Grand Theft Auto VI is preloading now. Rockstar opened the download window on Tuesday 10 November, Monday evening in the US, and the game needs up to 212 GB of free space. If you own the base Xbox Series S, that single download eats well over half the space you actually have. The game itself stays locked until Thursday 19 November, but the download window is open now, and on a slow connection it can take the better part of a day.
Rockstar announced the preload date on 3 November, a week before the download window opened. Preorders opened in June, and USA Today reports the game is still available to preorder until release day. There is no disc at all: Rockstar says the physical version contains a download code and “a disc will not be included in the box.” USA Today calls it the first Grand Theft Auto sold without a physical disc. The code-in-box packages start reaching retailers on 12 November. Our look at the launch trailer covers what Rockstar showed last month; this is the practical part.
When does the GTA 6 preload start?
PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S run on different clocks. The PS5 preload starts at midnight on Tuesday 10 November, midnight Eastern in the US, so it is Monday evening on the West Coast. The Xbox preload starts at a single worldwide moment, midnight GMT on Tuesday 10 November, which means North American players could start on Monday evening. Here is what that means in US time:
| Console | Pacific | Mountain | Central | Eastern |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PlayStation 5 | Mon 9 Nov, 9:00 pm | Mon 9 Nov, 10:00 pm | Mon 9 Nov, 11:00 pm | Tue 10 Nov, 12:00 am |
| Xbox Series X|S | Mon 9 Nov, 4:00 pm | Mon 9 Nov, 5:00 pm | Mon 9 Nov, 6:00 pm | Mon 9 Nov, 7:00 pm |
The Xbox times are our conversion of Rockstar’s midnight GMT start, and the PS5 times are midnight Eastern, per GameRant’s breakdown. If you bought a code-in-box physical copy, you cannot preload until the package arrives (they start reaching retailers on 12 November), and you still have to redeem the voucher on the PlayStation Store or Microsoft Store to trigger the download. That leaves a full week before launch, which is plenty on a fast connection and tight on a slow one.
How big is the GTA 6 download, really?
Up to 212 GB, depending on your console, according to Rockstar’s Newswire update. That is more than double the size of its predecessor: GTA 5 Enhanced takes up roughly 87 GB on PS5 and 94 GB on Xbox Series X|S, per GameRant. At 212 GB, GTA 6 is about 2.4 times the size of GTA 5 Enhanced on PlayStation, our calculation from those two figures.
The number that matters most is on the cheapest console. The 512 GB Xbox Series S leaves about 364 GB of usable space after system files, according to Stevivor’s comparison and other reviews. Our calculation: 212 GB is about 58% of that 364 GB. One game takes more than half the drive. If you have a 1 TB Series X, with about 802 GB usable per Stevivor, the same download is roughly a quarter of your space, so the pinch is real but manageable.
Two more constraints worth knowing before you start. First, GTA 6 has to live on fast internal storage: the console’s internal drive, a compatible M.2 NVMe SSD on PS5, or a Storage Expansion Card on Xbox Series X|S. An external USB hard drive cannot run the game. Second, GameRant advises clearing an extra 15 to 25 GB of headroom beyond the 212 GB, so the console has temporary space to unpack files and install updates without throwing a storage error. On a base Series S, that means freeing about 230 GB in total before you press download.
How long will the preload take?
GameRant’s estimates for a 212 GB download, which match our own arithmetic at each speed, run like this:
| Internet speed | Estimated download time |
|---|---|
| 25 Mbps | 19 hours |
| 50 Mbps | 9.5 hours |
| 100 Mbps | 5 hours |
| 200 Mbps | 2.5 hours |
| 500 Mbps | 1 hour |
| 1 Gbps | 30 minutes |
On a 25 Mbps connection, a download started Tuesday morning finishes around Wednesday, leaving eight days to spare. Any interruption or a slower real-world speed eats into that buffer. On 100 Mbps or faster, it is an afternoon’s job. Start it now if you can, and leave the console in rest mode or sleep mode so the download keeps running while you are away.
How do I start the GTA 6 preload?
First, switch on background downloads, then start the download from your library. The steps, per GameRant and the console makers’ own support pages, are:
- On PS5, open Settings, then System, then Power Saving, then Features Available in Rest Mode, and switch on Stay Connected to Internet.
- On PS5, open Saved Data and Game/App Settings, then Automatic Updates, and switch on Auto-Download.
- On PS5, open your Game Library, select Grand Theft Auto 6, select the countdown timer, and make sure the checkbox next to the game content is ticked.
- On Xbox, open Settings, then General, then Power Options, and select Sleep mode; under Settings, then System, then Updates, switch on Keep my games and apps up to date.
- On Xbox, press the Xbox button, go to My Games and Apps, then Full Library, then All owned games, select Grand Theft Auto 6, and choose Install all.
- Check your free space first. You need up to 212 GB plus 15 to 25 GB of headroom before the download starts.
What happens after the download finishes?
Nothing, until launch day. The game icon stays locked on your home screen until GTA 6 unlocks at midnight local time on Thursday 19 November. The preload only buys you time; it does not buy you early access.
The game is set in Leonida, Rockstar’s take on Florida, and follows protagonists Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos, per USA Today. The Standard edition costs $79.99 and the Ultimate edition $99.99. Rockstar is also giving away a free printable cover art poster and Leonida map from the GTA 6 website.
If you are still deciding, the storage math is the decision. On a base Series S, GTA 6 plus its headroom leaves you about 130 GB for everything else. Clear the space now, start the download tonight, and the only thing left to wait for is Thursday.
Key art: Rockstar Games.
