How big is GTA 6? Up to 212 GB, and pre-loading starts November 10

On November 3, 2026, Rockstar said on Rockstar Newswire that the GTA 6 pre-load is up to 212 GB depending on your device. It did not break the figure down by console, so there is no separate official number for PS5 or Xbox Series X|S.

The game launches on November 19 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S only. Pre-loading starts earlier than first planned: on November 10 instead of November 12.

Before the announcement, Xbox Store showed “Approximate size 328.76 MB” for GTA VI. That was a placeholder package that downloads with the pre-order, not the game itself.

In late October the PlayStation Game Size account, which tracks technical data from PlayStation Store, reported about 210 GB on PS5 and PS5 Pro; Notebookcheck and Altchar repeated the figure. Rockstar's official “up to 212 GB” is almost the same number. Other figures that floated around videos and websites, such as “150 GB” or “300 GB”, didn't hold up.

Our advice is to free up 250 GB or more on the drive you'll install the game to. That's not a Rockstar requirement but our margin on top of the official 212 GB, for a day-one patch and post-launch updates.

Deleting games isn't a big deal. Sony says deleted games can be downloaded again from your library, and Microsoft says your license and progress stay in the cloud. On PS5, check your saves separately: they're managed under Saved Data in Settings.

Keep in mind that the console reserves part of its storage for the system. Microsoft says it plainly: even with no games installed, you won't see the full 500 GB, 1 TB or 2 TB as free space.

Following Sony's instructions:

1. From the home screen, open Settings → Storage. It shows how much space is used and how much is free.
2. To delete a game, go to Console Storage → Games and Apps, select what you don't need and choose Delete.
3. Instead of deleting, you can move a game to a USB drive or an M.2 SSD; more on that below.

You can also manage PS5 storage from your phone through the PlayStation App, if your console is linked to the app.

Following Microsoft's instructions:

1. Press the Xbox button on your controller to open the guide.
2. Select Profile & system → Settings → System → Storage devices. Each drive shows what percentage is used and how much space is free.
3. Select a drive and choose “View contents” to see how much each game takes up, or “Uninstall content”.

Another route is My games & apps → See all → Manage → Free up space: the console will suggest what to remove.

PS5. You can install an additional M.2 SSD in the console. Sony's requirements:

Before installing, Sony recommends updating the PS5 system software. Free space on the SSD is shown under Settings → Storage → M.2 SSD Storage.

Xbox Series X|S. Here you need the official Storage Expansion Card in 512 GB, 1 TB or 2 TB. Microsoft says it works just like the internal SSD and can run games “Optimized for Xbox Series X|S”. The card goes into a dedicated slot on the back of the console and is compatible only with Xbox Series X|S. A regular M.2 SSD can't be installed in an Xbox.

No. But a drive will still help you free up space.

• PS5. Sony states plainly that PS5 games can't be played from a USB drive: you can store them there, but you have to copy them back to console storage before playing. Drive requirements: SuperSpeed USB 5 Gbps or faster, 250 GB to 8 TB, connected directly, not through a USB hub. PS4 games do run from such a drive, so it's a handy place for older games.
• Xbox Series X|S. GTA 6 is labeled “Optimized for Xbox Series X|S”, and under Microsoft's rules such games must be installed on the internal SSD or an expansion card. An external drive (USB 3.0/3.1, 128 GB or more) is fine for storage and for Xbox One, Xbox 360 and original Xbox games. You can connect up to three USB drives at once.

A practical plan: move the games you're not playing right now to a USB drive, and install GTA 6 on the internal SSD, an M.2 SSD (PS5) or an expansion card (Xbox).

For reference, here are the sizes of other Rockstar games as Xbox Store lists them (the “More” section of each game's page, checked on November 2, 2026):

We didn't find PS5 figures with an official source, so we left them out of the table. Sizes change with every update. At up to 212 GB, GTA 6 is almost twice the size of GTA 5 and RDR2 on Xbox.

Pre-loading opens on November 10:

• PS5: at midnight local time on Tuesday, November 10, for digital pre-orders.
• Xbox Series X|S: at 00:00 GMT on November 10 for all regions, which is 7:00 PM ET on November 9 in the US.
• Boxed copies with a download code go on sale on November 12; redeem the code to start the download.

Step-by-step pre-load instructions are on the Rockstar Support site. Once the download starts, your console's download list shows the size for your device. A plan for the week before launch is in our guide on how to get ready for GTA 6.

After launch on November 19 we'll add the size of the day-one patch, if Rockstar releases one, and adjust our advice on how much space to free up if needed.

While you wait, see what you need to play on the GTA 6 system requirements page, and read about the plot and protagonists in the story and characters sections. Everything about the game is collected on the main GTA 6 page.