GTA 6 Pre-Load Starts November 10 and Needs Up to 212 GB of Space
If you have pre-ordered Grand Theft Auto VI, start clearing your drive. Rockstar Games says the pre-load opens on November 10, nine days before the game launches on November 19, and it needs up to 212 GB of free space depending on your console.
When the pre-load starts
The two consoles do not start in the same way:
| Console | Pre-load opens |
|---|---|
| PlayStation 5 | November 10 at midnight in your local time zone |
| Xbox Series X|S | November 10 at 12 a.m. GMT, at the same moment worldwide |
PS5 players anywhere can simply count on midnight on November 10. The Xbox start is a single moment, so its local time changes with where you live. Converted by us for some of the biggest markets:
| Where | Xbox opens | Compared with PS5 |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, Vancouver | Nov 9, 4 p.m. | 8 hours earlier |
| Denver, Calgary | Nov 9, 5 p.m. | 7 hours earlier |
| Chicago, Mexico City | Nov 9, 6 p.m. | 6 hours earlier |
| New York, Toronto | Nov 9, 7 p.m. | 5 hours earlier |
| São Paulo, Buenos Aires | Nov 9, 9 p.m. | 3 hours earlier |
| UK, Ireland, Portugal | Nov 10, midnight | Same time |
| Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Poland | Nov 10, 1 a.m. | 1 hour later |
| Greece, Finland | Nov 10, 2 a.m. | 2 hours later |
| Turkey, Saudi Arabia | Nov 10, 3 a.m. | 3 hours later |
| United Arab Emirates | Nov 10, 4 a.m. | 4 hours later |
| India | Nov 10, 5:30 a.m. | 5.5 hours later |
| Singapore, Hong Kong | Nov 10, 8 a.m. | 8 hours later |
| Japan, South Korea | Nov 10, 9 a.m. | 9 hours later |
| Sydney, Melbourne | Nov 10, 11 a.m. | 11 hours later |
| New Zealand | Nov 10, 1 p.m. | 13 hours later |
So across the Americas, Xbox players can start on the 9th, while PS5 players wait until midnight. From continental Europe eastward it goes the other way, and the gap keeps growing until it reaches 13 hours in New Zealand.
How much space you need
Rockstar gives one number, up to 212 GB, and has not said which console needs how much. On a 1 TB drive that is about a fifth of the space. By our arithmetic, a download that size takes close to five hours on a steady 100 Mbps connection and about twice that on 50 Mbps.
Letting it download on its own
Rockstar’s pre-load FAQ lists what each console needs for an automatic download:
- PlayStation 5: auto-downloads turned on, with the console on or in Rest Mode.
- Xbox Series X|S: automatic updates turned on, with the console on or in Sleep mode.
Both options can be left set up before November 10. If you hit problems, Rockstar’s FAQ links to Sony’s and Microsoft’s own troubleshooting pages.
If you are buying a boxed copy
Pre-load applies to digital copies. Rockstar says code-in-box versions should be at retailers from November 12, so if you go that way, expect to start your download after that date and leave yourself time before the 19th.
The poster and map: a free printable and a $0.99 physical copy
Rockstar also announced a launch extra, and it comes in two forms:
| Version | Price | Available |
|---|---|---|
| Printable cover art poster and map of Leonida, as a download on the official GTA VI site | Free | November 19 |
| Double-sided physical poster at the Rockstar Store | $0.99 | Shortly after launch |
| The same poster as a gift with any Rockstar Store purchase | Free | Shortly after launch |
The announcement sets no condition on the digital version, such as owning the game. It does not give an exact date for the physical one, or say what goes on each side, though cover art on one side and the map on the other looks like the obvious reading.
The $0.99 is unlikely to be the whole bill. Rockstar shows shipping costs at checkout, and says local authorities may add duties and taxes outside the US and UK.
Delivery is the part that does not cover everyone. Rockstar’s shipping page, last updated in October 2025, lists 31 regions: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the UK and the United States. Turkey, Brazil, Mexico and India are among the markets not on it, so players there will most likely be printing the free version unless the list changes.
What Rockstar did not say
The announcement gives no time for when the game unlocks on November 19. It also mentions only PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, so there is still no word on a PC version.
Common questions
When can I pre-load GTA 6?
From November 10, 2026. On PS5 it starts at midnight local time, and on Xbox at 12 a.m. GMT.
How big is the GTA 6 pre-load?
Up to 212 GB, depending on your device.
Is the GTA 6 poster and map free?
The printable digital version is free on the official site from November 19. The physical poster costs $0.99 at the Rockstar Store, before any shipping costs, or comes free with any store purchase.
When does GTA 6 come out?
November 19, 2026, on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. We collect all our coverage in the GTA VI section.
Our take
Nine days is a generous window, and it mostly helps people on slower connections or with data limits. The number to act on is 212 GB. Plenty of consoles will need something deleted first, and it is better to do that this week than on the night of the 18th.
Source: Rockstar Games Newswire, pre-load FAQ and Rockstar Store shipping information. Image and video: Rockstar Games.