GTA 6 preload starts by time zone and weighs 212 GB

Rockstar has released a new GTA VI trailer to announce that pre-loading is now available, according to IGN España. The video also contains previously unseen footage.

Pre-loading is open to anyone who reserved the digital version. Those with the physical edition, which includes a code inside the box, can redeem it and start downloading as soon as they receive it, a detail the article did not spell out. The launch remains set for 19 November.

Pre-loading is now live worldwide on Xbox Series X|S, according to @GTASixInfo on X, in a post from 00:03 GMT on 10 November. Until now this article described a staggered opening by time zone; this account says that on Xbox it has now reached every region. It gives no further details and says nothing about PS5.

Separately, Yahoo reports that Rockstar's page puts the start of pre-loading on 10 November and keeps the release on 19 November.

Rockstar had set the preload for November 12, according to its pre-order Newswire post. AVPasión says it moved up by two days. The data for the game is already online, and the launch date hasn't changed.

It starts on Monday, November 9, by time zone, according to Clarín. Downloads opened at 11:00 GMT, which is 00:00 in New Zealand, and each country gets access at its own local midnight.

For Spain, the outlet AVPasión gives 1:00 mainland Spanish time on Tuesday, November 10, and says Rockstar confirmed it. If you pre-ordered on the PS Store or the Microsoft Store, your store page shows the countdown.

The game weighs about 212 GB, per Rockstar, a figure AVPasión repeats. That's roughly double Red Dead Redemption 2, a game already considered large.

AVPasión warns that the PS5 has a network card that doesn't use the full speed of your connection. On a standard connection, it says, the download takes several hours. You may have to delete a game to make room.

Yes, but the box has no disc. AVPasión says the physical edition includes a slip of paper with a code for the digital version, and stores will ship copies from November 10.

If you pre-ordered a box and your store hasn't written to you, AVPasión suggests contacting it to check your code will arrive in time. Rockstar had said the boxed edition with a download code would go on sale on November 12.

Clarín says Rockstar wants to avoid overloading its servers. Demand is high: two weeks before launch, close to eight million units had been pre-ordered, according to Sensor Tower.

Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar's parent company, called pre-order levels exceptional in early August but gave no figures. For perspective, GTA V has sold over 230 million units since 2013, and the series passes 475 million copies since 1997.

You can have the game installed before launch and skip hours of waiting on the day. But having it downloaded doesn't let you start it: per Clarín, play begins at midnight on November 19 in your country.

If you're new to Leonida, the GTA 6 beginner's guide helps you plan your first session while the download finishes.

The two sources don't fully agree on the exact moment for each country. Clarín gives 11:00 GMT as the first opening, and AVPasión gives 1:00 mainland Spanish time on November 10. AVPasión also writes December 18 in one paragraph, while the rest of its text, Clarín and Rockstar say November 19.

The practical reference is the countdown on your PlayStation or Xbox store. Before launch on November 19, check that the download has finished before midnight.

How big is the GTA 6 preload?

It's about 212 GB, per Rockstar Games, a figure Clarín and AVPasión repeat.

Can I play GTA 6 while preloading?

No. According to Clarín, you can only play from midnight on November 19 in your country.

Which consoles is it on?

PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series, per Clarín. Rockstar hasn't announced a PC version.