Final VR3000 EX for Gaming: two-minute review

The Final VR3000 EX for Gaming is a multi-platform gaming headset aimed at the more affordable end of the gaming market. It offers a low-latency connection, a fold-to-mute mic, and spatial audio for a much more manageable price than many of the premium pads on the market. But does it deliver on everything it promises?

The Final VR3000 EX for Gaming’s build isn’t bad, all things considered. I’m not a huge fan of the plastic on its earcups or how rattly it can be — both make it feel a bit cheap and flimsy — while the adjustable headband doesn’t really go tight enough for people with smaller heads. But the fabric section of the headband and the faux leather cups are really comfortable: despite a tiny bit of sweatiness, I found them comfortable enough to wear for the best part of a day.

Sound quality on the VR3000 EX is really solid: trebles feel crisp enough to give everything real immediacy, while the mids have sufficient clarity that I could easily differentiate the different roars of demons I gunned my way through in Doom. The only area where I’d say the headset doesn’t quite match pace with the best wireless gaming headsets out there is bass. It would be nice if guns had a little more boom — unless I’ve really misunderstood, the F in BFG9000 does not stand for ‘feeble’.

On paper, the VR3000 EX has some pretty great features for its price point, but I found this was the point it really struggled to deliver. Although Final talks a good game about the headset’s spatial audio, in practice the only dimension I really found had strong differentiation was left / right, with noises behind me being harder to pinpoint and there seemingly being no height effect that I could detect at all.

The headset’s Footstep Clarity Mode is a similar story. While creeping around the Dust II map on Counter-Strike 2, I found detecting the footfalls of rivals to be pretty easy, which is great. However, I couldn’t really appreciate a significant difference in this, whether the mode was enabled or not. It seems churlish to complain about this, given footsteps were still easy to hear, but I’m just not sure how much this feature actually adds.

I will give Final less faint praise over the headset’s foldaway mic though. Testing it out, I found it did a pretty creditable job of picking up my voice and its fold-to-mute functionality worked well to stifle the recording, even though there was a slight lag of a little under a second for it to kick in. However, it doesn’t seem to have a near-field mic or significant noise gating, as when it was recording it absolutely picked up the background music I was playing and the clack of my keyboard.

And whatever quibbles I may have about the VR3000 EX’s other features, I was pretty blown away by its battery life. During my battery tests, I found that Final was pretty on the money with its 55-hour estimate for this headset. That blows even many more premium headsets out of the water for longevity and means you’re unlikely to need to charge it more than once a week, even if you’re gaming for a significant proportion of each day.

Everything is relative. Given its price, I’d usually be pretty generous with the Final VR3000 EX for Gaming. And it doesn’t get everything wrong: it has decent enough mids and trebles and a good stereo field. But bass is pretty lacking and many of the features it professes to have are almost imperceptible. In light of that, I’d argue another budget option like the Corsair HS55 Wireless might serve you better instead.

Final VR3000 EX for Gaming review: price & release date

• Launched on December 12, 2025
• List price of $149.99 / £99.99 / $259
• But it’s already on sale for £69.99 in the UK

Released on December 12, 2025, Final VR3000 EX for Gaming is available now. While it originally went on sale at a list price of $149.99 / £99.99 / $259, it’s already showing up for a fair amount less in some regions. You can currently pick it up for as little as £69.99 in the UK, which is a pretty low price for a gaming headset.

As for your options at that price, you probably won’t be surprised to hear that there’s not a whole load of customizability and it only comes in one colorway, black. On the plus side, there aren’t loads of different versions for different platforms: the one version of the VR3000 EX is compatible with PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC, although unfortunately there’s no Xbox Series X / S compatibility.

Final VR3000 EX for Gaming review: specs

Final VR3000 EX for Gaming review: design / features

• Comfortable to wear
• Not all materials feel that premium
• Epic battery life
• Quite loose fitting

Given its price, it’s not surprising that the Final VR3000 EX’s build quality seems a little on the cheap side. Not only does the textured plastic on their cups feel pretty low quality, but they are incredibly rattly when you handle them, which doesn’t speak to a tremendously robust construction. On the plus side, they didn’t seem to rattle at all when they were on my head.

Additionally, the fabric headband and faux leather earcups are delightfully soft, meaning I actually found the VR3000 EX to be surprisingly comfortable. I wore them on and off for much of a day, and they didn’t start to squish my ears, a problem I’ve always found with cheaper headphones and headsets. However, I will say the faux leather gets decidedly sweaty during longer use, particularly during tense first-person shooters.

I’m less convinced by the VR3000 EX’s fit, unfortunately. While the clamping force feels just about right, it’s not all that easy to adjust the stiff adjustable headband while the headset is on your dome. And Final seems to have modeled this headset around Mr Mackey from South Park — I have a pretty big head and yet the VR3000 EX only just about felt stable on the shortest setting, while one of my smaller-skulled colleagues definitely found he couldn’t get it small enough for it to feel comfortable.

