Make room on your PS5, because GTA 6 could need 210 GB

GTA 6 will take up 210 GB on PS5, according to PlayStation Game Size, the X account that usually reveals game sizes before they appear on the PS Store: more than double Red Dead Redemption 2. Rockstar hasn't confirmed it and there's no figure for Xbox yet, but it lands two weeks before preloading starts on 12 November. Here's where it comes from, how it compares with other Rockstar games and how much space you'll need to free up.

Where does the 210 GB figure come from?

A tweet. On 27 October, the PlayStation Game Size account posted the listing for the standard edition of GTA 6 on PS5: a 210 GB download, preload on 12 November, launch on the 19th and unlock at midnight. Within hours it had passed two million views.

PlayStation Game Size@PlaystationSize

🚨 Grand Theft Auto VI - 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐒𝐢𝐳𝐞 : 210 GB - 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝 ($79.99) Pre-Load : November 12 Release : November 19 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 : Midnight https://t.co/5vXkgnqfC7

This isn't just any account. It has been tracking changes to the PlayStation database since 2020 and, as Push Square points out, it tends to get install sizes right before they show up on the store. GameSpot and much of the gaming press have picked it up too.

How much bigger is it than Red Dead Redemption 2 and GTA 5?

A lot. When it came out in 2018, Rockstar asked for 99 GB to install Red Dead Redemption 2 on PS4, as Push Square reported at the time, and it already shipped on two discs. GTA 6 would need more than double that.

Push Square did the maths: at that size, GTA 6 would need around three Blu-ray discs on PS5, and more on Xbox Series X, which uses lower-capacity discs.

How much space does it take up on a PS5?

Almost a third of a launch PS5's SSD, according to Push Square. In other words: if you have the original console and haven't expanded the storage, it's time for a clear-out before 12 November, because with two or three big games installed it won't fit.

If you're weighing it up, you have two options: delete games you no longer play (you can always download them again) or slot an M.2 SSD into the PS5's expansion bay. And if your connection is slow, don't leave it until the night before: 210 GB is a lot of hours of downloading.

What about Xbox and the Ultimate Edition?

Nothing yet. PlayStation Game Size has only shared the figure for the standard edition on PS5. We don't know how big it will be on Xbox Series X|S, or whether the Ultimate Edition adds anything to the download. The official size will most likely appear on the stores before preloading starts.

When can you preload GTA 6?

From 12 November, a week before launch, and that part Rockstar has confirmed. If you've pre-ordered digitally, you'll be able to download it that day and play as soon as it unlocks on 19 November. If you want to know exactly how long is left, here's the countdown and release time.

And size matters for people buying a boxed copy too. The GTA 6 box doesn't include a disc: Rockstar confirmed in June that the physical version comes with a code to download the game, as Push Square reported, and that it will hit shops on 12 November precisely so you can preload it. Rockstar hasn't said why, but with 210 GB involved, three Blu-rays per box doesn't sound like the easiest plan.

With more than 6 million digital pre-orders, the night of 12 November is going to be a long one for PlayStation's servers. Better to clear the space beforehand.