Is deleting a game really the same as uninstalling it?

Hey friend! If you‘re an avid gamer like me, you know the struggle of managing your console or gaming PC‘s limited storage space as your library grows. With some titles taking up over 100GB nowadays, space fills up fast!

Sooner or later, you‘ll face the tough decision of removing games you no longer play to make room for hot new releases. But is it fine to just delete games to quickly free up space? Or should you take the time to fully uninstall them instead?

As a lifelong gamer and tech geek, I‘ve tested this myself across various platforms. And I can tell you from experience – deleting and uninstalling games are definitely not the same thing under the hood!

In this guide, we‘ll take a deep dive into what actually happens when you delete vs uninstall games. I‘ll also share some best practices to keep your storage optimized for your favorite titles without losing hard-earned save data.

Let‘s jump in!

What exactly happens when you uninstall a game?

First, what does it mean to "uninstall" a game?

Uninstalling completely removes the game file itself along with all associated data on your device, including:

• Save files
• Configuration files
• DLC and extra content
• Cached data used to quick load levels
• Temporary files created during gameplay

Essentially, it wipes the game back to a clean factory state.

According to the gaming experts at IGN, "When you uninstall a game, it removes the game from your hard drive but leaves your save files intact."

So in most cases, uninstalling not only deletes the core game install, but scrubs your system of all traces that the game ever existed in the first place!

On PlayStation 4 for example, you can uninstall games directly from the dashboard by going to Settings > Storage > Applications. This completely deletes the game as if you never downloaded it.

The only way to get the game back is to re-download it fresh from the PlayStation Store, and start over from scratch. Make sure to backup any saves you care about keeping!

Is deleting game files the same as fully uninstalling them?

Now, what happens if you simply delete a game‘s files or shortcuts rather than formally uninstalling through the system menu?

Deleting a game‘s executable files or shortcuts removes the ability to launch the game. But it often leaves behind a bunch of associated data on your storage:

• Save files
• Configuration settings
• DLC content
• Cached data like textures or audio
• Temporary gameplay files

Over time, all these leftover fragments can really build up and eat away at precious space!

According to the gaming news site IGN, deleting only "removes part of a program or selected file." But leaves behind potentially gigabytes of data on your precious SSD or hard drive.

So if you‘re looking to completely free up all storage used by a game you‘re sure you won‘t play again, full uninstallation is highly recommended.

How much space do our gaming libraries really take up?

To understand why properly uninstalling unneeded games is so important for freeing up space, let‘s look at some statistics on average install sizes in 2022:

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019): 175 GB
• Red Dead Redemption 2: 150 GB
• Forza Horizon 5: 103 GB
• Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020): 127 GB

And these are just single games! According to a Nielsen survey, the average gamer has 32 games installed on their primary platform.

So if each game averages around 50 GB, that‘s a whopping 1.6 TB of storage taken up on a high-end gaming PC or console.

No wonder storage space always feels so tight!

Properly uninstalling just a few of your largest games that you don‘t play anymore can free up dozens or even hundreds of GBs.

What gets deleted when uninstalling vs deleting games?

Here‘s a quick comparison of what removing a game actually deletes on your system:

Data deleted	Uninstalling	Deleting
Game executable	✅	✅
Save files	✅	❌
Settings	✅	❌
DLC	✅	❌
Cached data	✅	❌
Temp files	✅	❌

As you can see, uninstalling wipes out all traces of a game. Deleting just removes the main game file itself.

This is why leftover cruft can build up over time when deleting games, rather than properly removing them.

Which method should you use to remove games?

Now that you understand what really happens behind the scenes, should you uninstall games or just delete as needed?

Here are a few key considerations:

Delete when:

• You might play again soon and want to keep saves
• You need to free up space quickly
• Reinstalling from disc or downloads is slow

Uninstall when:

• You need to maximize free space
• You won‘t play for a long time (or ever again)
• You want a clean slate when reinstalling

Personally, I tend to uninstall single player story games I‘ve completed and won‘t play again for many months or years. This guarantees I get all the storage back since I don‘t care about old saves.

For online multiplayer games I still dabble in occasionally, I‘ll delete to quickly free up some space when needed, but reinstall later to pick up where I left off.

Ultimately it comes down to your specific needs and how patient you are feeling!

Will I lose my save data when uninstalling games?

One major risk of uninstalling is potentially losing save files and progression if you ever decide to play the game again later.

According to GameSpot, "When you uninstall a game, it removes the game from your hard drive but leaves your save files intact."

However, other platforms may wipe saves when uninstalling. So before you uninstall, make sure to:

• Back up saves to a USB drive or cloud storage
• Double check where save data is stored by default
• Sync your saves with online storage if available

This guarantees you won‘t lose dozens or hundreds of hours of gameplay when reinstalling down the road.

For multiplayer games, your progression and unlocks are usually safe in the cloud. But better safe than sorry!

Can I redownload games after uninstalling or deleting?

Fortunately, most digital gaming platforms today allow you to redownload games you‘ve purchased even after uninstalling or deleting in the past.

Steam, PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, and other services keep a record of all your past purchases tied to your account.

So you can always head to the storefront, find the game in your library and install it fresh later on. Just be prepared for a lengthy download ahead!

However, some older games or discs may no longer be available digitally. So only uninstall if you‘re absolutely sure you won‘t care to play again.

Tips for safely managing your gaming storage

Here are a few of my top tips for keeping your console or gaming PC storage optimized, without accidentally losing saves or access to your favorite games:

Back up important save files – Before uninstalling, manually copy key save files to cloud storage or an external hard drive via USB.

Invest in more storage – Consider buying an external SSD to install your entire gaming library on. Load times will be blazing fast too!

Remove DLC you don’t use – Delete bonus content from games you’ve stopped playing to recover space.

Uninstall games you’re burnt out on – Library management is key! Fully uninstall games you’re certain you won’t revisit anytime soon.

Use a storage cleaner tool – Clean up system caches, old downloads and other clutter to recover hidden space.

Only delete data when reinstalling soon – Deleting game files quickly frees up space, but risks losing data long term.

Key takeaways on deleting vs uninstalling games

Phew, we covered a lot of ground here! Here are the key takeaways:

• Uninstalling removes all traces of a game from your system. Deleting often just removes main executables.

• Leftover cached data from deleting can build up over time and eat storage space.

• Uninstall to completely free up space used by games you won‘t play again. But risk losing saves!

• Delete judiciously to quickly free up some space when needed in a pinch.

• You can redownload and reinstall most games later through digital platforms.

• Back up important save files before uninstalling to avoid losing gameplay progress.

• Invest in more storage and clean up clutter to keep your gaming library optimized.

I hope this guide gave you a good understanding of what really happens when removing games from your precious console or gaming PC storage! Let me know if you have any other tips or questions in the comments.

Happy gaming! Be sure to uninstall some titles you aren‘t playing to free up space for awesome new worlds and experiences.