/s you just corrupted by interrupting the installation process which are most likely deleted). Once the game has installed enough to the PS4, you can play it even without installing the update, since it does give you a nice fancy "Start Application without update" button to jump straight into the game.

          It all depends on the developer themselves on how they decide this process. Most of the time they want to give the best performance for the player while playing their game… which doesn't surprise me considering just how much of a fuss everyone was having about 1080p vs 960p "who has the best graphics" debate. Games like "Stick it to the Man" was a small indie title where the aim wasn't to push the current limits of the console, so streaming all the game content from the disc probably wasn't a huge hurdle to face. There is a lot of thought which goes into things like this, and although it is a inconvenience to some, I guess that is just the price to pay for the experience at the end.

  • Finally got a PS4. And you are right. Have screenshots. I stuck in The Evil Within, and although it gives the option to install without downloading updates, it first starts downloading a 4.6GB update…

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