SSD & Storage Requirement
Ace Combat 8 requires 125GB of available space on an SSD according to Steam. An HDD-only installation is outside the published minimum; the listing does not specify SATA versus NVMe or disclose the final download size.
Available space is not necessarily download size
The 125GB figure is the required free storage capacity. Compressed download size, unpacking overhead, day-one updates and future add-ons can differ, so keeping extra free space is prudent without inventing a precise buffer.
The game should be installed on an SSD. Merely having an SSD elsewhere in the PC does not satisfy the storage line if the game itself is placed on a hard disk.
No SSD interface is named
Steam says SSD but does not name SATA, NVMe, PCIe generation or a minimum read speed. This guide therefore does not claim that an NVMe drive is mandatory or that a particular SSD will improve frame rate.
Plan space for the edition, not assumptions
The Deluxe Edition and Ace Pass add content, but the store has not published separate installed-size totals for each edition. Check the final client estimate at installation and keep the official 125GB minimum available.
SSD & Storage Requirement FAQ
Can Ace Combat 8 run from an HDD?
An HDD installation does not meet the official PC minimum, which explicitly requires an SSD.
Does it require an NVMe SSD?
No SSD interface or speed is specified; only an SSD and 125GB of available space are listed.
Is the download exactly 125GB?
Not necessarily. The published number is available storage space, not a confirmed compressed download size.