Gamers uncover setting that lets you play GTA 6 18 hours early on Xbox and Playstation
Many fans have been waiting over 13 years now to play the next Grand Theft Auto game, and while November 19 is now just around the corner, you can jump into Leonida and GTA 6 up to 23 hours early depending on where you are in the world.
While many games are released globally at the exact same time, some do opt instead for a midnight unlock in your local time zone, meaning those in some parts of the world gain access far earlier than others.
This can be only a few hours between places like New Zealand – the 'earliest' time zone – and Australia, the difference between Wellington and somewhere like Hawaii is as much as 23 hours, making that an incredibly painful wait for Grand Theft Auto fans.
Thankfully there's a method you can take advantage of to play GTA 6 as soon as it unlocks in New Zealand, giving both PlayStation and Xbox gamers at least a few extra hours to spend in what many consider to be the biggest game ever released.
How to play GTA 6 early on PlayStation and Xbox
Both PlayStation and Xbox platforms technically include a 'loophole' feature that lets gamers pretend that they're in New Zealand, opening up access to GTA 6 when the clock strikes midnight in Wellington — and for some this is almost a day earlier than they'd get access otherwise.
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The route you need to take to activate this is different for each platform, however, with the Xbox method being far easier than Sony's console, but it's still something you should consider if you've got the time and want to dive into Jason and Lucia's story as early as possible.
Xbox method
If you've pre-ordered GTA 6 on Xbox then you'll definitely want to take advantage of this loophole, as it takes just a few steps to temporarily switch your account to New Zealand and unlock the game early:
- Head into your Xbox's Settings menu and find the System tab on the left
- Navigate to the Language & Location option and change your location to New Zealand
- Restart your Xbox using the Restart Now button to activate the change
From here, your account will be technically situated in New Zealand and subject to the earlier unlock times, giving you access to the game far earlier than you would have.
Once your actual country's unlock time has passed, feel free to change the settings back to how they were before to return things to normal.
PlayStation method
While PlayStation does give you the opportunity to play GTA 6 earlier than expected, it might not be worth the downsides for most gamers as it comes with some complications.
Here is everything you need to do to play GTA 6 early on PS5:
- Create a New Zealand-based PlayStation account using a valid regional address
- Buy a New Zealand valid PlayStation gift card with the equivalent value of GTA 6 online
- Purchase GTA 6 on the NZ-based PlayStation account through the PlayStation store using the wallet credit
- Log into the new account, and head into the Settings menu
- Find the Users and Accounts option, then Other, then Console Sharing and Offline Play
- Select Enable to make this the primary account on your PlayStation console, giving other users access to the game
Once you've done this, make sure you've downloaded GTA 6 on the New Zealand account during the pre-load period so that it unlocks when the game first becomes available.
The 'downsides' of this are that you technically don't own GTA 6 on your main account, potentially leading to licence verification issues down the line. Additionally, many people have likely already purchased GTA 6 on their own account — although you can refund a pre-order providing that its more than 14 days before the release.
What time does GTA 6 first unlock?
Once you've got your account set up to play GTA 6 early, you'll then want to find out when midnight in New Zealand is in your own local time, so make sure you use the list below to work out how early you'll be able to play the game, with all the times being on November 18:
- Australia — 10:00 p.m. AEDT
- Japan— 8:00 p.m. JST
- China — 7:00 p.m. CST
- India — 4:30 p.m. IST
- Saudi Arabia — 2:00 p.m. AST
- Europe — 12:00 p.m. CET
- United Kingdom — 11:00 a.m. GMT
- Brazil — 8:00 a.m. BST
- US East — 6:00 a.m. ET
- US Central — 5:00 a.m. CST
- US West — 3:00 a.m. PT
For those in Miami where the game's fictional Vice City is based on, you'll be able to play it as much as 18 hours earlier than you would have otherwise, which can be a big difference if you only have a limited amount of time off work.