‘Grand Theft Auto VI’ Pre-Load Is Live: Here’s When You Can Download & How Much Space You’ll Need

The wait for Grand Theft Auto VI is almost over. Digital pre-loading for Rockstar Games’ blockbuster opens today, Tuesday, Nov. 10, nine days before the game launches on Nov. 19 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Rockstar announced the pre-load details in a post on Nov. 3, moving the start date up two days from the Nov. 12 date it had previously given.

When Pre-Loading Starts

The exact start time depends on your console.

On PlayStation 5, pre-loading begins on Nov. 10 at midnight local time in each player’s time zone.

On Xbox Series X|S, pre-loading began globally at 12 a.m. GMT on Nov. 10, which was 7 p.m. ET and 4 p.m. PT on Monday, Nov. 9, for players in North America.

Pre-loading is only open to players who pre-ordered a digital copy. Code-in-box versions for both consoles, which include a download code instead of a disc, should be available from retailers beginning Nov. 12, at which point those players can redeem their codes and start downloading as well.

Clear Some Space

Players will want to clear space on their consoles before downloading. Rockstar says the pre-load file will require “up to 212 GB depending on your device.”

That’s more than double the size of Rockstar’s last major release, Red Dead Redemption 2, which came in at around 100 GB at launch. On a launch PS5 with roughly 667 GB of usable storage, GTA VI alone would take up nearly a third of the drive.

The official figure closely matches a 210 GB number that leaked from the PlayStation Store backend the week before Rockstar’s announcement. Some outlets have suggested players reserve closer to 250 GB in case a day-one patch increases the install size.

Free Map of Leonida

Rockstar also included a bonus for fans in its announcement. On Nov. 19, the company will add a free, printable Grand Theft Auto VI cover art poster and a map of Leonida, the game’s fictional take on Florida, to its official website as a digital download.

That means players will be able to print their own map of Vice City and the wider state to keep beside them while they play.

A Long-Awaited Launch

Grand Theft Auto VI is one of the most anticipated video games ever made, with one estimate suggesting its launch could cost the U.S. economy $1 billion as workers skip their jobs to play. The game returns the series to Vice City, Rockstar’s fictional version of Miami, and is the first new entry in the main series since Grand Theft Auto V launched in 2013.

The game is launching only on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Rockstar has not announced a PC version.