If you logged into Honkai Star Rail after the latest maintenance ended and got hit with surprise storage error pop-ups, you’re not the only one. Thousands of players rushed to download the latest patch only to realize they didn’t have enough free space left on their device. If you’re wondering how big is the new Honkai Star Rail update, we’ve broken down all the details you need to know before you hit the download button, from platform-specific sizes to common mistakes that can break your install.
How Big Is the New Honkai Star Rail Update Across All Platforms?
The exact download size depends on two factors: what platform you play on, and whether you’re downloading an incremental patch or the full game. Incremental updates are only available if you have the immediately prior patch installed; if you skipped one or more previous updates, you’ll have to download the full game file instead. For most players who keep their game up to date, the sizes are as follows.
PC players will need 3.2 GB for the incremental patch, or 12.7 GB for the full game download. Mobile players have slightly smaller sizes: Android users need 2.7 GB for incremental, 8.9 GB for full, while iOS users need 2.9 GB for incremental, 9.4 GB for full. PS5 players will see the largest incremental patch at 3.8 GB, or 11.2 GB for the full game install. No matter what platform you use, make sure you have at least 15 GB of extra free space before you start downloading, even if the incremental patch is much smaller. The game needs extra room to unpack and install files, and insufficient space is the top cause of failed installs.
What Content Is Included In This Update That Makes It So Large?
One of the first questions players ask after learning how big is the new Honkai Star Rail update is what exactly they’re getting for all that storage space. This patch is one of the largest content drops of the year, with dozens of new features, story content, and quality of life changes packed into the download. The biggest file size contributors are as follows:
Most of the update size comes from high-resolution cutscenes that you can opt to skip downloading on mobile if you want to save space. If you don’t care about 4K cutscene quality, you can select the low-res asset option during install to cut your mobile download size by almost 40%. You can always download the high-res cutscenes later if you change your mind, so this is a great option for players who are tight on storage.
Common Installation Errors To Avoid When Downloading The Update
I made the mistake of trying to download this update on my phone while I was out running errands on 5G, and it failed halfway through when my connection dropped, forcing me to restart the whole 3 GB download from scratch. If you’ve checked how big is the new Honkai Star Rail update and cleared just enough space to fit the listed download size, you might still run into unexpected errors if you don’t follow a few basic rules.
First, don’t download the update on mobile data if you have a limited plan, and make sure you’re connected to a stable Wi-Fi network. Dropped connections are the second most common cause of failed installs, and some mobile carriers will throttle large downloads mid-process. Second, if you get a “storage full” error even when you have enough space listed, clear cached files from your social media or browser apps first. Devices often reserve hidden space for cached content that won’t show up in your main storage summary. Never close the game mid-install, even if the progress bar looks like it’s frozen for 5 to 10 minutes. That pause at 90% is just the game unpacking files, and forcing a close can corrupt your entire install, meaning you’ll have to redownload the full 10+ GB game to fix it.
Is The New Update Worth The Extra Storage Space?
This is a fair question, especially if you have to delete old apps or photos to make room for the patch. For most players, the answer is a resounding yes, but there are a few cases where you might want to hold off for a week or two. The new rogue-like game mode is extremely replayable, and I’ve already earned 12 free Stellar Jade pulls from it in the first 3 days of playing. The new 5-star Preservation character also fits into almost every team comp, making it much easier to clear high-level Forgotten Hall and Pure Fiction stages if you’ve been stuck on them for a while.
If you only play 10 to 15 minutes a day just to complete your dailies, you might not get through all the new content for weeks, so you can wait to update if you’re really tight on storage. Some older Android devices (4+ years old) also report minor performance drops after the update, so you might want to check community forums first to see if other players with your device model are having issues before you download. You can’t access any online features until you install the update, though, so if you want to claim limited-time event rewards, you’ll have to make space eventually. The limited-time event for this patch gives out a free 4-star character and exclusive light cone, so it’s worth making space if you don’t want to miss those rewards.
Now that you know how big is the new Honkai Star Rail update, you can plan ahead before you start your download. If you have enough free space, it’s absolutely worth jumping in right away – this is one of the most fun content drops HoYoverse has released for the game so far, with something for both casual and hardcore players to enjoy. If you’re tight on space, use the low-res asset option on mobile or clear out a few unused apps to make room. Either way, don’t wait too long to download, because the limited-time event rewards will only be available for another 3 weeks.
