GTA 6 pre-orders live — bundles arrive, while almost all major US and UK retailers have stock

Alright, and with that, we're saying goodbye as we approach the weekend and are pretty close to the midnight hour here in New Jersey! It's been a pleasure, and if you're looking to pre-order GTA 6 in the US or the UK, check out the links at the top of the page.

Have a great night!

GTA 6 vs GTA 5 screenshot comparison

Someone’s gone to great lengths to recreate the latest GTA 6 screenshots in GTA 5, to show the kind of graphical difference we’re talking about.

We still don’t know how true the GTA 6 shots will be to the final game, but it’s pretty damn exciting.

Some more GTA5 screenshots compared to GTA6. The visual upgrades are insane from r/GTA6

How many trailers will there be?

Someone on Reddit pointed out that RDR2 got three cinematic trailers, then two gameplay trailers, and a final trailer before its launch. So far, we’ve had two cinematic trailers for GTA 6.

So, the question becomes, will Rockstar follow the same pattern? We’ll have to see a pretty steady flow of trailers from here every 6 weeks or so, if so…

How many trailers do you think GTA VI has left? from r/GTA6

Hello, hello! Jacob Krol is stepping in to carry our GTA 6 pre-orders live blog further, and we'll be going for at least a few more hours as I get closer to midnight here on the East Coast of the United States.

As a reminder, we have plenty of pre-order links above to score GTA 6 from retailers in the US and the UK. And let me know in the comments below if you've already locked in a pre-order.

Right, it's gone midnight when I am, so my brief stint here is over. I'll be leaving you with my colleague Jacob Krol. Good night!

Got questions about your pre-order?

Rockstar has posted a pre-order FAQ. There’s no guarantee your question will be answered there, but it’s a start!

Have people got GTA's 'locked shops' wrong?

The idea of there being locked shops in the Ultimate Edition has caused controversy, that's certain.

However, some people think this is more down to miscommunication than anything else, and that the shops will likely be a way to access cosmetic options that we always knew would be locked away for people with the Standard Edition anyway.

What do you think?

I think people are misunderstanding the whole "locked shops" thing for Ultimate Edition buyers from r/GTA6

Good evening/good afternoon depending on where you are in the world. It's Marc back again here to look after this GTA live blog for a little while. I'll be keeping an eye on any GTA pre-order news and updating you as I get it.

As it happens, I'm also looking after our Prime Day deals live page in the UK, so head over there if you want to snap up a last-minute bargain — you have less than one hour to go…

If you're in the US, meanwhile, you'll want our list of the 150 best Prime Day deals still available.

So long!

And with that, I’m heading off for the evening. That doesn’t mean our GTA 6 pre-order coverage is going to end, as I leave you in the hands of my capable TechRadar colleagues!

Will you have enough storage for GTA 6?

Given the scale and detail of everything we're seeing, we have to assume the GTA 6 is going to be huge. GTA V on a PlayStation 5 is just under 90GB, though you need to have more space than that free on your driver for the installation process.

It's likely that GTA 6 will be a little larger, but maybe not too much larger, since there may be improvements to the file efficiency. Still, we're probably talking about something between 90GB and 120GB.

Once upon a time, we'd have expected lots of people up upgrade their PS5's internal storage in anticipation of the game, and the promise of lots of GTA 6 Online content in the future. But now that storage prices are spiking, maybe more people will just be erasing their current library to make space…

Could a proper physical release come down the line?

Following the news that physical copies of GTA 6 would only contain a code in a box, there have been loads of rumors that Rockstar is planning a proper physical version with a disc down the line. I’ve been looking into them and haven’t found any credible evidence that this is the plan yet, though it would make a lot of sense.

I suspect one of the big reasons Rockstar has gone for this type of release format is to avoid leaks ahead of launch. Once the game is officially out those naturally won’t be a concern, which could mean we start seeing proper physical copies on shelves.

Reminder: There’s no Online at launch

The PlayStation Store page states that GTA 6 will only be a single-player experience at launch, which seems to rule out access to GTA 6 Online on day one. I suspect that it will be released at a later date, though, potentially even just a few weeks after the main game (as was the case with GTA 5’s GTA Online).

Still, you shouldn’t place a pre-order with the expectation of hopping online with your friends when November 19 arrives.

How long will GTA 6 be?

For many, the length of a game is a big part of deciding whether it will represent good value for money or not. These days games certainly aren’t cheap (especially not when they cost $79.99 like GTA 6), so it makes sense to prioritize those that you know are going to offer many, many hours of entertainment.

You might be wondering how long GTA 6 will be before you lock in your purchase. The answer? We honestly don’t know, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t make some educated guesses.

It seems reasonable to assume that GTA 6 will be at least as long as GTA 5 was, if not longer. For most players, GTA 5 was about a 30-hour experience — though you can easily double that figure if you take your time exploring and completing side content.

Still, taking that baseline 30-hour figure as a potential minimum length would mean that you’re paying just $2.66 per hour of enjoyment which honestly seems like pretty good value compared to $20 movie tickets or a $60 meal out!

You might be able to play GTA 6 on a handheld PlayStation

In a new interview, PlayStation boss Hideaki Nishino has said that being able to "pick up and play" is the most important quality for consoles nowadays and argued that Sony should take advantage of tech "that can be used in various forms and locations".

This could suggest that the console-maker is looking to go back into the handheld market, which it largely left after the underwhelming PlayStation Vita. Whether that will come in the form of a handheld version of the PS6 (which has been rumored for quite some time) or something else is yet to be seen, but there’s a chance that we’ll all be able to play GTA 6 on the go with a PlayStation handheld in future (other than the PS Portal, of course).

Read more: PlayStation CEO says Sony will be 'leveraging technologies that can be used in various forms and locations' for future consoles, potentially suggesting a PS6 handheld is in the cards

GTA fans were debating physical releases a decade ago

I've seen loads of discussion about the fact that GTA 6 copies will come with a code in a box rather than a traditional game disc.

This isn't a new thing, though and it seems that even during the launch period of GTA 5 all the way in 2013, fans were debating the value of physical and digital game.

"I have been playing the game since launch, because my brother bought it and never played it. He recently moved and took the game with him, so I need to buy it myself. I have an external hard drive which I can store the game on so I don't have to worry if the Xbox breaks. Now what would you recommend?" asked a fan on a 12-year-old Reddit post.

"Physical is seemingly better in every way aside from you have to remove the disk [from the console]" another added.

The majority opinion at the time seems to be that physical games were better, though one dissenter wrote: "Wow. Really everyone is still on physical what is this the 20th century?"

Ahead of their time, perhaps?

• Read more: 'Everyone is still on physical what is this the 20th century?' — GTA 6 might not be getting a proper disc, but fans were already debating their value over a decade ago for GTA 5

Do you have any big plans for release day?

The GTA 6 launch date of November 19 is still months away, but that doesn't mean that it's too early to start working on plans.

I'm sure plenty of those that have locked down a pre-order are already thinking about booking time off work, or even calling in 'sick' when the date arrives ;)

I'm sure that I'll be needed here, leading our launch day coverage but still... The idea of kicking back on the sofa at home with a mountain of drinks and snacks and diving in is pretty tempting!

