GTA 6 is available for preloading on PS5 and Xbox: up to 212 GB required

Rockstar Games has opened preloading for GTA 6 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, while Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick reported that development is complete and that the publisher has seen a record level of pre-orders. The game files can be downloaded in advance, but they can only be launched after the release on November 19. Up to 212 GB of free space is required for installation; the exact amount depends on the console.

When did the download begin, and how much space is needed?

In Ukraine, preloading on PS5 began on November 10 at 00:00 Kyiv time. Xbox Series X|S owners got access to the download at 02:00. These times refer to the start of preloading, not to when the game becomes available: the downloaded copy will remain locked until the release date.

Rockstar listed a maximum size of 212 GB, but did not disclose the file size separately for each console. Therefore, this figure should not be treated as the exact required installation size on both platforms. The post also does not say how much space the version will take up on a specific console model, which components are included in the download, or whether additional space will be needed for installation.

Preloading lets you place the game files on your device in advance, so you don't have to start downloading on release day. However, preloading itself does not grant early access: the restriction on launching the game will remain in place until November 19. Rockstar has not said whether downloading will be possible later if a user misses the initial window, so the published times indicate when preloading becomes available, not a deadline after which downloading will no longer be possible.

Take-Two says the game is ready

Zelnick spoke about the completion of development during a conversation with investors; OutputLag reports his remarks. The original report interprets this as the project having effectively gone “gold”—the stage at which the main version is ready for release. However, the available information includes no separate Rockstar announcement about the master disc's status or details about the production schedule.

The readiness of the main version does not answer whether fixes might be released after it has been prepared. The post mentions that the studio could still release a day-one update, but Rockstar has not announced such a patch. Its existence, number, content, and release date are unknown. Therefore, the patch cannot be considered a confirmed developer plan; the only confirmed information is the Take-Two CEO's statement that development is complete.

Zelnick also called GTA 6 pre-orders unprecedented for Take-Two. The publisher did not give the exact number of copies ordered or say how they are split between PS5 and Xbox Series X|S or across individual regions. Consequently, the statement indicates a record level by the company's own assessment, but does not make it possible to determine the number of copies sold or compare the result with specific games.

Record pre-orders and financial estimates are different metrics

Take-Two expects to receive between 8 and 8,2 billion dollars in net bookings during the current fiscal year. The company did not specify what portion of this amount is tied specifically to GTA 6. The post contains no data that would make it possible to connect the financial forecast to the number of pre-orders, the game's price, or the share of sales on each platform.

Separately, in July, analysts at Newzoo estimated the global value of GTA 6 pre-orders at 260 million dollars and forecast up to 5,2 billion dollars in revenue for the first week after launch. These are analysts' estimates, not sales results published by Take-Two. They cannot be treated as confirmation of the number of orders Zelnick mentioned: the publisher has not disclosed those figures. Nor should the weekly revenue forecast be directly equated with Take-Two's expectations for net bookings over the fiscal year, since these are different metrics from different sources.

Neither Newzoo's estimate nor the Take-Two CEO's remarks alone give an exact answer as to how many copies buyers have ordered. The publisher would need to release specific figures to answer that, and the post presented here contains none. Therefore, analysts' figures should be regarded as a forecast, and the description of pre-orders as record-breaking as a company statement that does not disclose their volume.

What is known about the consoles and the PC version

In October, Rockstar released a launch trailer recorded on PlayStation 5. This confirms that footage from the console version was used for the trailer, but it does not reveal the game's technical specifications. In particular, the published information contains no data on resolution, frame rate, or performance comparisons between PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The fact that the trailer was recorded on PlayStation alone is not enough to draw conclusions about differences between the versions.

Rockstar has not yet announced a PC version of GTA 6. No release date, system requirements, price, or pre-order start date have been specified for it. Therefore, the information about preloading, available storage, and start times applies only to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. There is no basis for applying the size of up to 212 GB to a possible PC version.

At present, console owners know three practical details: preloading opened in Ukraine on November 10, the game will require up to 212 GB of free space, and it will become playable after its release on November 19. On PS5, the download began at midnight Kyiv time; on Xbox Series X|S, it began at 02:00. Rockstar has not yet announced a PC version of GTA 6.