All of its controls are on the left earcup. There’s an on switch, the volume dial, a Mode button that lets you switch between Bluetooth and USB mode — as well as play/pause media and answer/end calls — and the Control button, which allows you to trigger Footstep Clarity Mode. Each button has a clicky enough action to provide decent tactile feedback, while the volume dial is lightly notched to make increasing the volume feel nicely precise. However, I will say that they’re positioned close enough that it’s not always easy to know right away which button is which by feel alone.

The app for the Final VR3000 EX is pretty limited. It has three features: it enables you to update the headset’s firmware, switch on Footstep Clarity Mode, and provides access to Final’s EQ settings. While it’s hard to justify using the app just for the Footstep Clarity Mode, the 10-band EQ that’s included is pretty decent, even if I’m not all that convinced that the impact of the lowest 31Hz is really that appreciable. So while it’s not like you need to rush to download this, it’s still useful so I’ll count this one as a bonus.

A far more unequivocal win for the VR3000 EX though is its battery life. Final quotes its total life as being up to 55 hours, and this was borne out by my testing. I set it streaming music constantly for six hours, and during that time the battery only dropped to 90% — a back-of-the-envelope calculation would put its total life at 60 hours. So even factoring in that battery discharge curves aren’t necessarily regular, I’d say 55 hours is a perfectly reasonable expectation for how long this headset should last you.

Final VR3000 EX for Gaming review: performance

• Good sound performance, even if bass is weaker
• Spatial audio claims totally overblown
• Not sure Footstep Clarity mode adds much

Design and features are all well and good. But where the rubber meets the road for a gaming headset is whether those things translate into a good sonic performance in-game. And, sadly, when you actually take the Final VR3000 EX for Gaming for a test drive, it doesn’t quite deliver on the expectations it’s set for itself.

The VR3000 EX sounds very decent, but it is a little uneven in how it handles the balance of frequencies. On the plus side, it has a good level of bite in the high-end. The screams of the possessed when I was playing Doom were immediate enough to be rattling, while the whine of my chainsaw as I carved up imps felt sufficiently realistic.

But it’s when it comes to bass that the VR3000 EX is a little more lacking. When I tested the Turtle Beach Atlas 200, I heaped praise on it for the almighty boom that issued when I was clicking heads with the sniper rifle in Counter-Strike 2. With the VR3000 EX, it almost felt like I was playing a different game, with the game’s rifles having scarcely any more impact than my dual Berettas. While that has a very limited impact on your kill ratio in-game, it does make the whole thing feel a lot less immersive.

Speaking of, Final spends a lot of time hyping up the VR3000 EX’s spatial audio skills in its product description. And yet I’d say rumors of its immersiveness have been greatly exaggerated.

On the one hand, the VR3000 EX has a pretty creditable stereo field, with action occurring on either side of me always feeling pretty easy to pinpoint. Whether I was trying to spot where an inbound explosive engineer was charging from or fleeing from hell knights in Doom, the VR3000 EX generally made it easy to tell which side their howls and roars came from.

Unfortunately, I can’t say Final’s headset fares as well in other dimensions. There’s just enough variation in footsteps in front and behind you that I could tell which was which when giving it my full attention — but in the heat of battle, I’m not sure how useful I actually found these subtle cues. And while Final explicitly mentions height effects on its site, I could not spot any significant difference at all between action happening above me and gunfights happening right under my nose.

Honestly, that’s fine: I do not expect accomplished Dolby Atmos-style effects from hardware that costs roughly the same dough as a couple of AAA computer games. But I do wish brands would stop denuding the term spatial audio of its meaning by using it as a marketing gimmick.

Sadly, the VR3000 EX also treads a pretty similar path with its Footstep mode. While engaged in a free-for-all deathmatch in Counter-Strike 2, the headset did a perfectly adequate job of allowing me to pick out my rivals’ footfall and react accordingly. So far, so good, right? Except during this match I switched Footstep mode on and off many times, and I genuinely couldn’t spot whether I was actually getting an enhanced sense of steps or whether it was largely just a placebo.

One area I’ll happily give the VR3000 EX its due, though, is its connectivity. Using its USB dongle, I honestly couldn’t detect any latency between kills onscreen and the crack of gunfire. While an effective low-latency mode is pretty common with gaming headsets, it’s still a welcome feature on a headset this affordably priced. Even when connected via Bluetooth, the audio wasn’t remotely laggy and enabled me to respond pretty quickly to what was going on around me. So it definitely gets some points there.

And as long as you don’t have particularly high expectations, the VR3000 EX’s foldaway mic works well enough as well. Its action is smooth, and the fold-to-mute function absolutely works, meaning you can be sure no one is overhearing you when you want a bit of privacy — although there is a lag of around a second before it mutes, so bear that in mind. Unfortunately, though, sound quality isn’t great, with my voice sounding a little bit on the tinnier side, and there’s no noise-gating that I can tell, meaning friends and foes online will be able to hear any background chatter or music in your room.

