A Guide to Download and Install Fortnite
Having successfully avoided the Fortnite hype train for two years following its release in July of 2017, many parents have told me it was just a matter of time. Well that day has come and my son has insisted that I download Fortnite onto the living room console.
Seeing as how that’s where I do most of MY gaming, some research was required due to the fact that, I will not be deleting any of MY save files for my son’s brief dance with this game. Upon my quest for Fortnite knowledge I tumbled down a rabbit hole of consoles, updates and download speeds.
Here are my findings so you don’t have to look.
How Big is Fortnite?
Nothing sucks more for a gamer than waiting for a download and install. It’s a necessary step in the entire gaming process, but when you have a kid waiting on a wildly popular game, there is nothing that can be said or done to speed it along.
So before you give your gamer child the good news of Fortnite, let’s check out what kind of file size you’ll be working with:
- PC – 17.5GB
- XBox One – 16.8GB
- PS4 – 7.5GB
- Nintendo Switch – 14MB
- Mobile – 2GB
The game is available on both Android and IOS operating systems. For IOS users, you simply go to your App store and download.
For Android users, the process has a few more steps. First you’ll need to determine if your current phone is compatible. If your phone is compatible, you’ll go to Fortnite.com/Android and download.
What’s my Connection Speed
I can’t tell you how many internet speed tests I’ve done on my Playstation, only to not understand a single thing the screen shows me. I look for “successful” and assume all is well.
Now that I stand in between my son’s “fix” and these download speeds, I realized I needed solid time frames on when he would be able to veg out.
Connection speed, also referred to as bandwidth, is the speed at which data transfers between your device and the internet. There are two types of speed: download and upload.
Browsing web pages, reading email and downloading a program are examples of download speed. Sending an email or file would be an example of upload speed.
Not all bandwidth is created equal and yours may differ depending on a handful of factors. Those factors are:
- cables (fibre, copper)
- distance from cabinet
- line quality
Megabits per second(Mbps or Mb) measure the connection speed of data. Now for some “math talk”…1 Mb equals 1 million units of data. 1 Mbps equals 1 million bits of data per second. When you run your connection speed test, having a higher Mbps will ensure your download moves quickly.
Lower Mbps, and you and your little gamer are going to be at odds.
So How Long Will It Take???
Unfortunately, that question can only be answered by you, by doing a simple data speed test. A quick Google search should send you to free sites that will do this for you if using a PC. On Playstation, Xbox and Nintendo simply navigate to your settings and look for a “Network” option.
In there, all things internet related can be found, including a “test internet connection” option. As stated earlier, your connection speed will vary depending on your setup, but here is some visual math to get an understanding on how to read your test results:
450 Mb of photos at 35 Mbps = around 12 seconds
80 Mb file at 20 Mbps = 4 secondsWhile these examples work for small, simple files, Fortnite’s file is in GB. This will make your download considerably longer.
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