GTA 6 beginner's guide: what you need to know before your first hours

Where do you start with GTA 6 when the game only comes out on November 19, 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S? With what Rockstar has already shown: the 27-minute An Extended Look gameplay video captured on PS5, and Rob Nelson of Rockstar North's interviews with IGN, Famitsu, The New York Times and Flow Games.

Everything here is confirmed, with the source noted. Rockstar hasn't published an official control scheme, mission list or tutorial; we'll fill in those sections after launch. We don't use details from leaks.

If you haven't bought the game or freed up space on your console yet, go through the launch prep checklist first.

Rockstar hasn't published technical specs, so we're going by what the developers have said and what the stores list:

• Frame rate. Nelson told Flow Games that during development the console version ran at 30 frames per second; no decision on a 60 fps mode had been made at that point. Check the graphics menu on day one.
• PS5 Pro. The game carries the “PS5 Pro Enhanced” label, but neither Rockstar nor Sony has explained what exactly is improved.
• Language. Voice acting is English only, so English speakers get the original performance with no dubbing. Subtitles and menus come in 13 languages; the full list is on the GTA 6 languages page.
• First-person view. Unofficial: according to Flow Games' account, there won't be a full first-person mode, only when aiming some weapons. Rockstar hasn't confirmed this separately.
• Buttons. Rockstar hasn't released the control scheme. If you don't like the layout, you can remap buttons in the PS5 or Xbox system settings; instructions are on the GTA 6 controls page.

On PS5, according to Sony, the game supports DualSense haptic feedback, adaptive triggers and the controller speaker, as well as Remote Play.

The order is a rough guide: we haven't seen the official tutorial yet. After launch we'll replace this table with a tested plan for your first evening.

GTA 6 has two protagonists, Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos. You can switch between them: in An Extended Look it's instant when they're close together, and from a distance it's a short camera flight.

According to Nelson in Famitsu, in some missions switching is locked by the story or happens automatically. For example, in a robbery Jason shoots, Lucia drives, and then the game hands over control on its own. In other missions you can switch freely.

The relationship is a mechanic of its own. You decide whether they're a couple or just partners. If you play as one character all day, the other sends messages, and ignoring them, according to Nelson, “may hurt a bit”. At the same time he told IGN that romance doesn't give any special gameplay advantages: they stay partners in crime either way.

Who else is in the story is on the GTA 6 characters page.

This is the biggest change for anyone used to GTA 5. Here's how Nelson described it in his Famitsu interview:

• Wanted level only with witnesses. Stars appear if someone saw the crime, as in Red Dead Redemption 2.
• Heat. The police search based on a description of your clothes, appearance and car. Leave the search area, change clothes in a store or get rid of your weapon, and suspicion drops. Getting into a car that's already been identified is risky.
• Criminal Profile. For the first time in the series, the game judges whether you're a “professional” or a violent, dangerous criminal. Shooting back and aggression toward the police change your profile and how the world reacts.

In IGN Nelson mentioned two more tools: splitting up the characters or switching cars to throw the police off your trail, and Focus mode, similar to Eagle Eye in RDR2, which highlights things like nearby police officers. In the same interview he mentioned Adrenaline, which helps you escape, but didn't explain how it works.

Five-star wanted levels haven't gone anywhere. But the quieter you play, the less often it gets that far.

This table only includes points where the developers themselves compared GTA 6 with earlier games.

The full comparison is in our GTA 6 vs GTA 5 article.

Fuel. Cars and motorcycles really can run out of gas: Nelson told Flow Games how it happened to him while running from the police. A full tank lasts a long time, he said, and refueling itself takes about 10 seconds (via GamingBolt and Dexerto).

Food. Food and drinks give temporary boosts, for example an energy drink for stamina. But fast food and beer, according to Famitsu and the NYT, show up in Jason's weight.

Gym. In the showing, exercises are done with the L2 and R2 buttons. According to Famitsu, a few workouts over several days in a row raise strength and health, and if you go together, both characters train.

For other activities, from fishing to racing, see the GTA 6 gameplay page.

The phone in GTA 6 is a physical object in the character's hand, not a flat screen over the game. From Nelson's interviews we know about these features:

• bank: a separate account and balance (Famitsu);
• car scanner: shows the lock, alarm, tracker, resale price and registration cost (IGN);
• Scooter Bros: delivers your car (Famitsu);
• Ryde Me: the in-game take on a ride-hailing app, which works as fast travel (IGN);
• Snapmatic: a social media feed; you can send photos to your partner but not post them, because the characters are lying low (Famitsu);
• video and fitness apps (Famitsu).

According to Rockstar, you can now listen to the radio and podcasts on foot too, through earbuds connected to the phone.

One more thing: your personal vehicle. According to IGN, you can call it at any time, and it holds spare clothes and the weapons you've bought.

According to Nelson in Famitsu, story missions alone won't earn you enough to progress the story. So it's worth trying side income from your first hours; everything confirmed so far is in our guide on how to make money in GTA 6.

The in-game map is 3D, and unexplored areas stay hidden until you visit them (Famitsu). Leonida is big: according to Nelson, Vice City alone is twice the size of Los Santos. The regions (Vice City, Leonida Keys, Grassrivers, Port Gellhorn, Ambrosia and Mount Kalaga) are described on the GTA 6 map page.

Rockstar hasn't published any GTA 6 cheat codes. Don't trust “codes” and don't install third-party programs that promise money or invincibility. If real codes appear, they'll be on the GTA 6 cheats page.

• The full control scheme on PS5 and Xbox, and whether you can remap buttons in the game itself.
• Whether a 60 fps mode has arrived and what PS5 Pro adds.
• How saving, safehouses and sleep work.
• When free switching between the characters unlocks.
• How exactly Criminal Profile changes how the police and people react.
• How to deposit cash in the bank and how much garages and fuel cost.
• Whether fuel can be turned off and whether there's a full first-person view.
• Whether the game has cheat codes.

After that, this guide will get tested tips, in-game screenshots and a plan for your first evening.