GTA 6 download size: up to 212GB, pre-load starts November 10

Grand Theft Auto VI will take a big bite out of your console's storage. Rockstar Games confirmed on Tuesday that the pre-load file needs up to 212GB "depending on your device", The Verge reports, and advised players to make sure they have "ample space" before pre-loading begins.

When pre-loading starts

• PlayStation 5: from Tuesday, November 10, at midnight in your local time zone.
• Xbox Series X|S: from November 10 at 12AM GMT.

Rockstar has also published a support page with more details about pre-loading. The figure lines up with recent rumours that the game would be unusually large.

Launch details

GTA VI launches on November 19 for $79.99. It is distributed only as a digital download: physical editions in stores contain just a code in the box, so even buyers of a boxed copy will need the full download and the free space to go with it.

What 212GB means for your console

For context, the base PS5 and Xbox Series X ship with SSDs of around 1TB nominal capacity, and part of that is reserved for the system, so a 212GB game can take a large share of the usable space. The Xbox Series S has even less room. If you're short on space, the options are the usual ones: delete or archive games you're not playing, move older titles to an external USB drive (they can be stored there but current-gen games need fast internal or expansion storage to run), or add an M.2 SSD on PS5 or an expansion card on Xbox.

If you're planning that upgrade, our SSD buying guide explains what to look for in speed and capacity. Exact install size per console hasn't been broken down beyond Rockstar's "up to 212GB" figure, so leave some headroom for day-one patches as well.