Should I buy the Final VR3000 EX for Gaming?

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if...

Final VR3000 EX for Gaming review: also consider

How I tested the Final VR3000 EX for Gaming

• Tested over a week
• Tried out on a range of titles including Counter-Strike 2 and Doom
• Have 10 years experience writing about audio and 35 of gaming

I tested the Final VR3000 EX for Gaming over the course of a week. I paired it with my desktop PC at home, my MacBook Pro M4 and TechRadar’s Acer Predator Helios 300 gaming laptop. I then tested it out with multiple titles including Counter-Strike 2 and Doom, as well as listening to some playlists on Apple Music.

In terms of specifics, I tested out the spatial audio in multiple Counter-Strike 2 deathmatches and tried switching the Footstep Clarity Mode on and off to see how much difference that made to how perceptible opponents’ positions were. I recorded myself while talking, typing, and playing music to test the VR3000 EX’s foldaway mic, as well as folding it away to test how effectively it muted incoming audio.

When it comes to my personal experience, I’ve been writing about and testing audio gadgets for over ten years now, as well as using audio gear to produce and listen to music. I’ve been playing games on a daily basis since they were all 8-bit, sharing my time pretty evenly between console, handheld and PC gaming. And yet, it turns out, I still get thoroughly mogged when playing Counter-Strike 2, which I blame on my middle-aged reflexes.

• First reviewed: June 2026
• Read more about how we test

• Halo Campaign Evolved will feature original content and new features, too
• Creative director Max Szlagor says the remake was a process of "crafting it piece by piece"
• The game will be "more accessible" than the original

Halo Campaign Evolved isn't just a simple remake of Halo: Combat Evolved's campaign, according to Halo Studios, but a blend of original content and new features designed for a modern shooter.

In an interview with TechRadar Gaming at Summer Game Fest 2026, where we went hands-on with the upcoming game, executive producer Damon Conn and creative director Max Szlagor explained how the team recaptured the feel of the original game and the challenges of making it a fresh experience.

"It's a combination [..] of this Halo simulation, which we've built up over 25 years, foundationally from [Halo] Reach, but pulling in additional pieces and pairing that with this beautiful Unreal [Engine] renderer," Szlagor said. "As far as challenges, it's really just looking at it piece by piece as we build the levels, the encounters with enemies, vehicles, weapons.

"It's just a lot of stuff that we've put together. We've got all the original content plus these nine new weapons, ones you couldn't use in the original game, so making sure those fit in nicely with the Energy Sword, the Fuel Rod cannon, driving the Wraith, [and] vehicle hijacking. Just crafting it piece by piece."

Conn explained that the "key" is "to bring it into more of a modern shooter," which means "make it more accessible" by revamping old features so that they're more approachable.

"You can find your way through levels a little bit easier now," the developer added, "whereas back in the early 2000s, you had to find your way, and it was really trial and error. Now we have much more poignant waypointing to help you along."

There will also be quality-of-life features built using Unreal Engine 5, including a sprint button, but players can also play the game "the original way" by disabling the option.

"I like to sprint around and use it as a traversal function," Conn said. "It doesn't really change the way I'm going to play the game, but it definitely lets me move through the environment in a way that I'm more used to."

Halo Campaign Evolved launches on July 28 for PS5, Xbox Series X, Series S, and PC.

• PlayStation boss Hideaki Nishino says "pick up and play" is the most important quality for consoles nowadays
• He says Sony wants to leverage tech "that can be used in various forms and locations"
• The CEO's comments suggest that Sony is looking to rejoin the handheld market

A new PlayStation handheld could be on the table after comments from Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Hideaki Nishino suggest the company wants to create new hardware similar to the Nintendo Switch 2.

In an interview with Famitsu (translated by IGN), Nishino was asked whether PlayStation plans to continue focusing on consoles, following a past comment he made in 2024 about how hardware won't be disappearing any time soon.

The CEO confirmed it would, saying, "My belief that a console is necessary for playing games hasn’t changed," adding that Sony "wants to continue providing its own game consoles."

But what sort of consoles? Nishino went on to mention that "pick up and play" is the most important quality for consoles nowadays, which instantly makes one think of the Switch 2 or PlayStation Portal.

Nishino continued, saying that developing new consoles will mean Sony will be "leveraging technologies that can be used in various forms and locations" and that this would enable Sony "to create something exciting."

"For example, although the PlayStation brand is strongly associated with playing on the TV in the living room, we’re planning to release monitors and speakers so that people can play comfortably in other locations as well," Nishino said. "We developed the PlayStation Portal as part of this initiative."

The PlayStation Portal is a remote player, allowing PS5 users to play their PS5 games via their handheld device, a challenge Sony took on to create a new kind of gameplay experience, according to Nishino.

"We were thinking, 'Let’s try this, let’s try that,' and I’d like us to move forward with developing products while exploring various ideas in this way," he said.

