Which download option should I pick?

Most builds give you several ways to download. They all get you the same files, but they differ a lot in speed, cost and how often they let you down. Here is the honest comparison.

The comparison table

Method	Cost	Speed	Reliability	What you need
Usenet Share	Usenet subscription	Full line speed, and often no big download at all	Excellent	Usenet account plus the Usenet Share app. Only on some builds.
NZB (Usenet)	Usenet subscription (cheap, cancel any time)	Full line speed	Excellent, does not rely on other people	Usenet provider plus a downloader like NZB Grab
Torrent	Free	Fast when new, slower as seeders drop off	Good for new builds, patchy for old ones	A torrent client like Tixati
Mega	Free, paid plans for more transfer	Good, but free users hit a transfer limit	Good while the link is alive	A browser, ideally the Mega desktop app for big builds
RapidGator	Free with waits, or paid premium	Slow for free users, very fast with premium	Good, nearly all recent builds are there	A browser or download manager
Google Drive	Free	Fast when available	Poor for popular files (quota errors, removed links)	A browser, a Google account helps
Dropbox, MediaFire, 1fichier, Other	Free, some with paid options	Varies	Varies, links can expire	A browser

Not every build offers every method, so check the download box. See How downloading works.

NZB (Usenet): our recommendation

Usenet is a huge network of servers that store files for years. You pay a provider for access, and a downloader fetches the build at your full internet speed. No seeders, no waiting, no daily limits, encrypted and private. Every file on Arcade Punks is available as an NZB.

The catch is that it costs a little. Our deal with Newshosting gives 70% off plus 3 free months, with a 30-day money-back guarantee and a zero-log VPN included. If you download more than one or two builds, it pays for itself in time saved. Start with Usenet and NZB for beginners or the Quick Start guide.

Usenet Share: the clever option

Where a build offers it, Usenet Share lets you stream, mount or write a build straight from Usenet without downloading hundreds of GB first, and without fiddling with RAR files. It uses the same Usenet account. See Usenet Share explained.

Torrents: free, but patience required

Torrents download from other people who have the build (seeders). Arcade Punks runs seedboxes for about 90 days after a release, so new builds are usually quick. After that it is down to the community, and an old build with few seeders can crawl. Free, and fine if you are not in a hurry. See Torrents for beginners.

Mega

Simple: click, and it downloads in your browser. A free Mega account gives you better management, and the desktop app copes much better with big builds than a browser does. Free users get a transfer allowance, so a big build may pause until it resets. See Downloading from Mega.

RapidGator

Direct downloads from RapidGator’s own servers. Free users get waits and slow speeds; RapidGator premium unlocks full speed around the clock and is the best alternative if you do not want Usenet. See RapidGator and other file hosts.

Google Drive and the rest

Google Drive is quick when it works, but popular files often hit “download quota exceeded”, and drives get cleared so links break. Dropbox, MediaFire and 1fichier are fine for smaller files. Treat all of these as backups. See Google Drive quota errors.

So which should I pick?

• I want it fast and I want it to work: NZB.
• I do not want to download hundreds of GB: Usenet Share, if the build has it.
• I want it free and I can wait: torrent, ideally soon after release.
• I just want to click a link: Mega, or RapidGator if you have premium.

Still stuck? See My download is slow or ask on our Discord.