The GTA VI preload starts on 12 November and needs free space

Grand Theft Auto VI arrives on 19 November and the preload starts a week earlier, on 12 November at midnight local time. A console that is not ready by then downloads on release day. How much disk space the game needs, Rockstar has not said.

Free space comes first

Rockstar Games has not announced how large Grand Theft Auto VI is. Given the scale of the game it is wise to clear space now, IGN writes. This could become one of the largest games ever released.

Games that have not been touched in months can be deleted, or moved to external storage if they are worth keeping. Leave room over for updates and for the temporary files an installation needs.

The preload starts on 12 November

The digital preload begins at midnight local time on 12 November 2026. Rockstar confirmed that with the pre-orders in June. Whoever bought the game in advance can download it a full week before release.

That only helps if the console is switched on and set to download by itself. Automatic downloads and automatic updates have to be on. The game then arrives overnight.

The boxed version is a download code in a box and not a disc. That code is available from 12 November as well, so it gives the same preload window.

A cable beats wifi

A download of this size is uncomfortable on a slow or unstable connection. If the console sits on wifi, the signal in that spot is worth testing before 12 November.

An ethernet cable is usually the steadier of the two. The point is to find a problem now rather than on 19 November.

Credit on the account

The standard edition costs 79,99 euro on PlayStation 5 and on Xbox Series X and S. The Ultimate Edition costs 99,99 euro. Buyers of the boxed version have to buy the upgrade to the Ultimate Edition digitally, IGN writes.

The amount can be paid at checkout, but it can also sit on the account beforehand as wallet credit. A digital gift card puts a fixed sum there in advance. Whoever does that only has to press buy on 19 November.

The right account and the newest software

A console with more than one account on it invites the wrong purchase. Which PlayStation Network or Microsoft account is signed in is worth checking before buying. Digital codes are often bound to a region as well, IGN writes.

The console itself needs its newest system software, and the games on it need their updates. A large system update on 19 November costs the same time as a download would.

Grand Theft Auto VI appears on 19 November for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S.