GTA 6 pre-load is live: 212 GB and unlock times

GTA 6 pre-loading has been open since November 10, 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Rockstar’s own page keeps it short: “Pre-loading is now available for everyone who has pre-ordered.” If you bought digitally, you can download the game now. You can’t play it until midnight local time on November 19.

Status: confirmed. Dates and file size come from Rockstar and PlayStation Blog; the Xbox times were reported by VGC and Pure Xbox. Anything unconfirmed is flagged.

When did GTA 6 pre-load start?

It depends on your console.

• Xbox Series X|S opened at the same moment worldwide: 00:00 GMT on November 10. That was 7 p.m. ET and 4 p.m. PT on Monday, November 9.
• PS5 opened at midnight local time on November 10. What counts is the region of your PlayStation Store account, not where you physically are.

Those Xbox times are for the pre-load only, not the launch. Nobody plays before midnight on November 19 in their own store region.

Pre-load and unlock times

Checked November 11, 2026.

How you play	Pre-load from	Unlock	Storage	Source
PS5 and PS5 Pro (digital)	Nov 10, 00:00 local (account region)	Nov 19, 00:00 local	Up to 212 GB	PlayStation Blog
Xbox Series X|S (digital)	Nov 10, 00:00 GMT (Nov 9, 7 p.m. ET)	Nov 19, 00:00 local	Up to 212 GB	VGC, Pure Xbox
Code in a box (PS5 or Xbox)	Once you redeem the code; boxes ship Nov 12	Nov 19, 00:00 local	Up to 212 GB	PlayStation Blog, VGC
Xbox Cloud Gaming (Xbox One and Series)	No download, it streams	Nov 19, 1:00 a.m. ET, one global time	None	Xbox Wire

New Zealand is the first region to hit midnight, so it unlocks first. One open question: reports differ on whether Xbox in the US unlocks at midnight PT on November 19 or at 9 p.m. PT on November 18. Rockstar hasn’t clarified it, so treat midnight local as the safe answer.

How big is GTA 6?

Up to 212 GB, depending on the console. That figure comes from Rockstar and is repeated by PlayStation Blog and VGC. PlayStation says you need at least 212 GB free on PS5. The Xbox Series X store listing shows 209.86 GB, per Thurrott, and the PS5 download sits around 210 GB.

Rockstar says 212 GB is the pre-load size and the final install may vary. No day-one patch has been announced, but Infobae warned that extra files may still be needed on launch day, so leave some headroom. Our download size guide breaks it down per console.

Who can pre-load?

Only people who already own or pre-ordered the game:

1. Digital purchase on PlayStation Store or Microsoft Store: available now.
2. Physical copy: there’s no disc, just a code in the box. Boxes reach stores on November 12, and PlayStation Blog confirmed you can redeem the code right away to start downloading. More in our physical edition explainer.
3. Xbox One: there’s no native version, so nothing to download. It streams through Xbox Cloud Gaming from November 19. You still have to buy the game, and Xbox Wire says the service runs in “supported markets” only. Details in platforms.

Boxed copies don’t include a map either. Rockstar is offering the cover art and a Leonida map as free digital downloads from November 19.

Still haven’t bought it?

GTA 6 costs US$79.99 for the Standard Edition and US$99.99 for the Ultimate Edition. Pre-orders placed before November 20 include the Vintage Vice City Pack. Regional prices are in our price guide.

What’s next

• November 12: code-in-a-box copies hit stores.
• November 19, midnight local: the game unlocks on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Full timeline in release date and per-region times in GTA 6 release time.
• November 19, 1:00 a.m. ET: Xbox Cloud Gaming streaming goes live.

Take-Two confirmed on November 9 that Rockstar has finished development, so another delay is very unlikely. The full story is in GTA 6 has gone gold.