I was so pumped when Ghost of Tsushima finally came out on PC today. I mean, who doesn’t want to experience that samurai world on a full-fledged gaming rig? But when I hit “download” on Steam, I got hit with a surprise: the unpacking process was painfully slow. Like, slower than Jin Sakai trying to sneak through a Mongol camp. If you’re experiencing the same frustration, do these things:
Why Does It Take So Long?
Before we jump into solutions, let’s talk about why unpacking games on Steam can sometimes feel like watching paint dry.
Essentially, Steam downloads a compressed version of the game files to save space and bandwidth. During unpacking, it decompresses those files, getting them ready to play.
This process can be CPU-intensive, especially for larger games like Ghost of Tsushima. If you have an older or slower computer, it might take a while.
Here’s What You Can Try
Sometimes, simply pausing and restarting the unpacking process can kick it into gear. You can also try restarting Steam entirely or even your whole computer. This can clear up any temporary hiccups that might be slowing things down.
While your game is unpacking, shut down any other programs that might be hogging your computer’s resources. This includes web browsers, music players, and anything else running in the background.
If you’re unpacking the game onto a mechanical hard drive (HDD), it’s going to be slower than unpacking onto a solid-state drive (SSD). If possible, try moving the game to an SSD for a speed boost.
Head into Steam’s settings and check the “Downloads” tab. You can try changing your download region to a different server that might be less congested. Also, make sure you don’t have any download speed limits set.
If your computer is a bit older, it might be struggling with the unpacking process. You could try lowering your CPU usage by going into your power settings and choosing a less demanding power plan.
If nothing else works, you can try uninstalling and reinstalling the game. This is a last resort, but it can sometimes fix corrupted files that might be causing issues.
Contact Steam Support
If the unpacking process is still taking forever, you might want to reach out to Steam support for help. They might have some additional troubleshooting tips or be able to identify any issues with your account or download.
Final Words
Sometimes, there’s nothing you can do but be patient. Unpacking large games can take time, especially if you have an older computer. Grab a snack, watch some funny cat videos, and let Steam do its thing.
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