GTA 6 pre-loads start November 10, and you'll need up to 212GB

Rockstar has confirmed that digital pre-loads for Grand Theft Auto VI begin on November 10, nine days before the game launches on November 19. The file is "up to 212GB depending on your device," the studio said.

The dates

On PS5, pre-loading starts Tuesday, November 10 at midnight local time. On Xbox Series X|S it starts globally at 12 a.m. GMT on November 10, which is 7 p.m. Eastern on November 9. Physical editions that come with a download code reach retailers from November 12.

That November 12 date matters for another reason. In June, Rockstar had indicated pre-loading would begin on the 12th. The new date moves it up two days, from seven days before release to nine. If you planned to clear space right before the 12th, your deadline just came sooner.

The real problem is space

The download isn't the hard part. Storage is.

An original PS5 ships with an 825GB drive, but the system keeps more than 100GB for itself, which leaves about 667GB you can actually use, according to TechRadar. A 212GB file would take up almost a third of that.

Treat that as the worst case. Rockstar didn't give separate sizes for PS5 and Xbox, only that the size depends on the device. But if you're on an original PS5 with a few big games installed, you will probably need to delete something first.

Make sure it downloads on its own

Rockstar says the pre-load only starts by itself if your console is set up for it.

On PS5: turn on automatic downloads and leave the console on or in Rest Mode.

On Xbox: turn on automatic updates and leave the console on or in Sleep Mode.

"So make sure you've got ample space to begin pre-loading as soon as possible," Rockstar said.

Sources: TechRadar, Video Games Chronicle, Inven Global and the Rockstar Newswire.

▶ Watch the 60-second version →