Gamers have been eagerly awaiting the release of Gran Turismo 5, but for those with a low-capacity PS3 or who have already filled up their hard drive, they’ll need to sacrifice a lot to get the game running at top speed.
As with most PS3 disc-based games, Gran Turismo 5 will prompt players to download an installation file to their hard drive in order to make the game run more smoothly. Typically, these files range from a few megabytes to around one gigabyte.
Gran Turismo’s install file, though, will be a whopping 10 GB. That’s more than half of the formatted memory on the lowest-capacity, 20 GB PS3 model. But it’s not exactly chump change for any of the other versions.
Sony has clarified that the file will be an optional install, but only those who opt for it will experience the game at its optimum performance. This makes it the biggest single download for the PS3 to date.
Gran Turismo 5 has been more than six years in the making. Fans of the series began wondering if it would ever actually be released. But on November 3, the game that Sony promises will be the most realistic driving simulator ever built for a video game, all those years will come to a head.
The game will also be one of the first, if not the very first, PS3 disc games to support full 3D resolution. So far the PS3 only has downloadable 3D titles and demos.
In the end, though, gamers will have to make a decision: experience GT5 in all its glory but sacrifice the PS3 hard drive, or get a less than optimal experience without needing to delete other files.