While the PlayStation Portal is a handheld console, its purpose is built for streaming and cloud gaming, unlike the PSP and the PS Vita.

While the PSP took off and became Sony's biggest handheld ever, selling 70 million units, the PS Vita didn't fare too well, shifting an estimated 15 to 16 million units before it was discontinued in 2019.

If Sony plans to rejoin the handheld market, it will have tough competition if it goes against the Switch 2, which has officially sold almost 6 million units within its first year of release.

A PS6 handheld has been rumored for some time. According to a reliable insider and leaker, Moore's Law is Dead, Sony will launch its next-generation PlayStation with three devices in 2027, including two consoles and a companion handheld.

• Physical Editions of Grand Theft Auto 6 won't come with a disc
• Many fans are disappointed, and it's stirred conversation about the value of physical and digital games
• Fans in 2013 had similar conversations with the launch of GTA 5

Now that Grand Theft Auto 6 pre-orders are live, it feels like the countdown to the game's launch later this year can truly begin in earnest. And yet, despite the hype around the most anticipated game of all time, some fans are disappointed by the announcement that physical editions won't come with a disc, but rather a digital download code in the box.

It has stirred up conversation around whether physically owning the game even matters in the grand scheme of things; dedicated fans who have waited a long time for GTA 6 will buy the game either way, right?

"Obviously I’m going to get this game but 13 years of waiting & this is all physical editions are getting? A f****** code in a box? For the biggest game to ever launch & that’s all the effort you’re putting in for physical? So damn disappointed man," one said.

But 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 games, though it seems that many leaned on the side of being able to physically own their copy.

"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.

One fan jumped to say that "Physical is seemingly better in every way aside from you have to remove the disk [from the console]."

Others agreed, with one saying, "Plus, if you ever want to get rid of it, you can always trade it in for another game or sell it."

However, it's a different conversation today as GTA 6 physical editions will have a download code instead, unlike GTA 5 over a decade ago, meaning players won't be able to resell their copy later on.

One fan disagreed, saying, "Wow. Really everyone is still on physical what is this the 20th century?" But another argued that physical is better because they could display their collection proudly.

"Physical, as the price is usually the same as digital," a user replied, but nowadays, that's not typically the case, while another said "Physical, cause you get the map. Not cause its useful just cause its cool!"

Sadly, unlike GTA 5 and even Red Dead Redemption 2, neither the Standard nor the Ultimate Edition of GTA 6 will include a map.

Before GTA 5 was released, hours of gameplay footage leaked online after early copies were illegally uploaded to torrent sites. One explanation for GTA 6 physical editions not including a disc could be that Rockstar is trying to minimize the potential for leaks this time around.

Some fans also considering skipping the day one purchase in hopes of a disc being produced later down the line. However, for now, it looks like all players will own a digital license for the game instead.

GTA 6 launches on November 19 and will cost $79.99 / AU$129.95 / £69.99 for the Standard Edition and $99.99 / AU$159.95 / £89.99 for the Ultimate Edition. Pre-loads begin on November 12.

• Halo Campaign Evolved executive producer Damon Conn says encounters and levels have reduced their "repetition"
• Conn explains that the original code is still in the game under the new build
• He adds that there are "different elements going on while retaining that story, that original intent"

Halo Studios has confirmed that Halo Campaign Evolved still has Halo: Combat Evolved's original code buried underneath the new Unreal Engine 5 build.

That's according to executive producer Damon Conn and creative director Max Szlagor in an interview with TechRadar Gaming at Summer Game Fest 2026, where they discussed how the team recaptured the feel of the original game while creating a modern shooter.

Conn explained that it also addressed some of the encounters and made sure to "reduce" their "repetition."

"Not to mess with the overall story or the way that the game even plays out," he clarified, "but just make that more of a better feel. Some of the levels are a little bit repetitive, and we tried to clean that up as well. While retaining that original feel."

The executive producer continued, confirming that the "original code" of Halo: Combat Evolved "is in this game, underneath the new Unreal Engine 5.

"It's under a layer of Unreal, so you are playing the DNA of the original game," Conn said.

Touching on The Library in particular, the maze-like levels in Halo: Combat Evolved that feature waves of The Flood, Conn said each space and encounter is now "visually distinct."

"Each level, you can see that progressing over time," he explained. "You can see the types of Flood you encounter on each floor changing. We've also leaned into some other facets of what it means to be in The Library. There's some new gameplay layered into those spaces as well. You'll see a new Flood form in there. Again, the new weapons are layered in here.

"There's really just a lot of different elements going on while retaining that story, that original intent. The lighting [for example] is really leading into the vibes of what The Library is too. It should feel like a very fresh experience going through that level."

Halo Campaign Evolved launches on July 28 for PS5, Xbox Series X, Series S, and PC.

With Grand Theft Auto 6 pre-orders live right now, many are wondering when the next big trailer will be. We've only had two released so far, and while they're both great showcases of the game's visuals, neither has really shown us any proper gameplay or explained any potential new mechanics.

