Exact date GTA 6 preload begins and how much storage you’ll need

In case you haven't heard, a little franchise called Grand Theft Auto is making its return in 2026. While Rockstar Games' automotive adventure has never really gone away, the long-awaited next mainline instalment is finally here. GTA V barged its way into our lives in 2013, and thanks to GTA Online, it smashed records to become the most profitable entertainment product of all time.

GTA V is still chugging along, but with GTA VI leaks doing the rounds for years, hype levels are at fever pitch.

People are booking release day off, whole businesses have vowed to shut their doors on November 19, and there are wild claims that it could cost the U.S. economy $1 billion as workers pull a sickie. With GTA VI on track to shatter the records set by its predecessor, it really feels like we're on the cusp of the biggest video game of all time.

With this in mind, you'll want to make sure you've got GTA VI preloaded and ready to go on November 19.

When can you preload GTA VI?

Back in June 2026, Rockstar Games confirmed that GTA VI will release on November 19, 2026, with a one-week preload window giving us plenty of time to ensure we're on the starting line and revving our engines. In that release, we were told that digital versions of GTA VI can start preloading on November 12. While there's been plenty of backlash over the 'physical' version of GTA VI containing a code instead of an actual disc, at least you'll also be able to preload your download code on November 12.

Even though Rockstar and publisher Take-Two Interactive are yet to confirm exactly what time everything will go live in a playable state, midnight ET/9 p.m. PT on November 18 is doing the rounds. Of course, simply getting the game ready is only half of the battle.

You need to make sure your console has enough room to fit this biggest, better, and bolder version of Vice City.

How much storage does GTA VI require on PlayStation 5?

PlayStation 5 is being touted by many as the ultimate way to play GTA VI, with Sony doing a big marketing push and the game having its own PS5 Pro Enhanced label on the PlayStation Store. Whether you've got a classic PS5 or a PS5 Pro, GTA VI could be about to take up a sizeable chunk of your console.

Although it shouldn't be taken as gospel, the X account PlayStation Game Size has a pretty solid track record when it comes to install size. Safe to say, you're probably going to have to clear some room because GTA VI is tipped to be a whopping 210 GB. With it coming in at around twice the storage size of Red Dead Redemption 2, that means GTA VI will require around 31% of a launch model PS5's 667 GB available.

It's only 11% of your PS5 Pro's 1.86 TB available, but as we've previously noted, getting your hands on a PS5 Pro is a battle of its own.

How much storage does GTA VI require on Xbox?

At the time of writing, there's no word on the Xbox Series X/S storage size needed for GTA VI, but it's likely to follow in the footsteps of the PS5's 210 GB. That could be an even bigger problem for Series S owners, as that would equate to nearly two-thirds of the console's 365 GB of usable internal storage.

The Xbox Series S gives us a little more breathing room thanks to its roughly 800 GB of usable storage.

There were concerning reports that GTA VI could require up to 676 GB of storage, but that came from a fake Xbox Store listing.

How does GTA VI's storage compare to previous games?

Patches and updates mean games are constantly requiring different amounts of storage, but according to PlayStation Game Size, GTA V requires 95 GB of storage on PS4 and 100 GB on PS5. Steam reveals the beefier GTA V Enhanced needs 105 GB on Windows PC, which was already a massive leap from the 22 GB Grand Theft Auto 4: The Complete Edition needed on Steam. Compare all of this to the OG GTA needing just 652 MB, and you see how far we've come.

With no sign of a potential PC release date for GTA VI, we can only imagine how it's going to push our rigs to their limits in terms of storage.

You didn't need to look at the stunning visuals to realize GTA VI was going to be an absolute monster to install on our consoles, but it could be time to make some pretty tough decisions about what stays and what goes ahead of November 19.