I did spot that Amazon seems to have updated its listing in the UK though, and now tells customers up front that this is a code in box release (as it does for other games in that format).

The listing of the PS5, for example, now reads: "Grand Theft Auto VI - PlayStation 5 (Code in Box)"

The transparency is obviously a good thing, though I can't help but wonder whether some customers will be put off and choose to get it digitally on their consoles instead...

It's all quiet on the stock front right now. All the major retailers that we are tracking are still offering GTA 6 pre-orders right now, so it looks like those few hours when the game was showing as out of stock on Amazon US were just an isolated incident rather than a sign of trouble to come.

This is, of course, good news if you haven't placed you're pre-order yet, as the game is readily available!

Hey everyone!

Dash stepping in once again, here to keep you up to date with the latest GTA 6 pre-order news.

Once again I'm going to start by taking a look around and letting you know the current situation, so hang tight for just a sec.

It's goodbye from me, but hello again to Dash

My watch is over, but I've had enormous fun providing advice and links to hopefully help folks place their GTA 6 pre-orders this week!

For now, Dash is going to take over our live coverage as we keep the ball rolling as we head toward the weekend.

What should we all play in the run-up to GTA 6?

This is something that I've been umming and ahhing over this week. My hype for GTA 6 has been given a huge boost by pre-orders happening, and I've been wondering what might scratch a bit of that GTA itch in the months leading up to release.

I did some thinking and put together this list!

These are the games I'd play before GTA 6 arrives later this year

That's right, I'm back

Hello again everyone! Who's ready for some more GTA 6 chat, pre-order info, and more?

And with that, Rob is back in the building!

He'll be taking coverage over for the next few hours, but I'm sure that I'll be back talking all things GTA 6 pre-orders again soon.

Xbox console prices are about to rise for the second time in a year

We've got some bad news if you were planning to buy a new Xbox to play GTA 6. Microsoft has said that the prices of all of its consoles are going up across the board just before the game launches later this year.

You can see the new and prices below.

Luckily, there are some deals right now that should help you avoid being stung. You can see them, and learn more about the announcement, below.

• Read more: Xbox console prices are about to rise for the second time in a year, just before GTA 6 — so you really don't want to miss this Xbox Series X deal at Walmart while it lasts

We have some predictions for when the next trailer might arrive

With pre-orders live right now, many fans are wondering when the next big trailer for GTA 6 will be. We've only had two so far and not seen any extended gameplay footage, which would be unusual for most developers.

It's nothing new for Rockstar, though, and actually follows what the company did with Red Dead Redemption 2 a few years ago quite closely.

We've sat down and worked out the timelines to deliver some educated guesses of when the next marketing beats will come based on the company's past games. You can see them below.

• Read more: Rockstar could be following the Red Dead Redemption 2 playbook with GTA 6's release — here's what that could mean for trailer 3, the gameplay reveal, and more

I'm playing Vice City through Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition (not the best remaster, I know, but it's by far the easiest way to play on modern systems).

It comes with remasters of GTA 3 and San Andreas to play as well, and is currently discounted by almost 70% as part of the Steam Summer Sale if you fancy picking it up for a playthrough as well.

On that note, I actually just started my first playthrough of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City in preparation for GTA 6.

It's one of the few older GTA games that I haven't played so far and, honestly, I think so far it holds up a lot better than GTA 3.

I've only played a few hours, but I'm loving the Vice City map even if it is a little bit small compared to the more recent games.

I'm really excited to see how the environment evolves when it comes back in GTA 6!

Having placed my pre-order yesterday, I've been feeling a real appetite for all things GTA 6.

Unfortunately there's not been a new trailer yet (though I'm definitely hopeful that we will get one soon) so I've been rewatching the previous two.

Grand Theft Auto VI Trailer 1 - YouTube

Watch On

Trailer 2 is definitely my favorite thanks to its honestly stunning visuals, but I do find the fact Trailer 1 ends with a 2025 release window pretty amusing.

If only we knew!

Grand Theft Auto VI Trailer 2 - YouTube

Watch On

Amazon is offering a (tiny) discount in the UK

I didn't spot anything that remarkable in my retailer trawl, though I did spot that Amazon currently has the game up for a tiny bit less than its RRP in the UK.

It's listed for £68, not the full £69.99. Does that technically make this our biggest GTA 6 discount yet?

You can check the listings out for yourself below:

• 📦PS5 - £68
• 📦Xbox Series X|S - £68

Hey everyone! Dash here to pick up the pre-order coverage extravaganza.

I'm going to start by taking a look at all the major retailers, and let you know what I find in just a minute!

OK I'm off for a lunch break now, but Dash is going to pop in and take over!

More game details appear out in the wild

Could it be that we get more details about GTA 6's particulars from retailer listings? Maybe. Amazon Brazil seemed to divulge some more details about the game, but we can't be totally sure if they've come from Rockstar or have been added by someone else, but everything does seem believable.

Read more here: New GTA 6 details may confirm players can switch between Jason and Lucia and complete missions as a duo, encounter random world events, and more

The US is bundle-less...for now

Sadly, the US is without bundles so far, but I'm really hopeful we'll see some soon. I reckon there's a whole audience out there who will buy a new console for the first time for GTA 6.

As a result, the links below for the game only are your best bet in the US.

• Amazon:
  📦Standard Edition PS5 - $79.97
  📦Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - $79.97
• Walmart:
  🔆Standard Edition PS5 - $79.97
  🔆Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - $79.97
• Best Buy:
  🏷️Standard Edition PS5 - $79.99
  🏷️Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - $79.99
• Target:
  🎯Standard Edition PS5 - $79.99
  🎯Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - $79.99
• GameStop:
  🎮Standard Edition PS5 - $79.99
  🎮Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - $79.99
• PlayStation Store
  🅿️Standard Edition - $79.99
  🅿️Ultimate Edition - $99.99
• Xbox Store
  ❎Standard Edition - $79.99
  ❎Ultimate Edition - $99.99

Speaking of bundles

If you are looking for bundles in the UK though, then we have got two out in the wild right now that are worth going after for a dive into GTA 6 on PS5 or upgrading to the PS5 Pro. Over at EE, there's one on each console, and they are pretty good!

Includes GTA 6

Save £49.99

PS5 Slim + GTA 6 bundle: was £637.99 now £588 at EE Tech & Gaming

This bundle contains a PS5 Slim with a disc drive and a copy of GTA 6 at a reduced price. If you don't yet have a console and want a one-and-done option to dive in purely for GTA 6, then this is a super option.

Read moreRead less▼

View Deal

Includes GTA 6

Save £49.99

PS5 Pro + GTA 6 bundle: was £857.99 now £808 at EE Tech & Gaming

The PS5 Pro is our bet for the best way to play the game at launch, so it could be worth upgrading to, or going for if you want the best possible technical experience.

Read moreRead less▼

View Deal

Speak of the devil...

Maybe Currys saw my post this morning... as the retail giant is now live with its GTA 6 pre-order links!

