Introduction

As gamers, we are constantly installing games into our laptop and desktop systems. However, with the rising game file sizes and shrinking C drive sizes, due to SSDs, some of us would be facing storage limitations far quicker than we ever anticipated. At this time, we are required to check our storage and find any unnecessary apps or games taking up the extra space and clear laptop storage by uninstalling them.

While uninstalling games and applications has become easier with Windows 10 and 11, it is still not as seamless as found in mobile operating systems. Hence, we will be sharing the best options to remove games from the laptop in this article. We will also help you understand where your storage is being used.

How to check the File Sizes of Games?

Modern games look and feel quite realistic, thanks to the HD 3D graphics and excellent lighting effects. Similarly, they also provide advanced sound effects to completely immerse you into the gaming world. However, a negative consequence of such advanced technology is that the game file sizes have become massive, especially when compared to just a few years ago.

While Call of Duty One was available on a single CD, which has 700 MB of storage, the latest game in the franchise, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, is reported around 149 GB without the extra content. With the campaign, multiplayer, zombies, and other add-ons, it will easily cross the 250 GB mark, which is roughly equivalent to 357 CDs!

Hence, you should check the file sizes of games to understand which ones are taking up more space and uninstall them to free up storage space. Below, we have included the options to check the file sizes of games from popular game launchers:

Steam

Since Steam is the most popular game launcher, let us start with the Steam Client. To check the game file sizes, you need to follow these steps:

  1. Open the Steam Client on your laptop, go to the ‘Library’ tab and select the game that you wish to check the storage properties for.
  2. Right-click on the game’s name and select the ‘Properties’ option.
  3. In the new window, select the ‘Installed Files’ tab, and you will be able to view the ‘Size of Installation’.

Epic Games

Epic Games also comes with a dedicated launcher which provides the game’s installation size. To check it, you need to follow these steps:

  1. Open the Epic Games Launcher on your laptop and go to the ‘Library’ section.
  2. Right-click on the game tile and select the ‘Manage’ option.
  3. In the new window, you will be able to view the game’s size under the ‘Installation’ section.

GOG

Popular game platform GOG also has its own Launcher, called the GOG Galaxy, which can be used to check the game’s file sizes. To do so, complete the steps below:

  1. Open GOG Galaxy on your laptop and open the game’s page.
  2. Click on the ‘Settings’ icon near the ‘Play’ button and select the ‘Manage Installation’ option.
  3. Click on the ‘Show Folder’ option and the game’s installed location will be opened in Windows Explorer.
  4. Right-click on any blank area and select the ‘Properties’ option. You will be able to see the game’s file size under the ‘Size on disk’ heading.

UPlay

Ubisoft Connet (formerly UPlay) also has its launcher, which will provide you with handy options to view the game size. To check it, follow the steps below:

  1. Open the Ubisoft Connect app on your laptop and open the game’s page.
  2. In the menu displayed below the ‘Play’ button, select the ‘Properties’ option.
  3. Here, click on the ‘Open Folder’ button, and the game’s installed location will be opened in Windows Explorer.
  4. Right-click on any blank area and select the ‘Properties’ option. You will be able to see the game’s file size under the ‘Size on disk’ heading.

Origin

The famous game publisher Electronic Arts or EA also has their launcher, Origin, which can be used to buy and download games, as well as view the file sizes of installed games. Follow the steps below to get the file sizes:

  1. Open the EA Origin app on your laptop and go to the ‘Library’ section.
  2. Click on the 3-dot menu at the top right of the game tile, whose file size you are checking.
  3. In the context menu, select the ‘Properties’ option.
  4. In the new window which opens, select the ‘Browse’ option to open the game’s installed location.
  5. Right-click on any blank area and select the ‘Properties’ option. You will be able to see the game’s file size under the ‘Size on disk’ heading.

How do I permanently delete games from Windows 10?

