Game Download Speed Calculator
Massive games shouldn’t mean massive wait times. Select your game or enter a custom file size below to calculate exactly how long your download will take.
Game Download
Speed Calculator
How long will it take to download your favourite games? Enter your broadband speed and find out instantly.
Select Your Game
Your Broadband Speed
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Download times are calculated at your entered speed. Actual times may be 10–20% longer depending on network conditions and time of day.
See How Speed Makes a Difference
Download time for your game at different broadband speeds
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Enter your postcode to discover which broadband packages and speed tiers are available where you live.
How to Use the Game Download Time Calculator
Waiting for a massive 150GB game to install can ruin a weekend if your broadband isn’t up to the task. Our game speed calculator takes the guesswork out of your evening.
Here is how to get your estimate:
- Choose a Game: Click on one of our popular presets (like Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 or Baldur’s Gate 3) to automatically load its average over-the-wire download size.
- Or Enter a Custom Size: Downloading an indie title or a massive DLC update? Type your exact file size in Gigabytes (GB) into the custom field.
- Select Your Speed: Choose your current internet speed from the options, or hit ‘Custom’ to type in your exact Mbps.
- See Your Results: The calculator will instantly show you how long the download will take, and visually compare your wait time against faster broadband tiers so you can see exactly what you might be missing out on.
Why Do Mega-Hits Take So Long to Download?
If you feel like downloads are taking longer than they used to, you aren’t imagining things. Just a few years ago, a 40GB game was considered massive. Today, titans like Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 / Warzone can demand upwards of 175GB, and Red Dead Redemption 2 sits securely at 120GB.
The biggest point of confusion for most gamers is the difference between file size and internet speed:
- File sizes are measured in Megabytes (MB) or Gigabytes (GB).
- Broadband speeds are measured in Megabits per second (Mbps) or Gigabits per second (Gbps).
Because there are 8 bits in every byte, a “100 Mbps” broadband connection does not download 100 Megabytes a second, it downloads roughly 12.5 Megabytes a second. If you aren’t a human calculator, doing the math on a 175GB file is a nightmare. That’s exactly why we built this tool.
What's a Good Download Speed for Gaming?
While standard fibre (around 35-60Mbps) is fine for everyday streaming, modern gamers are increasingly switching to Full-Fibre (FTTP) connections to handle these gigantic game files. Full-fibre speeds typically start at 150Mbps and can reliably hit 1.1Gbps – or even a staggering 7Gbps with specialist providers like YouFibre.
But sheer download speed isn’t the only thing that matters for smooth gameplay. If you want to dive into the technical details of latency, ping, and upload speeds, check out our comprehensive guide on What is a Good Broadband Speed for Gaming?
Stop Waiting, Start Playing
If your current broadband is leaving you stuck on a loading screen for 10 hours while your squad is already playing online, it’s probably time for an upgrade.
As a savvy saver, you shouldn’t have to overpay for ultrafast speeds. Whether you need a simple 150Mbps upgrade or the ultimate 1Gbps gigabit connection, Switchity makes it easy to find a package that perfectly balances performance and budget.
Ready to make download anxiety a thing of the past? Compare the Best Gaming Broadband Deals in Your Area.
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Game Download Speed Calculator
Frequently Asked Questions
How accurate is this game download calculator?
Our calculator provides a mathematically exact estimate based on uninterrupted, peak network performance. However, real-world download times can fluctuate slightly.
Factors like network congestion during peak evening hours, Wi-Fi interference, or heavily congested game servers on launch day (like trying to download the new Call of Duty the minute it releases) can slow things down.
For the most accurate and stable results, we highly recommend plugging your console or PC directly into your router using an Ethernet cable.
Why is my game download slower than my speed test results?
If your speed test says 100Mbps but your console says it is downloading at 12MB/s, nothing is actually broken! Internet providers measure speed in Megabits per second (Mbps), while game launchers (like Steam or PlayStation) measure file sizes in Megabytes (MB).
Because there are 8 bits in a byte, you need to divide your Mbps speed by 8 to get your actual MB/s download speed.
How can I make my PS5 or Xbox download games faster?
The single best way to speed up console downloads is to connect your console directly to your router using an Ethernet cable rather than relying on Wi-Fi. Also, make sure to close any active games you have suspended in the background.
Both the PS5 and Xbox Series X automatically throttle download speeds if a game is currently running to ensure smooth gameplay!
Does pausing and resuming a game download make it faster?
Sometimes, yes! Pausing and resuming a download forces your console or PC to reconnect to the game server. If the server you were originally connected to was congested with traffic, pausing and unpausing might connect you to a fresh, faster data node. However, this is just a quick fix, the ultimate solution is upgrading your broadband package.
Is 150Mbps full-fibre broadband fast enough for gaming?
Yes, absolutely. 150Mbps is an excellent baseline for modern gaming. It will download a massive 100GB game in roughly an hour and a half, whereas standard copper broadband (around 35Mbps) would take nearly seven hours.
If you play a lot of massive AAA titles like Call of Duty, you may want to look into 500Mbps or 1Gbps deals for ultimate convenience.
Why do video games have such massive file sizes now?
Modern games feature incredibly high-resolution 4K textures, uncompressed audio files, massive open worlds, and cinematic cutscenes.
While developers try to compress these files so the initial download over your broadband is smaller, you still need a fast internet connection and a large SSD to rapidly download and unpack the heavy data required for modern gaming.
Do I need an expensive "Gaming Broadband" package?
Not necessarily! You do not need to pay a premium for broadband marketed specifically “for gamers.” As long as you choose a reliable Full-Fibre (FTTP) package with speeds of 150Mbps or higher, you will get the fast download times and low ping you need.
Use our postcode checker to compare standard full-fibre deals in your area, you can often secure gigabit speeds ranging from £22-£30 per month dependent on postcode.