• Currys:
  ©️Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
  ©️Standard Edition Xbox Series X - £69.99

However, UK options are plentiful

Despite the absence of Currys, UK shoppers have plenty of options right now:

• Amazon:
  📦Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
  📦Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.99
• Argos (try code MDEXCCAMP-1-MK for 5% off):
  🟥Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
  🟥Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.99
• EE:
  📱Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
  📱Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.99
• Very:
  𝓥 Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
  𝓥 Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.99
• ShopTo:
  🟡Standard Edition PS5 - £69.85
  🟡Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.85
• The Game Collection:
  🎮Standard Edition PS5 - £69.95
  🎮Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.95
• Smyths Toys
  🧸Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
  🧸Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.99
• John Lewis:
  🛍️Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
  🛍️Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.99
• Hit:
  💥Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
  💥Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.99
• Game:
  🕹️Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
  🕹️Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.99
• Currys:
  ©️Check Standard Edition stock
• PlayStation Store
  🅿️Standard Edition - £69.99
  🅿️Ultimate Edition - £89.99
• Xbox Store
  ❎Standard Edition - £69.99
  ❎Ultimate Edition - £89.99

A glaring absence remains in the UK

There is still no sign of Currys joining the action, and frankly, I am baffled by that.

While Currys (and a couple of others in the UK, truthfully) can be a little late to listing pre-orders — perhaps for limited edition DualSenses or similar — this is GTA 6!

I would have put big bucks on the electronics retail giant to be keen to get involved, and maybe even be one of the first to offer bundles. But here we are, and we can only keep checking to see if it even lists the game soon...

• Currys:
  ©️Check Standard Edition stock

Good morning!

We're back again for another day of riding the GTA 6 pre-order train!

While all the major retailers do have stock holding steady, I'm holding out hope that we might see some more bundles starting to appear...

Hello, hello! We're approaching nearly a full day after preorders kicked off in the US for GTA 6, and the good news is that retailers here still have plenty in stock, as well as in the UK. So, to make preordering easy, let's share our quick links to do just that for GTA 6 in the US and UK.

• Amazon:
  📦Standard Edition PS5 - $79.97
  📦Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - $79.97
• Walmart:
  🔆Standard Edition PS5 - $79.97
  🔆Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - $79.97
• Best Buy:
  🏷️Standard Edition PS5 - $79.99
  🏷️Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - $79.99
• Target:
  🎯Standard Edition PS5 - $79
  🎯Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - $79
• GameStop:
  🎮Standard Edition PS5 - $79.99
  🎮Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - $79.99
• PlayStation Store
  🅿️Standard Edition - $79.99
  🅿️Ultimate Edition - $99.99
• Xbox Store
  ❎Standard Edition - $79.99
  ❎Ultimate Edition - $99.99

• Amazon:
  📦Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
  📦Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.99
• Argos (try code MDEXCCAMP-1-MK for 5% off):
  🟥Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
  🟥Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.99
• EE:
  📱Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
  📱Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.99
• Very:
  𝓥 Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
  𝓥 Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.99
• ShopTo:
  🟡Standard Edition PS5 - £69.85
  🟡Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.85
• The Game Collection:
  🎮Standard Edition PS5 - £69.95
  🎮Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.95
• Smyths Toys
  🧸Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
  🧸Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.99
• John Lewis:
  🛍️Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
  🛍️Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.99
• Hit:
  💥Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
  💥Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.99
• Game:
  🕹️Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
  🕹️Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.99
• Currys:
  ©️Check Standard Edition stock
• PlayStation Store
  🅿️Standard Edition - £69.99
  🅿️Ultimate Edition - £89.99
• Xbox Store
  ❎Standard Edition - £69.99
  ❎Ultimate Edition - £89.99

Some retailers reportedly turned down GTA 6 pre-orders

Our pals at GamesRadar+ spoke to some specialist retailers who decided not to offer GTA 6 pre-orders because those retailers consider themselves to be physical media specialists, and the empty box of a 'physical' GTA 6 pre-order just didn't sit right with them. You've gotta respect the commitment, even in the face of a huge release.

Someone has compared the new GTA 6 screenshots to Forza Horizon 6

Great work from this Redditor to capture angles as close to the GTA images as possible in Forza. Of course, the question remains of whether the GTA shots are an accurate depiction of what to expect from the game in reality, but it’s a fun album to flick through either way.

GTA 6 compared to Forza Horizon 6 from r/GTA6

There’s no trailer, but there is this…

Someone on Reddit has posted the new video that appears on the website — it’s just an aerial shot of the city, but hey, at least it’s video.

The new video on the website from r/GTA6

Here’s trailer 2 again, in case you want to relive it

It’s been more than a year since this appeared, just to keep it in perspective.

Grand Theft Auto VI Trailer 2 - YouTube

Watch On

No trailer three so far

Many fans expected Rockstar to release a new gameplay trailer to mark pre-orders going live. That hasn’t happened yet, but that doesn’t mean that it won’t. It’s difficult to predict when new material is going to appear online, and there might be a new trailer just around the corner.

We’ll just have to keep a close eye on Rockstar’s YouTube channel and social media pages…

Okay, but what about a console shortage?

Now this is something that I would be more worried about. There’s definitely a chance that the allure of GTA 6 sends console demand shooting upwards, leading to shortages at retailers.

We know that companies like Sony are struggling with the impact of soaring RAM prices, alongside the increasing cost of over key components, which could create a situation where too few consoles are being produced to keep up with the hype.

If you want to be 100% sure that you will be able to play GTA 6 on day one and don’t yet have a PS5 or Xbox Series X or Series S, I’d recommend getting one relatively quickly if possible.

Of course, you have a double incentive to move fast, because the price of Xboxes is going to rise a lot, and who knows if Sony will follow suit…

But what if it does happen?

In the unlikely event that we do come into some kind of GTA 6 shortage, then there’s no real need to worry. As the physical version just contains a download code, there’s no practical reason to choose it over the digital version (which can inherently never run dry) unless you really, really love empty boxes on your shelf.

If you can’t find stock easily, you can pop on to the PlayStation Store or Microsoft Store to lock a copy down in seconds.

Will supplies run out?

With Amazon briefly showing that PS5 GTA 6 stock had run out earlier today (don’t worry, it came back quickly) some might be wondering whether it’s possible that retailers will actually run out of stock of the game for good.

It’s hard to say without details about exact stock numbers, but my instinct is that it’s very unlikely. I suspect one of the big reasons Rockstar has gone for a code-in-box style release is that they are easier to produce at a mass scale. Printing a code is faster (and of course cheaper) than burning and printing designs on millions of discs.

Big retailers like Amazon and Best Buy presumably have vast amounts of stock allocated to them. If it does look like things could run thin, I imagine Rockstar will be able to produce more copies quickly.

What are you most excited about seeing in the game?

I might be on the fence about GTA 6, but Rob Dwiar isn't. So what is he most excited for from the game?

"As a video game landscape nerd, I’m incredibly excited to explore the map and see how Rockstar has recreated, reinterpreted, and executed the living cityscape of Vice City and its environs. And to career through it at high speeds, of course, in cool cars.

GTA V did some amazing work with Los Santos and had wicked details all the way down to how people’s driveways were finished and how paths were laid with bricks or pavers. We then had Red Dead Redemption 2 with its absolutely beautiful and near-perfect wild west landscape.

With even more graphical prowess and technical expertise at their disposal, the world of GTA 6 is likely to be one of the richest we’ve ever seen in games…"

-Rob Dwiar, Managing Editor, TechRadar Gaming

Not ready to preorder?

I'll be honest with you folks, I'm not sure I'm quite ready to get my preorder in right away for GTA 6.