This would normally be pretty unusual—when was the last time you can remember being offered the chance to pre-order a game before you'd even seen any gameplay footage?—but not a big surprise coming from developer Rockstar Games.

In fact, the GTA 6 marketing so far has played out in a very similar fashion to that of the studio's last release, Red Dead Redemption 2, and I think that looking back at the past gives us a pretty good idea of what to expect this year.

GTA 6 trailer 3 could arrive very soon

After a few cryptic teasers, the first Red Dead Redemption 2 trailer dropped on October 20, 2016. It didn't tell us that much beyond introducing the setting and giving us our first look at the open world.

It also ended with a release window, Fall 2017, which Rockstar failed to hit with the game actually finally releasing in 2018.

The GTA 6 similarities should be obvious already. GTA 6 Trailer 1 was released in December 2023 and mainly focused on the upcoming game's Vice City setting and, just like Red Dead Redemption 2, gave us a 2025 release window that eventually turned out to be a year out thanks to delays.

It took practically a whole year for the next Red Dead Redemption 2 trailer to appear, a big gap that we saw replicated when the second GTA 6 trailer took 518 days to arrive.

There was then a much smaller seven-month wait between Red Dead Redemption 2 trailers 2 and 3, and I suspect we'll see a similar pattern this time. It's been over 400 days since GTA 6 trailer 2, so a third gameplay trailer coming in the next few weeks would still represent a smaller gap than that initial 518 days.

I wouldn't be surprised if Rockstar Games has one in the bank for when GTA 6 pre-order hype starts to wane as a way to give sales a boost.

Before we dive in, here's how to get your hands on a GTA 6 pre-order if you haven't placed one yet.

What about gameplay?

Red Dead Redemption 2 received two meaty gameplay trailers: one 85 days before its release and another 25 days before.

It seems Rockstar likes to wait as long as possible before actually showing gameplay and, if GTA 6 follows the same pattern, we're likely seeing our first glimpse of gameplay about three months before launch.

That means the first gameplay trailer is likely to drop sometime in early August. The second could then follow in late October, or even right at the start of November, when the November 19, 2026, release date is right around the corner.

Expect GTA 6 Online after launch

GTA Online launched on October 1, 2013 — just a few weeks after GTA 5 hit shelves.

Red Dead Online followed a similar trajectory. It rolled out to players in a beta state on November 30, 2018 (or a few days earlier for Ultimate Edition owners).

Both modes received standalone releases a few years down the line.

The PlayStation Store listing for GTA 6 states that the game is strictly a "single-player experience," which rules out availability at launch. I predict that it will arrive in some form in December, even if that's just as an early access beta.

If the previous games are anything to go by, this would be followed by a full release in 2027 and a standalone version a few years later.

And finally a PC port after a year

Red Dead Redemption 2's PC port took roughly a year to arrive, dropping in November 2019. As the most recent Rockstar Games release, I think it could give us an idea of when a GTA 6 PC version is likely to arrive.

I predict that it will come out in December 2027 if it follows the same pattern. This might even coincide with the full release of GTA 6 Online in order to really drum up the excitement.

Of course, all of this is speculation based on past events, and the release timeline could play out in any number of ways. We'll just have to wait and see whether Rockstar has any curveballs in store.

• GTA 6 demand could cause a surge in interest for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles
• A major retailer has told The Game Business that a shortage is expected due to ongoing hardware component availability
• It's said that “Demand will likely outstrip supply during the year-end period"

Retailers could run out of stock for PS5, Xbox Series X, and Series S consoles during the holiday season due to the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto 6.

That's according to The Game Business, which reports that a major games retailer has warned that a surge in interest for the consoles is expected later this year due to GTA 6. However, there will be a shortage due to ongoing issues surrounding hardware component availability.

"I spoke to a major retailer this week who informed me that they've been told there will be console stock shortages at the end of the year around the launch of GTA 6," said Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of The Game Business, Christopher Dring.

A senior games buyer, speaking without the permission of his employer, told The Game Business, "that because of the on-going issues around hardware component availability, we won’t be getting the units we want ahead of GTA." The source added: “Demand will likely outstrip supply during the year-end period."

Dring pointed out that Sony CEO Hiroki Totoki told investors in May that "the necessary volume" of PS5 stock "has been secured” for 2026; however, Xbox Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ball told The Game Business earlier in the month that there are already Xbox supply issues.

"I can tell you definitively demand for our console exceeds the supply," Ball told The Game Business. "We are putting them in as many stores as possible. We are producing them as quickly as possible. There is a severe limitation to how quickly we can do that, but it’s not a question of appetite.

"We need to do more, but there are constraints here. And so there are, unfortunately, a number of different markets in which we do not have supply. There are other markets in which we have inadequate supply. That is a privilege as a company it is a challenge for us to figure out."

When we asked about the potential impact GTA 6 will have among consumers, he said, "It’s going to invigorate a lot of players. It’s going to move some additional devices."

