With a total installation size of 55GB for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 on both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, one wonders why even bother to release a disc version at all. If the multiplayer-only title requires a 50GB download before it's fully playable, why not include a code in the box? Of course large Day One patches for games are the norm these days, but even so Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 stands out for what is essentially a useless bit of laser-powered plastic being sold at retail.

As per the official notes,

Before playing for the first time, players will need to download and install a day one update for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. This update must be installed completely in order to access Multiplayer, Zombies, and Specialist Headquarters. Blackout is fully playable once installation is about 30% complete (approximately 16-20 GB).

The final installation footprint will be approximately 55 GB. In order to play Blackout before the full installation is complete, select "Update to Latest Version" when the prompt appears.

The day one update package is roughly 50 GB.

For those with fast, unlimited broadband this is a minor annoyance, but for those without it marks a rather large time investment before being able to play. Which really comes down to optimisation - if all assets in terms of music, textures, and media are on the disc itself, then patches shouldn't need to be this size.

Anyway, we're glad that Blackout is the first mode playable because we had a tonen of fun with that during the beta.