Rockstar's GTA 6 finally releases on November 19, and if you're looking to play the game, you'll also need a console--and those are more expensive than ever. Here's a quick buying guide to help you understand what you need and how much the items will cost.
A console
First, you'll need a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S console. The least expensive option for buying a new system outright is the Xbox Series S, which costs $500. Unfortunately, that's $200 more expensive than the system cost at launch in 2020--there are a number macroeconomic and AI factors that drove prices up significantly.
A new Xbox Series X, meanwhile, costs $750 for a system with no disc drive, or $800 for a console with a disc drive. GTA 6 is not available on a disc, but having a disc drive may still be important to you for other games and media like DVDs and Blu-rays.
Switching to PlayStation, the least expensive system on Sony's side is the $600 digital edition, scaling up to $900 for a PS5 Pro (with a disc drive). PS5 Pro, as the most powerful of these options, is likely to provide the best experience from a technical and graphical standpoint, although the gameplay itself should be identical across all platforms.
These are all prices for brand-new units, but Sony offers certified refurbished PS5 consoles starting at $500. A certified refurbished Xbox Series S, meanwhile, goes for $400. These are the prices from Sony and Microsoft directly, but you can find secondhand consoles at a variety of other retailers, along with places like eBay, Facebook Marketplace, and Craigslist. As usual, check your local or preferred retailer to see the latest prices.
New and certified refurbished consoles come with everything you need--including the system, controller, and power cords. You will need a TV or monitor, but the odds are good that if you're looking to play GTA 6, you probably already have one.
People on platforms outside PlayStation and Xbox are out of luck, as GTA 6 has not been announced for Switch 2 or PC. A PC edition is expected to release in early 2027, but there is no word on a Switch 2 version.
The game
To play GTA 6 you will need to buy GTA 6. The game's standard edition goes for $80, with its Ultimate Edition selling for $100. As mentioned, the game is not available on a disc. That being said, retailers are selling the $80 edition in stores, though you only get a code in the box. The $100 edition appears to be exclusive to digital storefronts.
The $100 Ultimate Edition includes loads of extras, including a variety of cosmetics and even in-game shops that people who buy the $80 edition cannot access. Since GTA 6 is a digital-exclusive game, there is no reason to worry about units selling out, but if you do want to preorder, you get the Vintage Vice City Pack and a free month of GTA+.
GTA 5 launched at $60 back in 2013--adjusted for inflation, that's about $85 today.
You will also need an internet connection to install GTA 6, since it's a digital only game. It's a beefy one, too, weighing in at a reported 201GB. Thankfully, preloading begins on November 12, a full week before the game launches. That means you'll be able to begin downloading it early in the hopes of being ready to go on November 19.
November 12 is also when GTA 6's code-in-a-box copies will be available to buy at physical stores. You're not getting a week of early access, though, as the game does not unlock fully until November 19.
Do you need PS Plus or Game Pass?
GTA 6 is a strictly single-player game, and as such, you likely will not need PlayStation Plus or Xbox Game Pass to play. Rockstar has yet to confirm this, however.
Rockstar is surely going to release a new version of GTA Online at some point--some believe that will happen in early 2027. And at that point, you'll likely need a membership. But for launch, there is no online or multiplayer support, so we don't think a subscription to PS Plus or Game Pass would be required.
Why no disc?
Neither Rockstar nor studio owner Take-Two have provided a reason for GTA 6 being a digital exclusive, but the answer seems pretty obvious: It's all about money. Rockstar makes more money from digital game sales, and having no disc eliminates the secondhand market.
“A disc can be resold or rented a hundred times, and Rockstar earns nothing after that first sale," Rhys Elliott of Alinea Analytics said.
The code-in-a-box strategy for physical games has been around for a long time already, and while people might complain online about the lack of a physical edition of GTA 6, the game is going to sell phenomenally no matter what, Mat Piscatella of Circana says.
Beyond these factors, consumer spending patterns have trended increasingly toward digital since the early 2010s. GTA 6 is such a large game in terms of its file size, so making it digital-exclusive also saves Rockstar and Take-Two money by not needing to print a second disc, if one was ever needed.