I'm sure it'll be excellent, and some of the various deals that stores are already offering are tempting me, but so many other great games have launched this year and several are on sale right now for Prime Day.

Rob rounded up the best PS5 games of the year so far for us, and several including the likes of 007: First Light, Crimson Desert, and Starfield are discounted across the US and UK.

When will my copy be delivered?

If you've seen that the physical editions of GTA 6 aren't actually discs but download codes you might be left wondering why you'd order one. Surely that would be worse than getting it digitally where you can pre-load the download ahead of time and start right away at launch?

Thankfully Rockstar has said that physical copies of GTA 6 will be available from November 12, which is actually ahead of the game’s November 19 release date. According to the developer, the reason for this is to allow fans to redeem their codes and pre-load the game so that they can play on day one.

Specific postage times will vary depending on your location (and whether your package happens to run into any issues with the carrier) but I would expect copies to start arriving on November 12.

Remember to check whether the retailer that you are placing a pre-order with has provided any of their own delivery estimates.

Considering a new TV for GTA 6? We’ve got you covered

If you’re considering a new TV this year for GTA 6 — or the knockout rounds of the World Cup — then now might be a good time to pursue your options with the Prime Day sales occurring right now.

Luckily, we’ve done the hard work and can recommend a bunch of great TV deals, as outlined in our handy TikTok video below.

How big will GTA 6 be?

Let's leave Xbox alone for a minute and get back to GTA VI.

Lots of folks have theorised how big the file for GTA 6 might be on console, and whether those with stock SSD capacities might feel the pinch a bit. Red Dead Redemption 2 felt like it broke new ground when that came out in 2018, going over 90GB and coming on two discs.

I think it’s going to be around 110GB — surely it’s going to be larger than Red Dead Redemption 2, but offset a bit by modern optimisations and wizardry. What do you think?

The year of gamer Ls

We're still digesting the Xbox price hike news.

In the TechRadar Slack channel, and our Managing Editor of Home Tech Matt Bolton pointed out the Series S will now cost more than an Xbox Series X did at launch. That's utterly ridiculous, right?

The good news? If you wanted to snatch up an Xbox Series X to play GTA 6 before the August cost increase you can still get it for $573 at Walmart. That'll save you $76.99-off the current asking price.

Xbox price hike incoming

Howdy gamers, it's Hamish and I'm kicking off my live blog stint with some stinky news: Xbox consoles are getting a price hike.

As announced on its blog, "The price of XBOX consoles will increase by US$100 for 512 GB models and US$150 for 1 TB models" and those will go into effect August 1, 2026. These will be on top of the price hikes we saw in the US last October.

Like everyone else in the tech industry Xbox is blaming component cost increases saying "console storage and memory prices have increased by more than 2.5x and we expect another doubling by the fall of 2027." It added that these increases hit consoles harder than other consumer gadgets because consoles are already sold at a loss, meaning there's no cushion for component cost increases to eat into.

It's goodbye from me — but not from us!

I'm heading off for a rest and a cold beverage now, but I'm leaving you in the safe hands of my colleague Hamish who's here to guide you through the next few hours and help you place your GTA 6 pre-order if you haven't already.

Toodle-oo!

Is the price right?

There's understandably lots of conversation online regarding the price of GTA 6.

We took to our almost 400,000-member-strong WhatsApp channel to find out what our readers think and got some pretty interesting results.

The majority think that GTA 6 is too expensive. Still, a significant chunk of responders who thought it was overpriced said that they would buy it anyway. You can see the full results in our report below.

Read more: Is GTA 6 too expensive? We asked, and lots of you said 'Rockstar just lost a sale' — but a surprising number of people are willing to buy it anyway

And there was a UK offer earlier...

Speaking of offers, Dash raised one very first thing this morning for UK shoppers for use at Argos.

Your mileage may vary, but it was successful when we tried it a few times: try inputting the code MDEXCCAMP-1-MK at checkout at Argos, and you may be able to save 5%!

• Argos (try code MDEXCCAMP-1-MK for 5% off):
  🟥Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
  🟥Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.99

Best Buy has an offer — of sorts

If you're after a console and a copy of GTA 6 in the US, then Best Buy's offer might be of interest to you — if you're already a My Best Buy member or fancy signing up.

My Best Buy members will get a $50 certficate if you purchase an eligible console from this list in conjunction with pre-ordering GTA 6.

Sounds great, and a nice bonus if you're a member and want a new console. Be aware, though, you won't see that certificate until after the game ships to you in November. So, not a proper bundle, per se, but not bad.

• Best Buy:
  🏷️Standard Edition PS5 - $79.99
  🏷️Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - $79.99

Looking for a new headset ahead of GTA 6?

I know folks who will be revisiting parts of their PS5 or Xbox setup ahead of GTA 6 landing later this year, and that's a very wise idea from my point of view.

One of the best areas to improve or upgrade, that will have an instant tangible impact, is audio — and one of the best gaming headsets I have ever used, and the best sounding gaming headset would be a perfect investment.

Sadly not on offer despite the Prime Day and adjacent sales on, but the Maxwell 2 from Audeze is an astounding bit of kit and well worth a look, even at full price.

US price

Audeze Maxwell 2: $349 at Amazon

This is such a fantastic headset; I cannot recommend it more, even at its list price. If you have been thinking about upgrading to something more premium for this generation of gaming, on whatever platform, then this is a belter.

Xbox variant: $349 at Amazon

Read moreRead less▼

View Deal

UK price

Audeze Maxwell 2: £299.99 at Gear 4 Music

This is a great price for the headset in the UK, as it can often be seen for comfortably north of the £300 mark. Upgrade your audio and never look back again with this awesome headset.

Xbox variant: Peter Tyson - £369

Read moreRead less▼

View Deal

UK news: John Lewis has finally joined the party!

Finally, reliable department store John Lewis has its GTA 6 pre-order listings up!

• John Lewis:
  🛍️Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
  🛍️Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.99

Reminder: we're now seeing bundles

PSA for mainly UK folks right now: we are now seeing our first GTA 6 PS5 bundles - and they are genuinely good value.

If you've been waiting to buy a PS5 solely for GTA 6 or want to upgrade to the Pro because of GTA 6, then now could be the time to commit, as EE has you covered.

• EE GTA 6 PS5 bundles
  PS5 Pro + GTA 6: was £858.99 now £809.99 at EE
  PS5 Slim + GTA 6: was £639.98 now £589.99 at EE

Your PS5's menus just got a new GTA 6 coat of paint

Sony has gone full GTA 6 marketing mode and decked out PS5 consoles with a new UI to promote the game. When players boot up their systems, they're now greeted by a full-screen animation of the game's logo. This slowly fades into an ad for the game on the console's welcome hub.

If you head over to the PlayStation Store, you'll also notice that the background now features co-protagonists Jason and Lucia. Even the PlayStation mobile app now has a special GTA 6 logo for its icon.

• Read more: The PS5 homepage, PS Store, and PS App have all been updated with a new GTA 6 UI as pre-orders begin

Did you claim your free GTA+?

Digital GTA 6 pre-orders come with a free month of GTA+, but what exactly is the subscription service and what kind of benefits does it offer?

We've created a handy explainer that tells you everything you need to know about it. It outlines which games are included with your free month, and makes some suggestions about what to play first.

