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

If you bought Grand Theft Auto VI digitally, you can start downloading it two days sooner than Rockstar originally said. Pre-loads now open on Tuesday, November 10, instead of November 12. Rockstar's updated pre-load FAQ says the PS5 download unlocks at midnight local time in each time zone. Xbox Series X|S works differently, with a single worldwide start at midnight GMT. In the US, that lands on the evening of Monday, November 9, at 7 p.m. ET or 4 p.m. PT.

The FAQ also settles the size question. Rockstar asks for up to 212GB of free space, depending on your console. Launch day hasn't moved. The game unlocks on November 19, and pre-loading only means it's installed and waiting when that day comes.

Two extra days to download

The old date left a week between pre-load and launch. The new one leaves nine days, which matters most on a slow connection. Pulling down 212GB takes roughly five hours at a sustained 100Mbps and close to sixteen at 30Mbps. Those are best-case numbers, since store servers and launch-night traffic will also set the pace.

Boxed copies don't get the head start. The physical edition contains a download code rather than a disc, and Rockstar expects retailers to begin delivering it from November 12. Until that code is in your hands, there's nothing to redeem or download.

What 212GB means for your storage

Rockstar says "up to" and doesn't break the figure down by console, so one version may turn out smaller. Measured against the internal drives, it's a big bite either way. On a 512GB Xbox Series S, it's more than two-fifths of the advertised capacity, and the space you can actually use is lower because the system keeps some for itself. On a PS5 with an 825GB SSD, it's a little over a quarter.

The official number is also slightly higher than the 210GB figure that had been circulating for PS5, which came from internal PlayStation Store data and which our pre-load guide treated as unconfirmed. If space is tight, our guide on freeing up space on PS5 and Xbox Series without losing your saves covers what to delete first and how to back up progress to the cloud.

Set it to download on its own

You don't need to stay up for it. According to Rockstar, a PS5 will grab the game by itself if automatic downloads are switched on and the console is on or in rest mode. On Xbox Series X|S, automatic updates need to be on, with the console either running or asleep.

PlayStation's help page on pre-order auto-downloads also tells you to keep the internet connection active in rest mode. Check your download queue once the pre-load window has opened. If GTA 6 isn't there, you can start it manually from the game's page in your library.