After years of waiting, multiple delays and countless rumors, Grand Theft Auto VI is finally coming to gamers’ consoles. From today, November 10thThose who pre-ordered Rockstar’s highly anticipated open-world game can begin downloading on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
But before you get too excited, you need to keep in mind that this is not the full release. While you can download the game now, you’ll have to wait until November 19th to actually play it. Accordingly Rockstar’s official support sitePreloading begins at different times depending on the console. PlayStation 5 users can begin downloading at midnight in their respective time zone, while Xbox Series X|S owners will get simultaneous access worldwide on November 10 at 12pm GMT.
For American Xbox players, preloading technically began on November 9th at 7:00 p.m. ET or 4:00 p.m. PT.
Vice City is calling, but you better have plenty of storage space
Before you rush to download the game, you should check if your console has free storage space. Rockstar confirms that GTA 6 will require up to 212GB of free space depending on the console. So if you already have a bunch of big games installed, you may need to uninstall one or two of them. Fortunately, it’s relatively easy to start the preload process.
On PS5, navigate to your games library, select GTA 6 and check the countdown timer to enable automatic download. You also need to make sure your console is turned on or in sleep mode and automatic downloads are turned on. Xbox owners should enable automatic updates and keep their consoles on or in sleep mode. If you have already pre-ordered the game, check your games library for the available download.
The pre-download is intended to save players from having to download the entire game when it officially launches, but there will definitely be additional updates that should be available on launch day.
The wait is almost over
GTA 6 officially releases on November 19, 2026 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S and takes players back to Vice City and the sprawling state of Leonida. But the closer we get to the release, the more a big question hangs over the release.
As I reported yesterday, references to the PlayStation backend have revealed potential multiplayer features, but Rockstar still hasn’t announced a successor to GTA Online. The focus is clearly on Jason and Lucia’s adventures in single player mode. With only nine days between preload and release, the long-awaited return of Vice City is finally within reach for me.