• Read more: Digital Grand Theft Auto 6 pre-orders come with this bonus that you can instantly use to play free GTA games

Browse the latest GTA 6 images

In an email sent to outlets including TechRadar Gaming, Rockstar Games shared 63 new GTA 6 images, which can also be found on the game's official site.

We've put them all together in a gallery for you to browse, and explained what they might tell us about the game's mechanics and features.

• Read more: There are 63 new Grand Theft Auto 6 screenshots to pore over, giving us our first look at some of the key mechanics of the upcoming GTA game

US sit rep

OK, so as the East Coast of the US joins us, what's the current US GTA 6 pre-order situation?

Well, it looks pretty good! Every single major retailer has a live listing for both PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions of the game. And you'll find those below as a reminder!

The only thing we're missing is bundles...

• Amazon:
  📦Standard Edition PS5 - $79.97
  📦Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - $79.97
• Walmart:
  🔆Standard Edition PS5 - $79.97
  🔆Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - $79.97
• Best Buy:
  🏷️Standard Edition PS5 - $79.99
  🏷️Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - $79.99
• Target:
  🎯Standard Edition PS5 - $79
  🎯Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - $79
• GameStop:
  🎮Standard Edition PS5 - $79.99
  🎮Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - $79.99
• PlayStation Store
  🅿️Standard Edition - $79.99
  🅿️Ultimate Edition - $99.99
• Xbox Store
  ❎Standard Edition - $79.99
  ❎Ultimate Edition - $99.99

Upgrade your pad for GTA 6

If I could recommend a premium, or more feature-filled controller for both PS5 and Xbox ahead of GTA 6 to get, it would be the two below for UK players.

The DualSense Edge is a fantastic premium controller that builds on all the things that make the original DualSense excellent - and retains the wonderful ergonomic design.

For Xbox, I have a major soft spot for Thrustmaster's eSwap range, and the one I have used most, the eSwap X2, is down to a ridiculous price of less than £50!

Sony DualSense Edge: was £199.99 now £168 at Amazon

A superb price for the official premium PS5 controller that will give you all the options you need to play GTA 6 how you like, while not compromising on ergonomics or quality.

Read moreRead less▼

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Thrustmaster eSwap X2: was £56.60 now £48.80 at Amazon

This is a frankly ridiculous price for a quality controller, and absolutely offsets it being a wired pad. When I reviewed this controller, it was selling for well north of £150. Getting it for under fifty quid is a bargain.

Read moreRead less▼

View Deal

GTA 6 PS5 bundles have appeared!

What I very much think are the first GTA 6 PS5 bundles have appeared at a UK retailer! And it's one of our favorites: EE.

The retailer has got a bundle on both the PS5 Pro and the PS5 Slim, and it marks the best one-and-done solution to get the game and probably the definitive console to play GTA 6 on.

These bundles also save you some cash! For example, the EE website says there's £35 off the console, then you get £14.99 off the game when buying it with a PS5.

• EE GTA 6 PS5 bundles
  PS5 Pro + GTA 6: was £858.99 now £809.99 at EE
  PS5 Slim + GTA 6: was £639.98 now £589.99 at EE

Could we ever see a collector's edition?

In one way, it does feel like GTA 6 launching with only two editions is a bit odd.

I thought that they'd launch with four editions: follow the Red Dead Redemption 2 pattern of Standard, Special, and Ultimate, and then throw in a mega Collector's Edition on top of that pile.

How wrong I was. But could there be a scenario where we see a physical release down the line? Perhaps!

And we've got an article discussing that, too. Read more here: 'No collector's edition?': as GTA 6 pre-orders go live, Rockstar could face scrutiny if it pulls the same move as it did with Red Dead Redemption 2

So who is missing in the UK?

While the US still sleeps (mainly, probably), we've nearly got a full picture in the UK — but there are some notable absentees still. At the top of the list are Currys and John Lewis.

I really would have expected both — at least Currys, frankly — to be live by now, but here we are.

Currys might be one to keep an eye on for potential bundles though, as it has been known to make its own collections of goodies with new releases...

• Currys:
  ©️Check Standard Edition stock
• John Lewis:
  🛍️Check Standard Edition stock

PS5 appears at Game!

Oh! As soon as I posted that and did my retailer page refresh, Games's PS5 listing appeared in front of me!

So now we have a complete set from the retailer.

• Game:
  🕹️Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
  🕹️Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.99

Game UK has finally shown up

...but with only one pre-order listing. For the Xbox variant.

Strange start from what used to be the UK's main Gaming retailer, but it's another option nonetheless.

• Game:
  🕹️Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.99

Off the beaten track retailers entering the fray...

I've done loads of these launches before, and sometimes there are some off-the-beaten-track retailers that come to the fore and offer great options. And that's what we've got in the UK with retailer, Hit (formerly Base), joining the party now.

• Hit:
  💥Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
  💥Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.99

Time for poll - which platform will you play GTA 6 on?

With pre-orders in full swing but only for two platforms, there are actually four main console variants that we can play GTA 6 on later this year — which one are you playing it on?

EE is live in the UK

Coming a bit later to the party, EE is now live with both platforms' standard edition pre-orders, offering folks another excellent option this side of the pond.

We really rate shopping for gaming stuff at EE, so if you haven't placed a pore-order yet, it's absolutely worth a shout - especially if some of the big boys' stock starts to wobble.

• EE:
  📱Standard Edition PS5 - £68
  📱Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £68

Amazon US is back!

First the big US news: Amazon has got its PS5 stock back!

• Amazon:
  📦Standard Edition PS5 - $79.97
  📦Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - $79.97

I have returned!

Yup, Rob's back, and here to help guide you through the next phase of GTA 6 pre-order day.

We've seen a few twists and turns but the great news is that we've still got new retailer options popping up, and seeing some come back...

Rob has just logged on for the day, so I'm going to hand things back over to his capable hands as we continue to monitor and track the stock situation!

See you all soon.

Things seem to have quieted down a little!

After the rush of Amazon running out of PS5 stock, it seems things have calmed down.

The most important US retailers are all live, with stock up for grabs, and over in the UK the situation seems pretty stable. There are still some UK retailers that haven't gone live with pre-order yet, like Currys, but this will surely happen with time.

If you're in the US and after the Xbox version of the game, you don't need to worry about stock for now.

It's still readily available at Amazon via the link below!

• Standard Edition Xbox Series X - $79.99

That's my pre-order placed!

I took full advantage of the Argos discount code any my current Nectar balance to get the best deal possible.

The total cost to me? £0 (unless you count all those reward points)...

Argos has gone live in the UK, and there's a promo code

Argos has finally put it's listings live, and I'm actually seeing a promo code at checkout that lets you save 5%

The code is MDEXCCAMP-1-MK and takes the price down by £3.50, though your mileage may vary. Be sure to try it before you hit the purchase button!

• 🟥 Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
• 🟥 Standard Edition Xbox Series X - £69.99

Planning to buy the PS5 version of the game on Amazon before stock ran out?

Here are the best alternatives now:

• 🔆Standard Edition PS5 - $79.99
• 🏷️Standard Edition PS5 - $79.99
• 🎯Standard Edition PS5 - $79
• 🎮Standard Edition PS5 - $79.99

Amazon is somehow out of stock

Wait... Am I seeing this correctly? Physical copies on PS5 have already sold out at Amazon in the US?

