Saburo
A November 6 patch for NieR: Automata is asking Steam users for 366.56GB of free space to install the game with its DLC. That number is a calculation bug, not a real file size. If you own a Steam Deck, especially a 64GB or 256GB model, this false requirement blocks your installation entirely until you apply a manual workaround.
The 366GB Bug That Bricked Installs
NieR: Automata received its first Steam update since July 15, 2021. The patch added Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Korean language support, as Final Weapon reported. Nothing massive. Yet when players try to install the base game alongside its eight DLC entries, Steam demands an absurd amount of storage. Game News Plus confirmed that this 366GB figure is incorrect. The actual installed game still occupies roughly 40 to 50GB.
What went wrong? Steam is miscalculating the combined space. It appears to count each individual DLC item at approximately the full size of the base game. Multiply that by eight add-ons, add the core files, and you get a bloated 366.56GB warning.
Some users report the issue disappearing on its own, while others remain stuck staring at an impossible storage prompt. Predictably, the game has started accumulating negative reviews on Steam from frustrated players who cannot even launch it.
Why This Hits Steam Deck Owners Harder
Desktop PC gamers with a spare 2TB NVMe drive might roll their eyes and wait. You do not have that luxury on a Steam Deck. The hardware comes in 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB capacities for the LCD version, plus 512GB and 1TB options for the OLED model, according to hardware tracking data. A 366GB requirement physically exceeds the internal storage of almost every Deck ever sold without relying on external media.
If you are rocking the original 64GB eMMC model or the popular 256GB version, your internal drive cannot hold this phantom installation. You can route SteamOS installations to a microSD card to bypass internal limits, but forcing a 366GB download onto a standard UHS-I SD card would take ages and chew through write cycles for a bug that does not even represent real data. Do not waste your SD card’s lifespan on a broken manifest file.
Square Enix knows about the mess. Tbreak noted that the publisher acknowledged the problem and is currently investigating the cause to push a proper fix. No timeline for that patch exists yet.
How to Install NieR: Automata Right Now
You do not need to wait for Square Enix to sort out their math. There is a temporary workaround, and it takes about ten seconds.
- Open your Steam library on your Deck (switch to desktop mode if you prefer mouse precision).
- Right-click or press the menu button on NieR: Automata and select Properties.
- Navigate to the DLC tab.
- Uncheck every listed add-on before starting the download.
By deselecting the DLC, you bypass Steam’s erroneous combined-space calculation. The base game will download using the intended 50GB footprint. You get the new language options and can start playing immediately.
The catch is obvious: you lose access to the DLC content during this workaround. If you absolutely need those add-ons right now, your only option is waiting for the official fix. Square Enix published this unchecking method via a Steam announcement, but they did not confirm that re-enabling the DLC later will work flawlessly once the bug is patched. Check for a new update before ticking those boxes again.
This whole situation highlights how fragile digital storefronts can be. A modest localization patch should never trigger a storage crisis. Publishers need better QA pipelines for Steam manifests, especially when handheld gaming relies on strict storage budgets. Shipping a broken manifest that locks out an entire platform’s user base is just lazy.
Our Take on the Mess
A 366GB storage prompt for a 2017 action RPG is pure comedy until it blocks you from playing on your Steam Deck. Square Enix pushing its first update in over three years only to break the installation process feels sloppy. Unchecking the DLC in your properties works perfectly fine as a band-aid, letting you boot up the game on your 256GB or 512GB model without formatting your microSD card. Keep an eye on the Steam announcements page. Once a real fix drops, you can safely re-enable those add-ons and get back to fighting machines without babysitting your storage meter.