You can move an Epic Games game to a thumb drive, but it works differently than moving a regular folder

Epic Games games store their files in a way that makes simple copy-and-paste unreliable. The game won't recognize itself if you just drag the folder to a thumb drive and plug it into another computer. Instead, you need to either reinstall the game directly to the thumb drive from the Epic Games Launcher, or use the Launcher's built-in backup tool to create a portable version that will work on other machines.

The thumb drive method works best for games under 50 GB, since most thumb drives max out at 64 GB or 128 GB and you'll lose speed with a nearly-full drive. If your game is larger, an external hard drive is more practical.

Key Takeaways

  • The Epic Games Launcher can install games directly to a thumb drive if you change the installation location before downloading.
  • For games already installed on your computer, use the Launcher's backup feature to create a portable copy you can move to another machine.
  • Thumb drives are slower than internal drives, so games will load more slowly and may stutter during play.
  • You need at least 1.5 times the game's file size free on the thumb drive to back it up successfully.

Installing a new game directly to a thumb drive

Open the Epic Games Launcher and plug in your thumb drive. Go to your account settings (the person icon in the top right), then select Library. On the left side, click Settings, then scroll down to Installation Location.

Click the folder icon next to the default drive path. Navigate to your thumb drive in the file browser and select it. The Launcher will now download new games to the thumb drive instead of your computer's main drive. When you download a game, it will install directly there.

This method is cleanest if you're starting fresh, but it only works before you download. If the game is already on your computer, you'll need the backup method instead.

Backing up an already-installed game to a thumb drive

If the game is already on your computer, use the Launcher's backup feature. Open the Epic Games Launcher, find the game in your Library, click the three dots next to it, and select Manage. Then click the three dots again and choose Backup.

The Launcher will ask where you want to save the backup file. Select your thumb drive. The backup process creates a single compressed file that contains everything the game needs. Depending on the game size, this can take 30 minutes to several hours.

Once the backup finishes, you can move that file to any other computer. Plug the thumb drive in, open the Epic Games Launcher there, go to Manage for that game again, and select Restore. Point it to the backup file on your thumb drive, and the Launcher will unpack and reinstall the game on that machine.

Speed and performance on a thumb drive

Games run noticeably slower from a thumb drive than from an internal hard drive or SSD. Load times can double or triple, and you may see stuttering or frame drops during play, especially in games with large open worlds or frequent texture streaming.

USB 3.0 thumb drives are significantly faster than USB 2.0, so if you're buying one specifically for this, look for a drive labeled USB 3.0 or USB 3.1. Even so, expect performance to be worse than playing from your computer's main drive.

Storage space you'll need

Check the game's file size before you start. Most modern games range from 30 GB to 150 GB. When you back up a game, the Launcher creates a compressed file, which is usually 60 to 80 percent of the original size — so a 100 GB game might create a 60 to 80 GB backup file.

You need free space on the thumb drive equal to at least 1.5 times the game's size. If the game is 50 GB, have at least 75 GB free on the thumb drive. If your thumb drive doesn't have enough space, the backup will fail partway through.

Keeping the game updated on multiple machines

If you restore a game from a thumb drive backup to a new computer, the Epic Games Launcher will check for updates the first time you launch it. If updates are available, the Launcher will download them to that computer's main drive, not the thumb drive. This is by design — the Launcher doesn't update games on external drives.

To keep a thumb drive version current, back it up again after updating it on your main computer, then restore the new backup on other machines. This is tedious for frequently-updated games, so thumb drives work best for single-player games that don't patch often.

Troubleshooting common problems

If a game won't launch from the thumb drive, make sure the drive is formatted as NTFS (Windows) or APFS (Mac), not FAT32. FAT32 has a 4 GB file size limit, which breaks most modern games. Right-click the drive, select Format, and choose NTFS or APFS.

If the backup process keeps failing, the thumb drive may be running out of space or the drive itself may be failing. Try backing up to a different thumb drive, or use an external hard drive instead. Thumb drives are also more prone to data corruption than larger drives, so don't rely on a thumb drive as your only copy of a backup.

If the game runs but feels extremely slow, close other programs and make sure nothing else is reading from the thumb drive. Even a background file sync can bottleneck a thumb drive's speed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I play the game on two computers at the same time from the same thumb drive?

No. The Epic Games Launcher locks the game files while it's running, so you can't access them from another computer simultaneously. You can play on one machine, close the game, unplug the drive, plug it into another computer, and play there — but not both at once.

Will the game work if I just copy the folder to the thumb drive without using backup?

Probably not. The Epic Games Launcher tracks installed games in a database, and a copied folder won't be in that database on another computer. The Launcher won't recognize it as installed, and the game likely won't launch. Use the backup and restore feature instead.

What's the difference between a thumb drive and an external hard drive for this?

External hard drives are faster, hold more data, and are more reliable for long-term storage. Thumb drives are smaller and more portable but slower and more prone to failure. For games over 100 GB or if you plan to carry the drive around frequently, an external hard drive is the better choice.

Do I need to keep the Epic Games Launcher installed on the other computer?

Yes. The Launcher must be installed on any computer where you want to play the game, even if the game files are on the thumb drive. The Launcher manages the game's launch, updates, and licensing.

Can I delete the backup file after restoring the game?

Yes, once the restore finishes and the game is installed on the new computer, you can delete the backup file from the thumb drive to free up space. Keep a copy on your main computer if you think you'll need to restore it again later.