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Update []: UK pre-orders have just gone live on the PlayStation Store and the Xbox Store - following a modest delay - and the Standard Edition costs £69.99, with the Ultimate Edition at £89.99. It doesn't look like there is availability at third-party stores at present.
Original Story: Rockstar Games released more information about the GTA 6 order process today, with the key revelation being that physical editions of the game wouldn't actually include a game disc. Instead, they will contain "a download code inside the box". These "physical" editions will start shipping on November 12th, 2026, a week ahead of launch, to allow players to redeem the code and begin preloading the game as an online download. The game is now confirmed to cost $79.99 in the US, with a $99.99 "Ultimate" Edition adding "an exclusive collection of premium vehicles, weapons, apparel, and action threaded across all aspects of Jason and Lucia’s story."
While the move is sensible from Rockstar's perspective - as it removes the possibility that enterprising users are able to extract and leak game data early or even play the game ahead of launch - it also means that the physical edition of the game is completely unplayable without an internet connection, something that will no doubt irk those of us on slower or unreliable connections, not to mention game collectors and other fans of physical media.
The press release goes on to say that digital pre-order customers get access to the same November 12th start for pre-loading, plus a free month of GTA+.
All purchases before November 20th will get the "Vintage Vice City Pack", a "collection of items that flash back to when the neon burned brightest." This includes a Vapid Stanier classic car from the original Vice City, a Shore Court garage to keep it, two Vice City outfits/hairstyles and an "exclusive weapon pattern".
From a quick scan of the press materials, the Ultimate Edition includes a collection of vehicles, garages, mod shops, classic car missions, a boat, weapons and weapon finishes, apparel, hairstyles and more. You can upgrade to the Ultimate Edition from the regular edition "at any time".
As a reminder, pre-orders begin on midnight local time at June 25th and the game releases on November 19th. A FAQ on the PS Store listing confirms that GTA 6 is "a single-player experience", meaning the game won't include a GTA Online multiplayer component - at least at launch.
What do you make of the announcement? Is this the ultimate death knell of physical media? Or a special case due to the impending hugeness of the GTA 6 release? Let me know in the comments below.
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Comments 25
Very disappointing. Hopefully the single player is still available to play offline.
This is 100% to stave off any second hand copies from appearing in the market. You want to play GTA 6? Great, you’re buying it from Rockstar. Selling your copy? Nope. This also gives them a retail presence while maintaining release control.
Sigh. Boo.
Oh, and since it's $80 it's going to be at least €90-100 in Europe because the conversion rates for games are always complete ass.
Media Markt Poland seemingly revealed the existence of a Quality and a Performance mode (also for Series S?), but later removed this info from its website.
https://www.reddit.com/r/GamingLeaksAndRumours/comments/1udsah3/gta_6_will_have_a_quality_and_performance_mode/
My answer to the poll: I just won't
@Solegor are you not interested in the game or do you not want anything digital? Skipping the biggest game in history just because it is digital or costs a sandwich more is really strange.
Very, very, very disappointed to hear the so-called "physical" edition is just another waste of money and materials because it's a code in a box. Wow! Seriously, what is the point in buying a physical copy of a game that requires the internet anyway? I suppose it is possible that retailers like Amazon might discount the game a bit versus the Sony and Microsoft storefront prices but otherwise I can think of no other reason to buy or pre-order a physical copy.
I saw someone post on the Eurogamer forum that Take-Two have done this to ensure that there are no second hand sales which is kind of a scummy move really considering how rich they are and how much the game is rumoured to cost (between £70 and £80 in the UK).
I was planning to pre-order a PS5 copy from Amazon tomorrow for my collection and only because they do not take payment until dispatch so it's not like I'm giving Take-Two any money early. I normally only pre-order from Amazon for that reason and to own a disc copy of the game.
Otherwise, i do not pre-order digital-only releases; what's the point? Anyone pre-ordering GTA 6 is just a fool in my opinion and if you must buy it early then just get it the week before release so you can pre-load it (if, say, your internet is slow or something).
I will not be buying this game until release. It's digital so they're not going to run out of copies and I have a very fast and reliable unlimited 1 Gbps fibre connection so downloading it will be no issue. I certainly will not be giving those scumbags, Take-Two, my money early by pre-ordering a digital copy! I don't even do that on PC.
