How to Download Genshin Impact 4.3 and Update Release Time

The 4.3 Genshin Impact update arrives this week, and in some cases you can already start a download for it ahead of the official release time. Here’s how to prepare.

What is the Genshin Impact 4.3 update release time?

So the official launch date for the 4.3 update of Genshin Impact is December 20, 2023, but the actual release time can vary. In North America, for example, it’s always available on December 19, 2023 the night before! 

We can’t pin down the exact time just yet, because sometimes the maintenance can run short or long. However, we should expect to see 4.3 appear sometime around 6pm PT/9pm ET and 8pm PT/11pm ET. So if you’re a night owl, you could already start the new events and quests or pull on the Navia or Ayaka banners.

Remember that we get Primogems for each hour that maintenance lasts. This means we usually end up with 300 free Primogems waiting for us in our inboxes once the update goes through. There are also sometimes additional ones given as an apology for errors or issues.

How do I download the Genshin Impact 4.3 update?

The pre-install is available for a few platforms as well. I’m not seeing it on the PS5 just yet, which means the PS4 version may not be available at the moment. However people playing Genshin Impact on the PC or mobile devices can get a head start on the download. They can pre-install the update, which is about 2GB on iOS devices, 3GB on Android devices, and 12GB on PCs.

To start the pre-install on those devices. get to the main screen when you log in. There will be an option where you can “pre-install resource package.” This preloads the update for players, so there’s less wait on the day the update drops and you can start immediately playing. 

If you’re on a PS4 or PS5, you’ll want to bring up the options menu from the Home menu when over the icon for the game. You’ll want to check for an update. If one is available ahead of launch, you can start the download so when the update is available, you can start playing 4.3 right away.

Don’t forget the Required Resource Package for PS4!

As a reminder, in December 2023 HoYoVerse released a Required Resource Package for the PS4 version of Genshin Impact. It is about a 16GB download. It’s an optimization package and is designed to help “better support the storage” for the game. A part of that will help with cross-play, to ensure the PS4 players keep up with those on the PS5, PC, or mobile devices.

Genshin Impact is available on the PS4, PS5, PC, and mobile devices.