Microsoft just announced that the price of the Xbox Series X and Series S consoles will increase by $150 "effective August 1, 2026," so now would certainly be the best time to secure one before the price hike and before there is a shortage.

GTA 6 officially launches on November 19 and will cost $79.99 / AU$129.95 / £69.99 for the Standard Edition and $99.99 / AU$159.95 / £89.99 for the Ultimate Edition. Pre-loads begin on November 12.

• New Grand Theft Auto 6 details might have emerged from an Amazon Brazil listing
• The game apparently features NPCs with their own routines and "random events"
• Players may be able to switch between Jason and Lucia during missions

Grand Theft Auto 6 pre-orders have officially begun, and thanks to Amazon Brazil's listing, new details about the game's open world may have emerged.

Alongside a larger Vice City map, which Rockstar has previously said will allow players to explore several regions of Leonida, the product listing description also states that players will be able to switch between co-protagonists Jason and Lucia during the story and "participate in missions as a duo."

This sounds similar to GTA 5, so we could expect certain missions to be playable by either character, but it could also mean players can choose who to complete a mission with, regardless.

It also looks like GTA 6's world will be highly detailed with a "greater sense of immersion", as non-player characters (NPCs) will have their own "routines", which could mean daily and nightly activities, "random events" that players can encounter, and "interactive establishments."

The latter could be a reference to shops, tattoo parlours, and salons, but could also describe places like strip clubs, bars, and gun stores, which haven't been revealed yet but can also be found in GTA 5.

The mention of "random events" sounds like a feature drawn from Red Dead Redemption 2, allowing players to come across them while roaming the map, including things like isolated interactions and unmarked encounters.

GTA 6 will also reportedly feature "integrated social networks" that mimic real life, and players can "watch viral videos, follow influencers, and discover world events through your in-game mobile phone."

The game is built for current-gen, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Series S, and the description confirms that it will offer "next-generation graphics" that include "advanced lighting, dynamic weather, more natural animations, and a high level of detail in environments."

At the moment it's unclear whether these details have come from Rockstar themselves, or have been added by a third-party but they certainly sound very plausible.

GTA 6 launches on November 19 and will cost $79.99 / AU$129.95 / £69.99 for the Standard Edition and $99.99 / AU$159.95 / £89.99 for the Ultimate Edition. Pre-loads begin on November 12.

However, physical copies won't have a disc and only include a digital download code in the box.

• Halo Campaign Evolved's executive producer, Damon Conn, says the team wanted to explore the relationship between Sergeant Johnson and Master Chief for the three new missions
• The new missions were also inspired by Troy Denning's Halo novels
• Halo Studios suggests players play them after the original story

Halo Campaign Evolved executive producer Damon Conn and creative director Max Szlagor have confirmed that the remake's three new missions were created with the help of Halo book author Troy Denning.

In an interview with TechRadar Gaming at Summer Game Fest 2026, where we went hands-on with the upcoming game, the developers explained that the Halo universe has a lot to explore, but they wanted to explore the relationship between Sergeant Johnson and Master Chief in the missions of Operation: METEORITE.

"If you think about it, in the original game, you see Sergeant Johnson as such an important character in these original games, but you don't really get to know Sergeant Johnson that well, or his relationship with Chief," Conn said. "That really set the stage for us creatively to think about, 'Hey, let's talk about a mission that they went on a year before the events of The Ring,' and then really to go into their relationship and how they fight alongside each other.

"Even beyond that, there's all this other universe. You've got Spartans and ODSTs. You've got the Brutes. You've got the Prophets. It's really just us leaning into these other elements of the story that we can tell more deeply, that then let you go back and appreciate more of the campaign and what's there."

Szlagor added that Troy Denning, one of the authors who writes some of the Halo novels, like Halo: Last Light, Halo: Retribution, and Halo: Silent Storm - A Master Chief Story, also "helped with the story" of the three missions.

"It's a lore-authentic story," he said, explaining that series veterans who have been fans for 25 years and played on Xbox or PC are going to get new bits of information that they've been wanting, allowing them to "piece more of the puzzle together," such as the Covenant War.

"It's really going to be fun for them," Szlagor added. "But then also, if you're brand new to the experience, maybe you're a PlayStation player, you've never played before, and this is going to be something that would be really good to play after you play the main ring storyline."

However, the creative director suggests that players play the new missions "after they've played and experienced the original."

"It is meant to be played that way, because we've made it more of an intermediate difficulty experience, it's a little bit progressed further along. You start off, and it's a little bit more challenging than the first mission of Halo," he said.

"But again, you can play it in any order you would like. We're not going to make you choose or anything like that, but we just suggest that you play it that way."

Halo Campaign Evolved arrives on July 28 for PS5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC.

• Grand Theft Auto 6 is currently available to pre-order
• The standard edition version of the game costs $79.99 / £69.99
• The majority of those we polled said its price was too high

With Grand Theft Auto 6 pre-orders live right now, there's been plenty of discussion about the game's price.

