How much data does Heroes of the Storm use?
In Heroes of the Storm, players compete with each other in five-versus-five team brawls. While the game’s multiplayer modes are what make the game so addicting, some players worry that playing these modes for extended periods of time will drain their limited internet data. Luckily, Heroes of the Storm doesn’t use as much data as many other online games.
So exactly how much data do you use playing Heroes of the Storm? Let’s take a closer look at the data you use downloading, updating, and playing the game on Windows PC or Mac OS. If you want to play Heroes of the Storm without thinking about how much data you’re using, just switch to an unlimited installed 4G LTE connection with no data cap and no bandwidth throttling.
How much data do you use downloading Heroes of the Storm?
Downloading Heroes of the Storm uses much more data than playing Heroes of the Storm. While the size of most game downloads changes often as developers release patches and updates, Blizzard Entertainment no longer makes major updates to Heroes of the Storm, so the game’s approximate download size and file size should stay about the same.
| Platform | File size |
| Windows PC | 15.6 GB |
| Mac OS | 15.6 GB |
There’s an easy way to avoid using a ton of data on the game download. If you’re afraid your data plan won’t support the download, purchase the physical disk and install the game offline instead.
How much data do you use updating Heroes of the Storm?
Blizzard Entertainment still releases patches for Heroes of the Storm, which you can take a look at in the Patch Notes. These patches vary in size, but downloading these patches typically uses more data than playing the game. If you’re worried about patches pushing you over your monthly data limit, turn off auto-updates and manually install patches when you have extra data.
How much data do you use playing Heroes of the Storm?
Heroes of the Storm uses as little as 30 MB of data per hour, which is very low for online gaming. The exact amount of data you use playing the game depends on whether or not you use voice chat, your frame rate, and the tick rate of your server:
- If you do choose to use voice chat, expect to use significantly more data during gameplay. Without voice chat, an online game like PUBG uses less than 30 MB of data per hour. With voice chat, it uses more than 50 MB of data per hour.
- A higher frame rate refreshes the game more often, which makes the game run faster. A lower frame rate saves you data, but makes it harder for you to react quickly in the game. You can adjust your frame rate (measured in FPS) in your game settings. To change your frame rate, you’ll need to disable vertical synch (V-Synch).
- The tick rate of your server also affects your data use. A 128-tick server, which refreshes the game 128 times every second, uses about twice as much data as a 64-tick server, which refreshes the game 64 times every second. If you use a 64-tick server, you’ll save data, but have a harder time reacting quickly in the game.
Upgrade to unlimited 4G LTE
If you want to play Heroes of the Storm without thinking about data use, consider switching to an unlimited 4G LTE connection with no data cap and no bandwidth throttling.