The option to buy has been removed from the product page and Amazon now says that the item is currently unavailable.

It seems copies were in for less than an hour so people must've really rushed to snap one up.

Of course, Amazon will almost certainly have a restock before launch, so you can just wait and I'm sure it'll be available buy again over the next five months, but if you want to secure your copy right now, you'll have to look elsewhere.

GameStop has joined in!

And just like that, the last major retailer that we have been tracking is weighing in.

GameStop is live with pre-orders, with free home shipping.

• 🎮Standard Edition PS5 - $79.99
• 🎮Standard Edition Xbox Series X - $79.99

Have you placed a pre-order yet? You can let us know in the comments of this live page!

I haven't placed mine just yet, as I'm still waiting for Argos to get the memo and put listings live.

Best Buy has listings live right now!

Another retailer joins the fray, albeit a bit later than I expected.

Best Buy has both currently available versions of the game up for grabs at $79.99 a piece!

• 🏷️Standard Edition PS5 - $79.99
• 🏷️Standard Edition Xbox Series X - $79.99

At least one retailer is protesting the release

North American store Video Games Plus is apparently protesting the release by not offering pre-orders due to Rockstar's somewhat controversial decision to only offer a code in a physical box.

As the company explained in a recent X post: "For nearly 40 years, VGP has been committed to supporting physical media and preserving the value of physical game ownership. As part of that commitment, our company policy is that we do not carry physical products for video game consoles that contain only a digital download code.

"Based on the information currently available, the physical release of Grand Theft Auto VI for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X is expected to be a code-in-box product. As a result, VGP will not be offering it for sale under our current company policy."

The company does say that it will put for the game up on its site if Rockstar does decide to release a physical edition with a disc in the box "one day" down the line.

First Walmart, now Target!

Another set of listings are live.

• 🎯Standard Edition PS5 - $79
• 🎯 Standard Edition Xbox Series X - $79

Walmart just went live!

Some great news for those that want to pre-order at Walmart! Listings are now live for both both the PS5 and Xbox Series X and Series S versions of GTA 6!

Take a look:

• 🔆Standard Edition PS5 - $79
• 🔆 Standard Edition Xbox Series X - $79

I've been scouring social media to see how fans have been getting on with their pre-orders, but I'm also seeing plenty of hilarious memes.

Here's a post poking fun at the amount of content locked behind that Ultimate Edition; the one that's made me chuckle the hardest so far.

It's time! The US physical edition is now available to pre-order

It's time!

The first retailer I've spotted with pre-orders open in the US is Amazon.

Run, don't walk to secure your copy below:

• 🏃 Standard Edition PS5 - $79.99
• 🏃 Standard Edition Xbox Series X - $79.99

Still no sign of the physical edition in the US... Maybe we'll have to wait until midnight PT for it to drop? That's just over two hours away.

Here we go folks!

US digital pre-orders are now live, with the game available to purchase on both the PlayStation Store and Xbox store in both its standard and Ultimate editions.

• Standard Edition PS5 - $79.99
• Ultimate Edition PS5 - $79.99
• Standard Edition Xbox Series X - $79.99
• Ultimate Edition Xbox Series X - $99.99

My sneaky plan to get a free copy of GTA 6

I actually have my own little sneaky plan to get a copy of Grand Theft Auto 6 for free.

Here in the UK, there's a reward scheme called Nectar that lets you rack up points when you shop at certain supermarkets and buy fuel at certain gas stations. You can even covert your air miles into Nectar points.

You can spend these at the big retailer Argos, so ahead of this week I transferred some of mine to pull together just over £100 worth of reward points - which I intend to use to get my GTA 6 pre-order for "free".

There's a bit of an issue though: Argos doesn't have pre-orders live yet, so I'm hoping they put them up soon.

There's still no sign of a physical Ultimate Edition

It looks like there is still no sign of a physical Ultimate Edition version of the game. I haven't spotted any official confirmation from Rockstar Games that there won't be one available, but I'd take its absence so far as a sure indicator that it's not happening which is going to be bad news for collectors.

Good morning gamers! It's Dash here to pick the coverage back up!

It's just after midnight ET, so we're expecting some US retailers to potentially go live. I'm not seeing any action yet, but hang tight as I bring you the latest.

See you soon!

I'm going to head off now, but we will be back before you know it with live coverage of the US pre-orders!

See you soon!

I'm pretty sure that's it for the UK now as it's all gone very quiet!

We'll be putting this live coverage down for a little bit for now, but will be heard, ready to go with all thrusters on full power ready for eh US pre-orders to go live at midnight ET!

See you soon!

That might be it for UK fans....

It looks like that might be just about all the action that's going to happen in the UK this evening,....

Amazon joins the UK party!

I was beginning to worry about the biggest UK retailers, but Amazon UK is indeed live!

• Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
• Standard Edition Xbox Series X - £69.99

Are we out of the flurry now?

Is that it for the UK now? Or at least for the moment?

After a flurry of activity at a few UK retailers, everything seems to have calmed down.... Is that it for now?

Options are on the table!

UK shoppers have got options! Which is definitely great — but where are the big boys like Amazon?

The silence is deafening from t hat retailer in particular...

Very and Smyths Toys join the UK party!

We've got more options in the UK as Smyths Toys and Very both go live with their standard edition GTA 6 pre-orders!

• Very:
  𝓥 Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
  𝓥 Standard Edition Xbox Series X - £69.99
• Smyths Toys
  🧸Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
  🧸Standard Edition Xbox Series X - £69.99

ShopTo has a complete set of standard editions up

ShopTo has got the first completed set of both platforms up and ready for pre-order!

• ShopTo:
  🟡Standard Edition PS5 - £69.85
  🟡Standard Edition Xbox Series X - £69.85

The Game Collection too!

As has The Game Collection!

• The Game Collection:
  🎮Standard Edition - £69.95

ShopTo is live!

Excellent retailer ShopTo has gone live with its GTA 6 pre-order stock!

• ShopTo:
  🟡Standard Edition — £69.85

15 minutes in...

OK so where the heck are our UK retailer listings?!

We can still only see the PlayStation store and Xbox store as the ones with live pre-order links....

• PlayStation Store
  🅿️Standard Edition - £69.99
  🅿️Ultimate Edition - £89.99
• Xbox Store
  ❎Standard Edition - £69.99
  ❎Ultimate Edition - £89.99

PS Store Live in the UK!

The PlayStation store is live now too! Same prices as Xbox, and confirms that it wasn't just a translation of the USD numbers.

• PlayStation Store
  🅿️Standard Edition - £69.99
  🅿️Ultimate Edition - £89.99

UK prices confirmed!

We are live at Xbox! The official Microsoft Xbox store has confirmed that the standard edition will cost £69.99 and the ultimate edition will cost £89.99.

• Xbox Store
  ❎Standard Edition - £69.99
  ❎Ultimate Edition - £89.99

We should be live! If I had to guess, I'd go for the PlayStation and Xbox storefronts first - but surely others will follow

• PlayStation Store
  🅿️Check Standard Edition stock
  🅿️Check Ultimate Edition stock
• Xbox Store
  ❎Check Standard Edition stock
  ❎Check Ultimate Edition stock

UK links to bookmark now

Here are those UK links to bookmark now at a range of retailers — I'll update them as soon as I spot specific links!