Now that we have a robust idea of how to check for the game’s file sizes, you can proceed with the uninstallation. There are multiple options to delete gaming apps on a Windows 10 and Windows 11 laptop. Some of the common options are:

Using the Game Launcher

Since we currently use Game Launchers to install games on onto laptops after buying them, it is natural for these game launchers to provide uninstallation options. These options come in handy since games are huge nowadays and uninstalling them would be a chore without these game launchers.

Hence, we have provided the steps for uninstalling or deleting games from your favourite launcher applications below:

Steam

  1. Open the Steam Client on your laptop, go to the ‘Library’ tab and select the game that you wish to uninstall.
  2. Right-click on the game’s name and hover on the ‘Manage’ option to find the ‘Uninstall’ option. Select ‘Yes’ on the confirmation pop-up to uninstall the game.

Epic Games

  1. Open the Epic Games Launcher on your laptop and go to the ‘Library’ section.
  2. Right-click on the game tile and select the ‘Uninstall’ option. Select ‘Yes’ on the confirmation pop-up to uninstall the game.

Origin

  1. Open the EA Origin app on your laptop and go to the ‘Library’ section.
  2. Click on the 3-dot menu at the top right of the game tile that you wish to uninstall.
  3. In the context menu, select the ‘Uninstall’ option. Select ‘Yes’ on the confirmation pop-up to uninstall the game.

GOG

  1. Open GOG Galaxy on your laptop and open the game’s page.
  2. Click on the ‘Settings’ icon near the ‘Play’ button and select the ‘Manage Installation’ option.
  3. Click on the ‘Uninstall’ option. Select ‘Yes’ on the confirmation pop-up to uninstall the game.

UPlay

  1. Open the Ubisoft Connect app on your laptop and open the game’s page.
  2. In the menu displayed below the ‘Play’ button, select the ‘Properties’ option.
  3. Here, click on the ‘Uninstall’ button. Select ‘Yes’ on the confirmation pop-up to uninstall the game.

Bethesda

  1. Open Bethesda Launcher on your laptop and open the game’s page.
  2. Click on the ‘Game Options’ button on the game’s page, and select the ‘Uninstall’ option.
  3. Select ‘Yes’ on the confirmation pop-up to uninstall the game.

Microsoft Store

  1. If you have downloaded the game from Microsoft Store, you can directly uninstall it from Windows.
  2. Open the Start Menu and search for the game that you wish to uninstall.
  3. Right-click on the game’s name and select the ‘Uninstall’ option. Select the ‘Uninstall’ button to uninstall the game.

Using Settings App

There are chances that the game you have installed must have come with a dedicated stand-alone installer or a physical copy. In such cases, you can uninstall these games using the Windows Settings app.

To uninstall games using the Windows Settings, follow the steps below:

  1. Open the Settings app and select the ‘Apps’ option.
  2. Select the text box above the list of applications installed on your laptop and search for the game you are trying to uninstall.
  3. In the list that has been narrowed down according to your search, select the game that you wish to uninstall and click on the ‘Uninstall’ button. Click on the ‘Uninstall’ button in the pop-up to complete the uninstallation process.

How do I delete Games from Windows 7?

If you are using an older laptop running Windows 7, you know that it does not have the Settings app. Hence, we will use the Control Panel to remove games. To delete games from Windows 7, you will have to follow the steps below:

  1. Open the Start Menu and search for ‘Control Panel’ and open it.
  2. Click on the ‘Uninstall a Program’ link at the bottom left of the list which opens.
  3. Select the game that you wish to uninstall from the list of installed applications.
  4. Right-click on the name of the game and select the option ‘Uninstall’.
  5. Complete the prompts on the Uninstaller application of the game. Once you click on the final ‘Finish’ button, the game will be uninstalled from your laptop.

Conclusion

As we can observe, the game deletion process and saving your precious SSD storage is essential in the modern era of high-end gaming. Hence, all major game developers have provided launchers to ensure complete peace of mind with a simplified game uninstallation process. Do follow the steps provided in this article to find the space occupied by your games and uninstall the unrequired ones by following the simple steps provided in this article.