Game Key Cards have been my biggest issue this gen for Switch 2 but code in a box on the ither consoles must be way more infuriating since the cost of a BD is so marginal. This is pure publisher greed/because we can attitude. I'm sure this is basically going to be a live service game with a campaign tacked on the idea of Day 1 code barely makes sense but the principle of it is upsetting.
@Granadico - It is more likely about controlling second hand sales etc since Take-Two don't get a cut of those. Also, by making it a digital-only release they have full control of how long the game is available, the pricing, when it can be discounted for sales and by how much and so on.
@Eruanno European/UK prices also include VAT (19-25%), where as US prices do not, so that has a fairly big impact.
@MattGPT True. I keep forgetting that US prices live in this weird wonderland where something costs, say, $70 but then it's another $5 or something that just "doesn't count" because they don't include VAT in pricing.
@Eruanno well you also have to remember that not only was the PS5 jailbroken this year, but that GTA 6's source code may be floating around. It's precautious at best and mass capitalizing at best. Probably a bit of both tbh.
@dyptan-io "biggest game in history" - that's a bit much for an unreleased game. GTA V was a good game, especially when I got it for free on Epic Games Store, but not the biggest game in history or something like this. I would expect this to be in the same vein
I would rather they do the nintendo and do physical more expensive, than code in box, it is stupid, or do an ultimate version with a further price increase so that you don't lose shelf costumers and have an ultimate physical edition at 120 instead. This is very silly, they are leaving money on the table. Retailers selling the ultimate physical edition and rockstar will skip on this amazing 120 bucks opportunity
I feel like the paragraph you’re citing isn’t exactly proof that there will be no disc version. There could be a download code version on Nov 12 and a disc version on Nov 19.
To me, the paragraph is purely about ways you can pre-load the game, not necessarily a list of every version of the game.
Such a ***** decision. I don't want to support it.
Honestly I have not pirated a game in years, but this boils my blood, and if it was releasing on PC I would.
I can understand not wanting leaks due to discs releasing early (last time a truck was hijacked IRL) and requiring an additional download might have been an understandable compromise, but just a code in a box is awful.
@Granadico At least with a Game Key card your family and friends can play the game too once you are done with it. And if you want you can still sell it.
Code in a box? You lose ALL your rights. AWFUL ***** decision.
I feel like this has to be the nail in the coffin for physical media. I have seen in this year alone, games disappear from high street shops rapidly and with Xbox 1st party games since Indiana Jones all shipping disc that require downloads to get the full game (or code in box with Fallout 4 on Switch 2).
I can see this being the green light for companies chasing profit for shareholders to follow suit quickly. A sad day for physical media indeed
This IS sh*t, and it’s sad that there won’t be a physical copy, but it’s what has been happening on PC for decades and no one bats an eyelid. Is Valve finally releases Half Life 3, there will be no physical copy and no one will care.
Again, I do not agree with this, but it’s the way the gaming world has been going for ages.
@BenWright - PC is a bit different as you have a choice of where to buy games; not just Steam, Epic, EA, Ubisoft, etc, but also third-party key sellers who often undercut the MSRP by quite a bit.
This makes the lack of resell value more palatable than on consoles where you would be tied into their storefront and MSRP pricing for new releases if digital becomes the only option.
I often buy PC games from third-party key sellers such as Loaded (CDKeys.com) and their discounts are usually such that I can buy the deluxe or premium-whatever-edition at less than the standard MSRP on Steam.
@Darren1967 I'd classify locking people out of selling their game and preventing a used market from popping up as greed and/or "we can do what we can't cuz we're GTA" yes. There's no benefit to consumers except maybe it's easier to buy in stores as a gift.
"Sensible" is not the word I'd use for Rockstar doing this, even from their own perspective. Greedy, anti-consumer, cynical - these are just a few of the the words I would use.
Wonder if the potencial switch 2 version would have game keycard. It would make it the only borrowable/resellable version
@Darren1967 completely agree. But I see it a more of a Sony problem than a TT problem.
I’ll (have to) wait for either a Switch 2 or Mac port. Aka never.
Also good to mention that the Playstation Store says GTA6 is "Pro enhanced".
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