Editor's take: Modern gaming is quickly turning into a luxury market for a small number of affluent customers. Hardware is no longer cheap, and it can be hard to find even if you have the means. And when the hardware is there and the requirements are met, publishers are asking players to complete some never-before-seen download jobs just to install that brand-new AAA game on a local setup.
Grand Theft Auto VI is finally launching on November 19, and players should get their machines in order so the new open-world blockbuster lands on a comfortable hardware setup. Storage, apparently, is one of the most important considerations, as the latest Rockstar production will require a massive amount of space to download the whole thing.
According to a recent tip from PlayStation Game Size, Grand Theft Auto VI's download will reportedly amount to 210 gigabytes of assets, maps, and code on PS5.
PGS tracks newer releases on the PlayStation Store, poking around the service's backend to see when something interesting changes. While the installed size is likely to come in under 210 GB, users should be well aware that they will need plenty of free space on their PS5's SSD, and a variable amount of time depending on how good – or bad – their internet connection is.
For now, we don't know whether GTA VI will need a "day-one patch" to perform properly on PlayStation and Xbox consoles. What we do know is that the game will have no physical disc at all (even boxed copies contain only a download code), although Rockstar is certainly trying to entice GTA enthusiasts with a pricey $400 collector's box, game not included, full of plastic gadgets and useless paraphernalia you will soon find on eBay at ten times the original price.
At least GTA VI should justify such a massive download with a lengthy open world and plenty of extra stuff to do beyond the main storyline. Still, Rockstar's game is bound to feed the gigantism syndrome affecting many of today's AAA productions. Worse, unlike "modular" games such as Call of Duty, GTA VI will likely force gamers to download the whole thing regardless.
GTA VI is rumored to land on PC as soon as Q1-Q2 2027, though Rockstar has yet to announce a date, so there is no need to start erasing games from your PC's SSD just yet.
For now, PC gamers can get one of the worst download experiences around with Phantom Blade Zero. S-Game's wuxia action-RPG requires 145 GB of storage to install, and 300 GB for preloading. The game uses the much-maligned Unreal Engine 5, which might explain the optimization issues with asset and update management.