How much GTA 6 costs: $79.99 Standard, $99.99 Ultimate
Straight to it, because that is why you are here. Grand Theft Auto VI costs $79.99 / 79.99 euros in its Standard edition and $99.99 / 99.99 euros for the Ultimate, on both PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, per the official PlayStation listing and the Spanish press coverage from the pre-order opening on June 25. Yes: Rockstar has normalised the 80-euro base game in Europe, and so far nobody seems to be walking away over it.
Both editions include the Vintage Vice City pack as an incentive for buying before November 20, plus one month of GTA+, Rockstar's subscription. That free month is the most revealing detail on the whole listing — I will come back to it.
What the Ultimate actually adds, and whether it is worth 20 more
The Ultimate edition adds, per the official description, «additional vehicles, weapons, clothing, businesses and activities». Translation: in-game content — not early access, not a collector's soundtrack. Rockstar has not detailed how much that content matters in practice, so buying it today is a 20-euro act of faith.
My advice, same as with every big launch: if you already know you will live in Vice City, you will not miss the 20 euros; if you are unsure, the Standard is the full game and still includes Vintage Vice City. The numbers say I am in the minority, though: the Ultimate is outselling the Standard, as we covered when we broke down the $180 million pre-order estimate.
The physical box has no disc inside — a code, and it is not a joke
Here comes the part half the internet is still angry about. The physical edition of GTA VI — the boxed one you buy at retail — does not include a disc: there is a download code inside. Rockstar confirmed it in late June, as reported by VGC, and the reason pointed to is avoiding leaks before launch.
You will pay 80 euros for a box with a piece of paper in it. You can shelve it, but you cannot lend it, resell it like a normal game or install it offline. For collectors and preservation it is a real blow, and it fits the direction Sony has taken with physical media, something we touched on in July's PS Plus guide. A Polish-sourced rumour talks about a real disc later on; Take-Two has denied that plan, and until that changes, the code-in-a-box is what exists.
Pre-orders, the November 12 preload and the dates that matter
The calendar, short and clear. Pre-orders have been open since June 25 at the usual stores. Preload starts on November 12 for both physical and digital versions: seven days to download calmly before launch. And the release is November 19, 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, with confirmed PS5 Pro enhancements.
What about PC? No official date. Rockstar has said it is not «against any platform», but has put no month or year on paper. If you play on PC and are doing the maths, this analysis goes through how long the wait could be based on the company's history. Spoiler: patience.
The detail almost nobody mentions: only single-player is announced
The uncomfortable question remains. PlayStation's official page describes GTA VI as «a single-player experience». Not a word about multiplayer, nothing about a new GTA Online. With GTA V, the online mode arrived two weeks after launch; with GTA VI, Rockstar will not even say the word.
Which brings me back to that free month of GTA+ in every edition: to me it smells like a long-term service strategy, with an online mode arriving whenever and however Rockstar wants. That is my reading, not a fact — I am writing it down so you can hold me to it in November. Until then, the verifiable part is this: 79.99 or 99.99 euros, a discless box, preload on the 12th, the date on the 19th.
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