What does pre load mean on Steam?

Hey there fellow gamer! As you know, I‘m Terry and I‘m a huge tech and gaming enthusiast. I wanted to provide an in-depth look at what preloading games on Steam is all about. Whether you‘re new to PC gaming or a seasoned vet, this guide will give you all the details on getting your games preloaded so you can play the second they unlock.

What is Preloading?

Preloading on Steam and other digital game platforms refers to downloading the game files before the official release date. This allows you to have the entire game ready to play as soon as it unlocks on release day.

Instead of having to wait hours or even days to download a 50GB+ game when it releases, preloading lets you get that download process done ahead of time. It ensures you can jump in the moment the game goes live.

Here are some of the big benefits of preloading:

Play immediately at launch – No waiting for downloads, installs or updates
Avoid choked servers – Preload ahead of the rush so you don‘t get stuck in a digital traffic jam
Pre-install – Download then install ahead of time so it‘s ready on release
Allocate hard drive space – Know how much space you‘ll need and clear it out
Preview pre-order bonuses – Access bonus items before launch to get a head start

Clearly, preloading is a huge advantage for eagerly anticipated games that you want to play as close to launch as possible.

How Preloading Works on Steam

Preloading on Steam doesn‘t happen automatically though. It‘s a manual process that requires the game publisher to enable it ahead of release. Here‘s how it typically goes:

Pre-purchase or pre-order the game on Steam first. This reserves your copy.
At some point before launch, the publisher will make the game available for preload.
You‘ll then see a "Preload" button on the game‘s store page or in your Library. Click to start the preload.
Steam will download all the encrypted game files to your PC. But you can‘t access them yet!
When the game officially unlocks at release, Steam will automatically decrypt the files.
You can now launch the preloaded game and start playing!

Now keep in mind that not every game supports preloading. It‘s up to the publisher to enable it. For big AAA titles, preloading is very common though.

You‘ll also want to make sure you have enough hard drive space before you start the preload. There‘s nothing worse than waiting till release day only to realize you don‘t have room!

When Can You Start Playing Preloaded Games?

The big question is when can you actually start playing a preloaded game?

Unlike console games which all unlock at midnight local time, Steam doesn‘t have a set global unlock time. The publisher decides when their game unlocks worldwide, and they have a few options:

Rolling midnight launch – Unlocks at 12 AM in each timezone.
Worldwide simultaneous – Single global unlock time usually around 10AM PST.
New Zealand first – Unlocks midnight NZST so New Zealanders get to play first!

Unless specified otherwise, most Steam games unlock globally between 10AM-12PM Pacific Time. But check the store page for the exact unlock details. Some release in New Zealand first though, which is an interesting strategy.

Now if you really want to access a preloaded game slightly early, there are a couple of tricks:

Use a VPN to connect to Australia/New Zealand and unlock the game there first.
Create a separate NZ Steam account to preload and unlock the game early.

However, keep in mind these methods do violate Steam‘s terms of service. Not to mention some publisher‘s policies. So proceed with caution!

Preload Game Size and Hard Drive Requirements

When preloading a game on Steam, make sure you have enough storage space on your hard drive for the full game download.

Here are some average install sizes for today‘s biggest games:

Game	Install Size
Call of Duty Modern Warfare	175GB
Red Dead Redemption 2	150GB
Destiny 2	115GB
Grand Theft Auto V	120GB
Halo Infinite	60GB

As you can see, preloading a few of today‘s AAA blockbusters could take up over 500GB easily!

I recommend having at least a 1TB solid state drive (SSD) for your gaming library. This gives you room to preload several games at a time. An external hard drive can also help maximize your storage space for preloads.

The last thing you want is to go to play a preloaded game only to get an error that you‘ve run out of hard drive room! Clear old games and files you don‘t play anymore to free up preload drive space.

Preorder Bonuses and Preloading

One cool perk of preloading is that you can sometimes access preorder bonuses before the game even comes out!

Many games today offer cosmetic items, currency, XP boosts, or other digital bonuses for preordering. Often these are available right away when you preload the game.

So you can start using sweet new outfits or gain an XP head start in the game the moment it unlocks. It‘s a nice little incentive to preorder and preload early.

Now keep in mind that if you decide to cancel your preorder, you‘ll lose access to those bonuses. But you can enjoy them while you have the game preloaded before release.

Preloading and Preorder Cancellation

What happens if you decide to cancel your preorder and get a refund after you‘ve already preloaded the game? Will you lose the preload?

Here‘s how preorder cancellation works on Steam after you‘ve preloaded:

Any preorder bonus items you received will be removed from your account.
The actual preloaded game files are deleted from your Steam directory.
You are issued a full refund for your purchase.

So you can‘t keep or access those preloaded files if you cancel and refund the preorder. Steam‘s policy prevents playing or accessing cancelled games.

As long as you request the refund before release, you‘ll get your money back no problem. Just don‘t expect to play a preloaded game if you ended up cancelling last minute!

Is Preloading Worth It?

At the end of the day, is putting in the extra effort to preload really worth it? Or should you just wait and download games normally at launch?

In my opinion, preloading is absolutely worth it for any big game releases you‘re planning to play immediately on launch day.

The ability to pre-install a game and start playing the second it unlocks is invaluable. It could easily mean a 12 hour head start on playing.

Even if you have blazing fast download speeds, preloading saves you from choked servers on launch day. And you don‘t risk running into errors or issues trying to download and install a huge game all at once.

For massive AAA open world games, preloading should be mandatory. Just make sure you clear hard drive space ahead of time.

The only downside is you can‘t cancel a preordered game last minute if reviews are bad. But for most big releases, I think it‘s a worthwhile gamble to preload.

In Conclusion

I hope this detailed guide gives you a good idea of what preloading is all about and how you can use it effectively for upcoming Steam releases.

The key takeaways are:

Preloading lets you download games ahead of launch so you can play immediately when they unlock.
It helps you avoid congested servers, long downloads, and installs at launch.
Be sure to have enough HDD space before preloading large games.
You can preview and use preorder bonuses while the game is preloaded.
Cancelling a preorder removes the preloaded files and any bonuses.

So whenever you want to play a new highly anticipated game right away at launch, look for the preload option and use it! Let me know if you have any other questions. Enjoy your gaming!