IT'S HAPPENING!

• Amazon:
  📦Check Standard Edition stock
  📦Check Ultimate Edition stock
• Currys:
  ©️Check Standard Edition stock
  ©️Check Ultimate Edition stock
• Argos:
  🟥Check Standard Edition stock
  🟥Check Ultimate Edition stock
• Very:
  𝓥 Check Standard Edition stock
  𝓥 Check Ultimate Edition stock
• EE:
  📱Check Standard Edition stock
  📱Check Ultimate Edition stock
• ShopTo:
  🟡Check Standard Edition stock
  🟡Check Ultimate Edition stock
• The Game Collection:
  🎮Check Standard Edition stock
  🎮Check Ultimate Edition stock
• John Lewis:
  🛍️Check Standard Edition stock
  🛍️Check Ultimate Edition stock
• PlayStation Store
  🅿️Check Standard Edition stock
  🅿️Check Ultimate Edition stock
• Xbox Store
  ❎Check Standard Edition stock
  ❎Check Ultimate Edition stock

Just 5 minutes for UK fans!

Genuinely I feel a bit of adrenaline and that wonderful kind of excitement you only ever get for momentous occasions right now — it's an infectious feeling, and one that comes from a huge moment in our industry!

How exciting to see it this close up, in real time!

15 minutes to go in the UK!

This is so exciting! There's only 15 minutes to go for those in the UK who want to place a GTA 6 pre-order!

So close - after all these years, it's finally happening!

Only 30 minutes to go for UK pre-orderers!

We are now dangerously close to UK pre-orders kicking off!

In only 30 minutes the GTA 6 pre-order flood gates will open and hopefully we'll see a host of retailers get on in the action!

I'm back, by the way

Hello, it's me, Rob Dwiar, back again to guide you through the next while, as UK pre-orders approach...

Why is there no collector's edition bundle for GTA 6?

One commenter asked us this in our TikTok video announcing the pre-order, and it's a great question. The answer may lie in another game — Red Dead Redemption 2. For Rockstar's other big-hitting franchise, the Collector's Edition was released separately — without the game. They may well pull the same stunt here.

This is an interesting concept, for sure. Red Dead Redemption 2 had a standard, special, and ultimate edition, so we're already missing one of those with the GTA 6 pre-order situation.

Could it be that Rockstar only wants to launch digitally initially in order to avoid any risks about leaks or something, but then come again later with a special edition or collector's edition that's 'properly' physical — I could see that happening. People would buy it twice too.

I think we're about to witness a game pre-order situation that is like no other, ever; it'll transcend any other game pre-order logic, pattern, or situation, so the idea of Rockstar coming later with a collector's edition or physical copy to coincide with a later beat, such as GTA 6 Online, or a PC release, is very much something I can see.

Rob Dwiar, Managing Editor, TechRadar Gaming

Hi folks, Managing Editor Matt Bolton taking over for a while

Let me tell you my GTA IV release date story. I'd pre-ordered it for my Xbox 360, which we had to do back then if you wanted to play it on launch day, since no one was downloading games of that size at the time.

By the time the release day came around, I'd actually forgotten about it. I was a student, and I was just out with friends that evening, and my route home took me past the video game store. It was after midnight, so a huge queue had formed, and the GIANT signs in the window clued me in that I'd stumbled onto the launch event.

Luckily, I'd stuffed my pre-order receipt (no email confirmations back then!) in my wallet, so I slightly hazily joined the queue, picked up my copy, and wandered home. I thought it'd be nice to be able to just get up and play it in the morning.

Obviously, I started playing as soon as I got home and just didn't bother going to sleep. Ah, the good ol' days. On this launch day, I'm more like to not sleep because of back pain or a heatwave.

Okay, fancy a CHEAP TV upgrade?

Of course this being Prime Day week, you can pick up a TV for less right now in Amazon's big sale.

James has also put together a list of the best TV deals on sets he'd recommend for the new game, so be sure to give that a read before you open your wallet.

Full story: Prime Day’s TV deals are perfectly timed for GTA 6 — I’m a TV reviewer, and here are the best gaming TV deals to upgrade ready for its launch

Fancy a TV upgrade?

I'm a PC gamer these days, so if I do want to play GTA 6 on launch I'm going to need a new console. I'd also take the opportunity to upgrade my TV, because I don't yet have an OLED or mini-LED set.

Does that matter? It does if you ask our resident TV expert James Davidson, who's written an expert guide to the four televisions he thinks will truly do justice to the new game, and why you should consider an upgrade.

Full story: I test gaming TVs every day and these are the models I'd trust to let GTA 6 look its best

Time for a catch-up

The good news is that whether you missed out on those earlier titles, or want to refresh your memory before VI drops, you can easily do so by playing Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy.

The Trilogy contains III, Vice City and San Andreas, and it's one of the few GTA games that you can currently play on modern consoles.

We've got details of the full list and where to play them in our guide to how to catch up on GTA.

Here we go again…

Amazing though GTA III was, it was the next two entries that remain my absolute favorites: Vice City and San Andreas.

San Andreas was superb, but it was the first game that sometimes felt a little like hard work, what with the need to give CJ a haircut and food and some exercise and so on. Whereas Vice City… I genuinely can't remember many better experiences in my 45 years of gaming than riding a motorbike down the seafront while Spandau Ballet's Gold played on the radio. You kinda had to be there…

Where it all began

My realization that GTA V came out 13 years ago — 13 years! — got me thinking about my favorite Grand Theft Auto games. I've played pretty much all of them, and at the time they came out, too, because I'm really old.

I remember loving the original GTA and II, plus the London expansion pack, but it was the third entry in 2001 that really blew me away — and I suspect many gamers of a similar age would tell a similar story.

It was partly the shift from 2D to 3D of course, but also the cinematic story, the soundtrack, just everything really. Well, maybe not the controls, but then that's barely changed over the years…

Hi all. Global Editor in Chief Marc here, taking over from Rob for a few hours so he can have a little break before pre-orders start in the UK in a few hours' time.

Nice of Rockstar to schedule this during Prime Day, the World Cup and a UK heatwave, eh? It's not like we have anything else to spend our time on…

Then again, it's inarguably a bigger deal than any of them. After all, Prime Day happens every year, the World Cup every four years and a UK heatwave seemingly every few weeks these days. Whereas GTA V came out 13 years ago. Seriously, 13 years!

So don't worry, we'll be prioritizing it over everything else.

Only three and half hours to go for UK folks!

That's right we're slowly but surely creeping our way to the big moment for UK fans, as GTA 6 pre-orders will open in just three and half hous; just 210 minutes!

Where will you be placing your pre-order? I'm hoping we'll get some solid retailer action away from digital storefronts, and maybe even a surprise. One can only hope.

A whole new heap of information — from images

As well as the details on the editions, pricing, and so on, Rockstar also dropped a huge 63 new images for us all to pore over and see if we can pick out details, hints at gameplay, or, well, anything.

Dash, who's been writing like a demon this afternoon in the UK heat, has put together a one-stop shop article for all those glorious new images, but also added some analysis and descriptions of what these images could reveal and hint at. A perfect way to prepare for placing a GTA 6 pre-order.

