Rockstar has made it official: Grand Theft Auto VI needs up to 212 GB, and digital pre-loading starts on Tuesday 10 November, nine days before the game launches on 19 November. That’s two days earlier than the 12 November date that was circulating before Rockstar’s 3 November Newswire post, so if you were planning to clear space later in the week, bring it forward.
Here’s when pre-loading opens on each console, how much room you actually have, and how long the download will take.
When GTA 6 pre-loading starts
| Platform | Pre-load opens | What that means in Australia |
|---|---|---|
| PS5 | Midnight local time, 10 November | 12am on 10 November, wherever you are |
| Xbox Series X|S | 12am GMT, 10 November, globally | 11am AEDT on 10 November (7pm ET and 4pm PT on 9 November) |
| Code-in-box copies | Retailers from 12 November | Redeem the code to start downloading |
Boxed copies of GTA 6 are code-in-box versions, not discs, so even physical buyers are downloading the full game. Rockstar says those should reach retailers from 12 November, which means boxed-copy owners get two days’ less head start than digital buyers. Whatever you bought, the game stays locked until your region unlocks it on 19 November; here’s exactly when that is in your time zone.
How big is GTA 6?
Rockstar’s exact wording is that the pre-load file “will require up to 212 GB depending on your device”. That’s the maximum, not a per-console figure, and the exact size for your machine will show on the store once pre-loading opens. The earlier 210 GB figure, reported from PlayStation Store data in late October, turned out to be within 2 GB.
For context, Red Dead Redemption 2 was around 100 GB at launch, so GTA 6 is roughly double the size of Rockstar’s last game. Rockstar hasn’t said anything about a day-one patch, so it’s sensible to leave a margin on top of the 212 GB.
Will GTA 6 fit on your console?
| Console | Usable storage (approx.) | Share taken by 212 GB |
|---|---|---|
| PS5 (825 GB launch model) | 667 GB | About 32% |
| PS5 Slim (1 TB) | 842 GB | About 25% |
| PS5 Pro (2 TB) | 1.86 TB | About 11% |
| Xbox Series X (1 TB) | 802 GB | About 26% |
| Xbox Series S (512 GB) | 364 GB | About 58% |
Series S owners are the ones who need to plan. GTA 6 will take well over half the free space on a 512 GB Series S, and installing a patch needs extra temporary room on top. If you’ve got a couple of other big games installed, you may already be too full, and you won’t find out until the pre-load fails on 10 November. Check now. We’d aim for roughly 250 GB free on any console to be safe.
Can you use external storage?
Not a USB drive, at least not to play. On both consoles, current-generation games have to run from fast internal storage:
- PS5: the built-in SSD, or a compatible M.2 SSD fitted to the expansion slot.
- Xbox Series X|S: the internal drive, or an official Storage Expansion Card.
A USB drive is still useful for parking older games off the internal SSD to free up room, and you can move them back later without re-downloading.
How long will the GTA 6 download take?
| Connection speed | Time for 212 GB at full speed |
|---|---|
| 25 Mbps (e.g. NBN 25) | About 19 hours |
| 50 Mbps (e.g. NBN 50) | About 9.5 hours |
| 100 Mbps (e.g. NBN 100) | About 4 hours 45 minutes |
| 500 Mbps | About 1 hour |
| 1 Gbps | About 30 minutes |
These are best-case times. In practice, NBN plans rarely hold their full speed in the evening peak, and PlayStation Network and Xbox Live will be under enormous load on 10 November and again on launch night. If you’re on a 25 or 50 Mbps plan, start the pre-load as soon as it opens and leave the console downloading overnight in rest mode.
How to pre-load GTA 6
Pre-loading only works for copies bought before launch.
- PS5: if automatic downloads are switched on, the game downloads by itself. Otherwise, start it from your Game Library.
- Xbox Series X|S: it appears in your queue under My Games & Apps.
- Code-in-box copies: redeem the code on the store as soon as you have it, and the download starts like a digital purchase.
Still deciding which edition to buy? Our pre-order guide covers what you get by ordering now, and our release date and price guide lists every edition. PC players will need to wait; here’s what Rockstar has said about GTA 6 on PC.