While the official requirements only list "17GB free space," they do not emphasize drive speed enough.
Let’s start with the hard data provided by the developers. These are the baseline numbers you need to meet to get the game running on your Windows PC. age of empires definitive edition requirements
The system requirements for Age of Empires: Definitive Edition While the official requirements only list "17GB free
Age of Empires: Definitive Edition is a love letter to history fans, but it demands modern hardware. Meet the "Recommended" specs (Intel i5, 16GB RAM, GTX 650 or better) to build your empire without the lag of the Dark Ages. The system requirements for Age of Empires: Definitive
These specs are the absolute floor. If your PC meets these, you can launch the game and play, but don't expect to run the game at 4K resolution with all graphical bells and whistles turned on.
The system requirements for Age of Empires: Definitive Edition
Fully remastered orchestral soundtrack and new narration for every mission.