Read more: There are 63 new Grand Theft Auto 6 screenshots to pore over, giving us our first look at some of the key mechanics of the upcoming GTA game

Which console will be best to play GTA 6 on?

You'll likely have a fantastic experience on any console with GTA 6, given Rockstar's technical wizardry, but naturally, Sony thinks the best place to play the game will be on PS5, and specifically the PS5 Pro.

The gaming giant put out a blog post earlier saying that GTA 6 will take advantage of a host of the console's bespoke features, including haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, and the internal SSD.

Given the historically close relationship between Rockstar and PlayStation, we kind of think that the PS5 Pro may well be the definitive way to play GTA 6 this November — shame about those price hikes, right?

Pricing elsewhere?

Having said that and asked for your thoughts on the fairness or reasonableness of the pricing, we only have the US price tags to go off still.

We're only five hours from UK pre-orders starting and still have no idea what they will cost! Stick around here though, as we'll share that info as soon as we have it.

Do you think the pricing of the editions are fair?

There's been a bit of chat about the pricing of both editions and the value proposition on offer - particularly with the Ultimate Edition.

But what do you think? Is the pricing reasonable on both editions, on the whole?

Remember the GTA+ benefit

When you place a GTA 6 pre-order on the PlayStation or Xbox digital storefronts, you'll get a free month of GTA+ thrown in that you can use immediately. A cool, but relatively niche benefit, and the service from Rockstar is often positioned at the most committed GTA Online players.

However, it does give you more benefits and could set up a fun month of revisiting older GTA games...

Dash has written a full explainer and helpful article on the service here, so you can swot up and see the benefits you might get out of it for a free month of using it.

Read more: Digital Grand Theft Auto 6 pre-orders come with free GTA+ — But what actually is it, and how do you use it to play old GTA games?

Our coverage of GTA 6 is also on TikTok, by the way

We'll be continuing our GTA 6 pre-order coverage and talking more about the game in the build-up to its release on the platform, too, by the way, so if video content is your bag and you like what we do, consider giving us a follow there!

I'm back!

I have indeed returned! How's everyone doing?

Got itchy trigger fingers?

Dash and I were just talking about whether we would pre-order a physical copy ourselves, but neither of us are sure now due to the code in a box situation....

Still, I've got time to mull it over before UK pre-orders go live in less than five hours.

I've just heard that Rob is back to take the reins once again! See you all soon for more GTA 6 pre-order madness.

What actually is GTA+?

Digital GTA 6 pre-orders come with a free month of GTA+, but what does that actually mean?

GTA+ is Rockstar's subscription service, mainly geared towards GTA Online players. It gives you a wealth of in-game bonuses, like discounts on property, loads of free vehicles, free clothing, and regular in-game currency injections.

It even comes with its own library of games, with a rotating selection of titles that you can play at no extra cost. This currently includes GTA 5 and GTA Online for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series consoles in addition to the likes Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition.

If you want to make the best use of your month, I would recommend using it to play Vice City so you can get to grips with the Florida-inspired setting before GTA 6 arrives.

On the subject of that Ultimate Edition, an upgrade has actually been spotted in the New Zealand PlayStation Store. This suggests that players will be able to pay to upgrade their version of the Standard Edition game to the Ultimate Edition somewhere down the line.

This is definitely a very consumer-friendly move, and removes some of the pressure to lock in one edition early that I was talking about earlier.

Still, there's no word on how much the upgrade will cost and I imagine buying the Ultimate Edition upfront will be the cheaper option.

The Ultimate Edition might not be physical

There's an interesting omission with the listings currently live in Australia. You can pick up the game for either PS5 or Xbox Series X, but only the standard edition.

There doesn't seem to be a physical box with the Ultimate Edition version up right now, which makes me think that we might not actually get one.

I'll keep searching and let you know if one appears...

Hey everyone! Gaming Editor Dash here, signing on to take over the coverage as Rob logs off for the day. I'll be with you for the next few hours tracking the latest GTA 6 pre-order news.

Don't make a big mistake when choosing editions

Gaming Editor Dashiell Wood has some timely advice for those choosing which edition to buy:
"Don't bank on Rockstar Games offering an upgrade to the Ultimate Edition if you only buy the standard version. I was caught out back when I bought the standard edition of Red Dead Redemption 2 and soon discovered that I wouldn't be able to access that game's Ultimate Edition goodies unless I bought a whole new copy.

Choose your edition of GTA 6 carefully. If you think you want any of the content from the Ultimate Edition, then it's the one to go for. An extra $20 now could save you from feeling like you missed out in future. I'm not making the same mistake twice."

Read more: I made a massive mistake when buying Red Dead Redemption 2 — Here's how to avoid the same trap with GTA 6

First physical copies I've seen at a retailer

JB HiFI in Australia and New Zealand are the best retailer to go live with listings as far as I can tell, and gives us a first (predictable) look at how shops and online retailers will be selling the game!

The only thing really of note in the description though is that "A disc will not be included in the box."

Australian pre-orders are live at the PlayStation and Xbox stores!

As expected, Australians can now get in on the GTA 6 pre-order action by placing digital pre-orders on the game on either of the major console storefronts right now!

GTA 6 at the Australian PlayStation Store

GTA 6 at the Australian Xbox Store

A collector's POV

I'm a little bit of a gaming gear and games collector — nothing huge by any means, but certainly my most favorite or anticipated things, for sure — and I'm a bit disappointed about the physical editions just being a code in a box. I would have loved to have placed a pre-order knowing I was getting a full physical edition with box, disk, and anything else.

A saving grace may be that there's some cool art or a map, or something else inside the boxes alongside the code — but equally, Rockstar would surely have detailed those bits in order to paint a full picture and sell the editions. Anyway, I live in hope...

Pre-orders in Australia should be live very soon

We'll soon have another country going live with pre-order time arriving for fans in Australia very soon. I've only seen the PS Store and Xbox store live with links or listings so far though - no actual retailers, which I'm curious about.

Will you be pre-ordering?

Pre-ordering games is always a bit of debate among fans, but GTA 6 might be the one that transcends all concerns about pre-ordering a game.

Will you be placing a pre-order? Take our poll below, and we'll see how many folks are keen, and how many might be holding back.

Folks in New Zealand can pre-order right now!

Because Rockstar has opted for a midnight local time launch for pre-orders around the world, we're already seeing folks place their orders and see it on official storefronts.

Fans in New Zealand can currently head over to the PS Store and snag their pre-order! How exciting!

Pricing information finally arrived

The huge news to come today, just ahead of pre-orders going live at midnight local time, June 25, was the pricing - at least some of it. Rockstar confirmed that the standard edition of the game will cost $79.99 and the ultimate edition of the game will cost $99.99.

What does that mean for other territories? No idea, really — a UK price could be the same numbers but in GBP, but we just don't know yet.

Read our full story here: We finally know the official GTA 6 price ahead of pre-orders — it's expensive, but not as bad as some expected

It's finally happening — GTA 6 pre-orders are here

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of GTA 6 pre-orders. It's an incredibly exciting time and I've made it my mission to present you the best information, latest details, and all the best retailer links to pre-order Rockstar's latest and greatest as soon as they go live.

Strap in, it's going to be a heck of a ride!