Two versions of the game are available: a standard edition that costs $79.99 / £69.99 / AU$129.95 and an upgraded Ultimate Edition that throws in some bonus digital content for $99.99 / £89.99 / AU$159.95.

In my eyes, it's a pretty reasonable price point. The game has taken over a decade to develop and is estimated to have a massive budget, which has led some analysts to suggest that prices could start at as much as $100 / £100 / AU$200 before they were made official.

In the US, it's $10 more expensive than most major games, which generally go for $69.99. In the UK, it's actually the same price as most other releases with the likes of Ghost of Yotei or Stellar Blade also costing £69.99.

Still, according to a poll we ran with TechRadar readers, some fans are disappointed, particularly given the fact that physical versions of GTA 6 won't actually contain a proper disc but rather a printed download code.

Most think GTA 6 costs too much

We took to our almost 400,000 member strong WhatsApp channel to find out what our readers think and, after 459 responses, the results are pretty interesting.

Overall, the majority (59%) of responses said that GTA 6 is priced too high. Of that group, 68% stated that they would not by the game — vowing that "Rockstar just lost a sale" — while 32% admitted they would buy the game anyway, even if they thought it was too much.

Meanwhile, 41% were keen to get a pre-order locked in, selecting the option that said they will definitely "be there day one". This means that on the whole 59% said they were going to buy the game, even if they expressed concern with the price.

This leaves a sizeable minority that have seemingly been completely turned off. We'll have to wait and see whether this reservation is reflected in the official sales figures when they eventually release.

While both the PS5 and Xbox consoles have excellent default controllers, there's something special about embracing a premium pad that can offer you more, something different, or something better.

• Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

And that's what I plan to do with GTA 6: use a premium pad, whichever console I end up playing the game on. And it just so happens that the ongoing Amazon Prime Day deals have brought the price down on my favorite options for either platform.

For Xbox, the Thrustmaster eSwap X2 controller is now just £48.80 at Amazon (was £56.60 — but has an original list price of way more than that); and for PS5, the DualSense Edge is now down to £168 at Amazon (down from £199.99), which makes the premium Sony pad much more attractive.

Two of my favorite controllers on sale right now

The Thrustmaster Eswap X2 is the Xbox controller I use the most, and it's from a line that opened up Xbox to me when the first variant came out, soon after the Xbox consoles.

It's a premium wired pad that has a modular design, excellent buttons and triggers, and a cracking design and build quality. Right now it's just £48.80, which frankly feels like a mistake. This had an equally premium price tag not all that long ago, so is a bargain.

I love the original DualSense a lot, but if I were looking for something extra on PS5, then it'd have to be the DualSense Edge. It keeps all that makes the regular DualSense great, particularly those immersive features, and the ergonomic design, but layers premium features on top, allowing you to do more with a Sony controller.

Both these controllers have extra buttons too, which you can map to your liking, so if you're looking for flexibility when playing GTA 6 — or anything, for that matter — then these pads are perfect for you and offer more than just a standard layout to work with.

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire, Ring & Blink from £13.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: up to 33% off AirPods & Apple Watch
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja & Tefal
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from £5
• Fans: from £20
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Gaming: £90 off PlayStation 5
• Headphones: up to 50% off Beats & Sony
• Laptops: from £149
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £79.99
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Shark & Roborock
• Wearables: up to 30% off Garmin & Oura

Rockstar Games' GTA 6 is now officially available to pre-order globally for PS5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S, with the game's launch set for November 19, 2026.

In case you missed it, there are already ways to save big on Rockstar's blockbuster. The demand is so high that it has led to store errors on ShopTo after purchasing PlayStation Store gift cards, once GTA 6's pre-orders went live in the UK.

However, if you're only a PC player, GTA 6 won't be arriving on the platform anytime soon, but there's a way to solve that. If you don't own a PS5 or Xbox console, there's an important matter at hand — it's Prime Day, and that means there are all kinds of deals for everyone widely available.

Fortunately, the PS5 Slim Digital Edition is available on Joybuy for £389.95 (was £519.99), thanks to a 19% discount and a £30 coupon, dropping the console's price close to the original retail price at launch. It's currently one of the most affordable ways to dive into the PlayStation ecosystem.

That's not all, though. If you're out of luck with Joybuy's option running out of stock, then the PS5 Digital Edition is available on Amazon for £489(was £519.99), with a much smaller 6% discount.

If Microsoft's console is down your alley, then the Xbox Series X 1TB Digital Edition is available on Joybuy for £436 (was £449.99).

Ultimately, we still don't have any specific details regarding GTA 6's performance on either PS5 or Xbox consoles, despite rumors suggesting there will be performance and quality modes. It's suggested that the PS5 Pro enhanced version of GTA 6 will feature 60 frames per second, but it's hard to say until there's official confirmation.

For now, the focus should be on acquiring either of these consoles before the demand for them reaches new heights — and stock is already running low for the PS5 Digital Edition, so act fast!

