If you plan to play DOOM: The Dark Ages on launch day, you’d better have solid internet – because only 85 MB is on the PS5 disc, and just 324 MB on Xbox Series X.

The release week for DOOM: The Dark Ages is finally here, but instead of celebrating id Software’s blood-pumping, metal-infused shooter, players are raising eyebrows at a major disappointment: the physical editions of the game are basically empty. The PS5 disc carries a minuscule 85 MB of data; even the Xbox Series X version barely improves on that with 324 MB. In both cases, you’ll be downloading 99% of the game just to start playing – the disc is nothing more than a glorified plastic key.

There’s No Game on the Disc

Releasing physical games that require massive day-one downloads has become a troubling industry trend, especially for players concerned with game preservation and access in the long term. The lack of clear labeling and the increasing reliance on online servers have frustrated gamers for years.

That frustration turned into outrage last week when preservation-focused accounts like Does It Play? revealed the reality of DOOM: The Dark Ages. Although the game hadn’t officially launched yet, they confirmed that the full game is around 85 GB, yet the PS5 disc holds just 85 MB, and the Xbox Series X version a mere 324 MB.

Buying physical copies used to mean owning the game – now it means downloading it anyway. And it’s not a limitation of disc technology: the PS5 version of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle had 20 GB of content on its 125 GB install. This isn’t a hardware issue – it’s a deliberate move to force online dependency. In fact, the “record” for smallest disc content might belong to the PS4’s Kero Blaster, which had just 20 MB, but was at least complete and playable out of the box.

The Warning Isn’t Enough

According to many players, the biggest issue here is transparency. Sure, DOOM: The Dark Ages does say on the box that an internet connection is required – but it doesn’t tell you that 99.5% of the game is missing. That’s not acceptable for physical media, and fans argue that it’s up to the community now to uncover and highlight these practices, since publishers clearly won’t.

Source: 3djuegos