Game Download Time Calculator: How Long to Download?
See how long a game download will take from its file size and your internet speed.
Accounts for the megabit vs megabyte gap that makes downloads feel slow.
Download time is determined by dividing the file size by your available download speed — but the unit mismatch between file sizes and speed ratings is a common source of confusion.
The bit/byte distinction — critical:
- Internet speeds are measured in megabits per second (Mbps) or gigabits (Gbps)
- File sizes are measured in megabytes (MB) or gigabytes (GB)
- 1 byte = 8 bits, so you must divide speed by 8 to get bytes per second
Download time formula:
Time (seconds) = File Size (MB) × 8 / Speed (Mbps)
Time (minutes) = Time (seconds) / 60
Speed to MB/s conversion table:
| Advertised Speed | Real MB/s | 50 GB game | 100 GB game |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Mbps | ~1.1 MB/s | ~12.5 hrs | ~25 hrs |
| 25 Mbps | ~2.8 MB/s | ~5 hrs | ~10 hrs |
| 50 Mbps | ~5.6 MB/s | ~2.5 hrs | ~5 hrs |
| 100 Mbps | ~11.2 MB/s | ~75 min | ~2.5 hrs |
| 200 Mbps | ~22.5 MB/s | ~38 min | ~75 min |
| 500 Mbps | ~56 MB/s | ~15 min | ~30 min |
| 1 Gbps | ~112 MB/s | ~7.5 min | ~15 min |
Real-world speed note: Advertised speeds are theoretical maximums. Real download speeds are typically 60–80% of the advertised rate due to:
- Network overhead and protocol headers
- Server-side throttling (game servers limit download speeds)
- Wi-Fi vs. wired connection loss
- Congestion on shared cable infrastructure (especially evenings)
- Router/modem limitations
Common game download sizes (2025):
| Game | Approximate Size |
|---|---|
| Indie / 2D game | 200 MB – 3 GB |
| Standard AA title | 10–30 GB |
| AAA base game | 50–80 GB |
| AAA + Day 1 patches | 80–120 GB |
| AAA + all DLC | 120–200 GB |
| Modern Warfare series | 150–250 GB |
Pro tip: Pause other internet-heavy activity (streaming, cloud backups) during large downloads to maximize available bandwidth for the game client.
How we build and check this calculator
This calculator runs entirely in your browser, so the numbers you enter stay on your device. The math behind it is written by hand and tested against worked examples and standard references before the page goes live.
SuperGlobalCalculator is independently built and maintained. See how we build and verify our calculators.