Rockstar Games has announced that physical editions of Grand Theft Auto 6 will not be sold in disc form. Instead, they will “feature a download code inside the packaging,” according to the developer’s pre-order details announcement, which covers the game’s price and the Ultimate Edition, along with the available pre-order bonuses.
To keep players who opt for the physical edition from running into issues at launch, Rockstar is taking a fairly uncommon approach: it will distribute physical versions of GTA 6 on November 12, one week before the title’s November 19 release date. At that point, players can redeem their download codes and start preloading the game at the same time as customers who pre-order digitally. (Preloading will also open on November 12.)
For people who buy games as collectibles, the lack of a traditional hard copy for GTA 6 will likely feel frustrating, though the early availability of the code-in-a-box format suggests Rockstar has given the situation some thought.
So what other conclusions might we draw? One strong implication is that GTA 6 may require a very large install size. The PlayStation 5 uses triple-layer Blu-ray discs that can store up to 100 GB, and physical releases that span multiple discs are relatively rare—though there are notable examples, including Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the Complete Edition of Horizon Forbidden West, and Baldur’s Gate 3. On the Xbox Series X, discs top out at 50 GB, and on that platform Baldur’s Gate 3 ships across at least four discs.
It’s widely expected that GTA 6 will be larger than all of those releases. It could run past 200 GB, and that may translate to a minimum of three discs on PS5—potentially as many as five on Xbox Series X—factors that could have pushed Rockstar to reconsider manufacturing costs or how practical it would be to package everything.
Physical sales are steadily dropping, becoming almost negligible on Xbox. PlayStation is a different story, where physical copies still account for about 30% of sales. For a major release like GTA 6, that percentage could be even higher.
Choosing a code-in-a-box setup for GTA 6 is certainly disappointing. Even so, if the install ends up going beyond 200 GB, a full week for downloading it should be plenty… right?
Rockstar confirms GTA 6 price and $99.99 Ultimate Edition
Prepare your cash, gamers