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- Alan Wake 2’s physical release on Xbox Series X will require an additional download, director Kyle Rowley has revealed.
- Unlike the Xbox, the PS5 version of the game will include the full game, plus the recently released Night Springs DLC.
- Remedy explains that this is due to the smaller storage capacity of Xbox discs, and that the developer doesn’t seem to want to include multiple discs with the release.
The highly anticipated physical release of Alan Wake 2 will require an additional download on Xbox Series X due to issues relating to the size of the console’s discs.
This year’s Summer Game Festival was a bit lackluster, but Alan Wake 2 fans would not agree. Sam Lake came dancing proudly onto the stage to announce the news that Remedy will be shadow dropping the Night Springs DLC. He also announced that Limited Run is also working on a physical Collector’s Edition of Alan Wake 2, granting hope for anyone waiting for a physical release.
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This was great news for those who were disappointed that the game only launched digitally, and while Remedy struggled to justify it at the time, Xbox fans hoping to pick up a physical copy of Alan Wake 2 may need to buckle up once more, as Alan Wake 2 game director Kyle Rowley revealed on Twitter that the physical Xbox version of the game requires an additional download to function properly, completely defeating the purpose of a physical release.
Alan Wake 2’s Xbox release requires a download
Lowery said the physical version of Alan Wake 2 will only be released on a single disc, as the game won’t fit on a standard Xbox disc. Thankfully, the larger size of PS5 discs means that the physical PS5 release of the game will include the base game and Night Springs DLC on the disc, but it’s unfortunate for anyone who’s locked into the Xbox ecosystem and wants a physical version.
Many have correctly pointed out that Remedy should have packaged the Xbox version of the game onto multiple discs. Games releasing on multiple discs aren’t all that uncommon now – Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth was the first game to require two discs, and Baldur’s Gate 3 developer Larian Studios included a whopping four discs to ensure Xbox fans got their hands on the physical release.
While Lowry didn’t specifically explain why Remedy or publisher Epic Games are reluctant to put the Xbox version of Alan Wake 2 on two discs, it’s clear that production costs are playing a role in some way. It’s no doubt an annoyance for Xbox owners, and an issue that will only grow due to the Xbox’s smaller disc size, but if you have both consoles, be sure to pick up the PS5 version of Alan Wake 2 instead.
Alan Wake 2
Alan Wake 2 is the sequel to Remedy’s hit survival horror game, blending two separate storylines into one as FBI agent Saga Anderson investigates both a series of brutal murders and a story written by Wake himself.
