One of the biggest problems with modern gaming is that it's too big. The built-in storage space of PS5 really feels insufficient, and just 3-4 games are enough to fill it up. The smallest version of the SSD built into the PS5 console is 825GB, and the actual available space is only 667GB.
Developers like Arrowhead have found ingenious ways to reduce the size of their games, such as the PC version of Deadpool 2, but sadly, 100GB masterpieces are now the norm. That being said, Sony may have found a clever way around this problem.
According to TechSpot, Sony has applied for a new patent called "asset streaming", which can significantly reduce file size.
Sony stresses that the technology is not an extension of cloud gaming, but it appears to be a compromise between traditional local downloads and cloud streaming, offering the best of both worlds—provided the user has a good network.
You can see how it works in the image below. In short, you just download the executable code and some of the "core" resources needed to launch the game, either through an online store or on a physical disc, which may only be around 100MB.
The core logic of the game is stored locally, but as the game progresses, higher-quality assets are pulled over the Internet, ensuring you don't run into the usual headaches of streaming.
Essentially, you can download individual parts of the game as needed, rather than storing everything on your hard drive at once.
This is not a perfect solution
Since this technology relies on a very stable network connection, it may not be a perfect solution for online games like Fortnite and Call of Duty, as it will affect your ping just like any other download. Online service-based games are often the main reason for large file sizes, which is undoubtedly a tricky problem for Sony, but this technology can at least reduce the burden of single-player games so that you can still play them.
Of course, this is just a patent, and Sony may not eventually apply this technology to games, but it at least shows that PlayStation is aware of the problem of excessively large game files and needs to take measures to reduce file sizes. Another patent aimed at solving this problem was filed in 2025, showing that gamers aren't the only ones unhappy with games that take up a lot of hard drive space.
