The physical release of Alan Wake 2 on Xbox requires an internet download

The long-awaited physical release of Alan Wake 2 will actually require an additional download on Xbox Series X due to issues with the size of the console's discs.

Summer Game Fest was a rather lackluster affair this year, although fans of Alan Wake 2 probably don't feel that way. Sam Lake proudly danced onto the stage to announce the news that Remedy would be shadowdropping some Night Springs DLC, and that those waiting for a physical release would get their wish, as Limited Run also has a physical collector's edition of Alan Wake 2 in the works.

This was great news for those disappointed by the game's digital-only release, which Remedy had a hard time justifying at the time, but Xbox fans hoping to get a physical copy of Alan Wake 2 may have to hold off, as Alan Wake 2 game director Kyle Rowley revealed on Twitter that the physical Xbox version of the game will require an additional download to function properly, which kind of completely defeats the purpose of a physical release.

The physical Xbox release of Alan Wake 2 requires a download

According to Rowley, the physical version of Alan Wake 2 will only be released on a single disc, meaning the game won't fit on a standard Xbox disc. Thankfully, the larger size of the PS5 discs means the base game and Night Springs DLC will be included on the disc when the game's physical PS5 release occurs, but that's not good for those tied to the Xbox ecosystem who wanted their own physical copy.

Many have rightly pointed out that Remedy could have simply put the game on multiple discs for the Xbox version. These days, it's not that unusual for games to be released on multiple discs. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth was the first to require two, while Baldur's Gate 3 developer Larian Studios made sure Xbox fans got their physical version by including a whopping four discs.

Rowley didn't explain exactly why Remedy or publisher Epic Games aren't willing to release Alan Wake 2 on two discs for the Xbox version, though production costs clearly play a role in some way. It's definitely annoying for Xbox owners, and the problem will likely only get worse due to the smaller size of Xbox discs, but if you have both consoles, you might want to pick up the physical PS5 version of Alan Wake 2 instead.

Alan-Wake 2

Alan Wake 2 is the sequel to Remedy's hit survival horror game. It combines two different stories into one and follows FBI agent Saga Anderson as she investigates a series of brutal murders and a story written by Wake himself.