Grand Theft Auto 6 Pre-Load Opens November 10, Nine Days Before Launch

Players can start downloading Grand Theft Auto 6 on Tuesday, November 10, nine days before the game's November 19 release date. Rockstar Games has published the pre-load schedule for each platform, according to Video Games Chronicle.

Pre-loading is a download that puts a game's files on a console or PC before launch. The game then unlocks as soon as its release date arrives, with no wait for the full install. This one is large. The pre-load file is up to 212 GB, so players will need that much free storage before they begin.

Start times depend on the console. On PlayStation 5, the download opens at midnight local time on November 10, in each player's own time zone. On Xbox Series X and Series S, the download begins at 12am GMT on November 10. That is 4pm Pacific Time and 7pm Eastern Time on November 9, so players in North America will see it open the evening before the calendar date.

Physical copies have their own timetable. Code-in-box versions, the boxed editions sold in shops, go live on November 12. Rockstar has said the physical version includes a code that can be redeemed for the digital download, so buyers of a disc or box can use it to pre-load the game as well. Rockstar's support page describes that code as a way to support the pre-load.

Pre-orders opened on June 25 on digital storefronts and at other select retailers, according to Rockstar's newswire. Digital storefronts are the online shops where games are bought and downloaded directly.

Players who want to be ready on launch day can check their device storage, confirm their console or account settings, and watch for the pre-load to appear in their library on the opening date for their platform.