GTA 6 download size: up to 212 GB, with preload from 10 November

GTA 6 needs up to 212 GB of storage, according to Rockstar as reported by Game8 and GameRant. Preload also moved earlier, from 12 November to 10 November. Here is what 212 GB means for your console, and how long it takes to download.

The numbers

Item	Figure	Status
GTA 6 storage needed	Up to 212 GB	Rockstar, as reported by Game8 and GameRant
Red Dead Redemption 2, for comparison	About 105 GB	212 GB is about double
Standard PS5 usable storage	About 667 GB
Share of a standard PS5 GTA 6 would fill	About 32%	212 ÷ 667
Preload, PS5	Tuesday 10 November 2026, midnight local time	Rockstar, as reported by Game8
Preload, Xbox Series X|S	Monday 9 November 2026, 4pm PT (midnight on 10 November in the UK)	Rockstar, as reported by Game8; UK time is our conversion
Launch	Thursday 19 November 2026, midnight local time	PS5 and Xbox Series X|S

Game8's report gives one figure, not one for each console, so your console may need less. Day-one patches usually add to it.

Why GTA 6 is so big

Rockstar told Edge magazine that GTA 6's map is twice the size of GTA 5's, and that its total landmass "is nearly as large as the playable maps of GTAIV, GTAV and RDR2 combined". Rockstar's previous game, Red Dead Redemption 2, was already one of the biggest downloads of its console generation.

How long will 212 GB take to download?

Connection speed	Time for 212 GB at full speed
50 Mbps	About 9 hours 25 minutes
100 Mbps	About 4 hours 45 minutes
300 Mbps	About 1 hour 35 minutes
1 Gbps	About 30 minutes

Worked out as 212 GB × 8 ÷ line speed, assuming the full speed with no slowdown. Launch-week downloads are usually slower because servers are busy, which is the point of preloading. If you game over satellite or a slower rural line, our Starlink vs fibre guide compares the speeds you can expect.

What to do before 10 November

1. Check your free space. On PS5, open Settings, then Storage. You need up to 212 GB free, plus room for a patch.
2. Clear space before preload day. Deleting a big game takes minutes; you can download it again later.
3. Add storage if you need it. An M.2 SSD fitted inside the PS5 adds space to play from. A USB drive can store PS5 games, but they have to be moved back to play.
4. Boxed copies may still need the full download. Game8 reports code-in-box versions reaching shops from 12 November. With a code in the box, you download the game, so you need the same space.

For launch times in each country, editions and prices, see our GTA 6 release date tracker. For the earlier games, see Grand Theft Auto V and the rest of the series in the best games of all time.

How we checked

The 212 GB figure and the 10 November preload come from Game8's and GameRant's reports of Rockstar's announcement, read on 5 November 2026; we haven't yet read Rockstar's own post. Before that, Altchar reported 210 GB from the PlayStation Game Size account on 28 October, and Rockstar gave 12 November as the preload date when it opened pre-orders. The map comparison is Rockstar's own words, from Edge's preview as reported by ComicBook.com. Download times are calculated, not measured. We'll update this page if Rockstar, Sony or Microsoft publish sizes for each console.