GTA VI pre-load moves up to 10 November

Rockstar has moved GTA VI's digital pre-load two days earlier: it now opens on Tuesday, 10 November, nine days before the 19 November launch. The Newswire post of 3 November replaces the 12 November date the studio gave when pre-orders opened in June.

The start time depends on the console. On PS5, pre-loading begins at midnight local time in your own time zone, so players further east get it first. On Xbox Series X|S, it opens at the same moment worldwide: 12 a.m. GMT on 10 November, which is 7 p.m. on 9 November on the US East Coast. Code-in-box editions for both consoles should reach retailers from 12 November. The box holds a download code rather than the game on a disc, so boxed buyers download it too.

The download needs up to 212 GB depending on the device, the first install size Rockstar has published for the game. That is about twice Red Dead Redemption 2's 107 GB on Xbox One, the biggest install the studio had shipped before. Rockstar advises clearing space early. Pre-loading only gets the files onto the console: the game itself still opens on 19 November.

Launch day also brings a small extra. On 19 November Rockstar will add a printable cover art poster and a map of Leonida to the official site as a free download. A double-sided physical version follows shortly after launch on the Rockstar Store, for $0.99 or free with any purchase there.