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire, Ring & Blink from £13.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: up to 33% off AirPods & Apple Watch
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja & Tefal
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from £5
• Fans: from £20
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Gaming: £90 off PlayStation 5
• Headphones: up to 50% off Beats & Sony
• Laptops: from £149
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £79.99
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Shark & Roborock
• Wearables: up to 30% off Garmin & Oura

• Sony is going all out for GTA 6 marketing
• The PS5 homepage, PS Store, and PS App have been updated with a GTA 6 theme
• Pre-orders have officially begun

Sony has gone full Grand Theft Auto 6 marketing mode as pre-orders for the most anticipated game of all time officially begin.

The wait is finally over, GTA 6 pre-orders are now live, and in anticipation of the game's release later this year, Sony is showing that it definitely has a favorite by updating the PlayStation 5 homepage, PS Store, and PS App with a new GTA 6 theme.

Now, when players boot up their PS5, they're greeted by a full-screen animation of the game's logo, before it fades into an ad for the game on the console's welcome hub.

When navigating to the PS Store, the background now features co-protagonists Jason and Lucia, and the "Must See" UI has been updated with purple boxes that provide details on the Ultimate Edition, trailers, the Vintage Vice City and GTA+ pre-order bonuses, and a way to pre-order.

As spotted by Shinobi602, Sony has also updated the PS App logo with GTA 6 branding. Instead of the blue icon, it's been replaced by the game's sunset theme and palm trees.

It's clear that Sony is going all out to maximize the GTA 6 marketing, and it's not even a first-party exclusive.

It also shared in a post yesterday that "thanks to a close partnership" with the studio, "GTA 6 will play best on PS5" and take advantage of PS5’s features "to deliver a deeply engaging single-player experience."

GTA 6 officially launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X and Series S, and will cost $79.99 / AU$129.95 / £69.99 for the Standard Edition and $99.99 / AU$159.95 / £89.99 for the Ultimate Edition. Pre-loads begin on November 12.

It's also confirmed that physical copies won't have a disc and only include a digital download code in the box.

• GTA 6 physical editions won't have a disc and only come with a digital code
• Fans are disappointed with the announcement after some bought PS5 Pro disc drives solely for GTA 6
• Some retailers have dropped the game from sale due to their policies of only selling physical products

Physical copies of Grand Theft Auto 6 won't have a disc, and now multiple retailers have announced they won't be selling pre-orders as a result.

After Rockstar Games finally announced the price of the game yesterday and revealed GTA 6's Standard and Ultimate Editions, it was confirmed that physical copies will only include a digital download code in the box and no disc.

One explanation could be that Rockstar is trying to minimize the risk of leaks, but many fans hoping to secure a physical copy are disappointed.

"First look at GTA 6 physical edition," reads one Reddit post with a picture of an empty game box. Another replied, "Don’t forget the slip [of] paper with the code. Physical media is doomed."

One fan said, "I got a disc drive for my PS5 Pro just for this. **Sigh**"

"Got brand new PS5 Slim digital from outlet cause it was much cheaper [a] couple days before they announced price increase," another fan wrote. "Was planning to buy disk drive so I can later sell console and the game (mainly play on pc). But I won't be able to sell the game unless I sell my account as well lol."

The lack of a physical disc has also led certain retailers to stop selling pre-orders altogether as a policy, including Canadian retailer VGP, which is known for regular restocks of rare physical games (via GamesRadar).

"For nearly 40 years, VGP has been committed to supporting physical media and preserving the value of physical game ownership," the retailer said on Bluesky. "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."

The company added, "We want to be clear that this decision is not a reflection of the game itself. We have tremendous respect for Rockstar Games and the incredible achievement that Grand Theft Auto VI represents.

"Should Rockstar one day release a physical edition containing a disc in the box, we would be pleased to carry and support that version for our customers."

US-based Loot Box Gaming is also taking the same position, announcing on X/Twitter that it "will not be supporting the release of GTA 6."

"When we started LBG, it was out of a love for our favorite form of media, gaming, as-well as the preservation of said media," the post reads. "If a product can’t honor the people who pay their hard earned money to purchase it, then we have no business trying to sell it to our customers whom we value above anything else."

GTA 6 pre-orders are now live and will cost $79.99 / AU$129.95 / £69.99 for the Standard Edition and $99.99 / AU$159.95 / £89.99 for the Ultimate Edition.

GTA 6 officially launches on November 19, but pre-loads begin on November 12.

The day we've been waiting years for has finally arrived. Rockstar Games has finally given word on GTA 6 pre-orders (spoiler: they're happening now), as well as pricing information and a torrent of new screenshots, but fans have highlighted a notable omission.

We were asked in a comment on our TikTok announcing the news whether or not we knew of a collector's edition in the works — and we don't, with Rockstar staying quiet on the matter — but there's at least some reason to believe that we won't see one that includes a physical copy.

That reason is an entirely different game; Red Dead Redemption 2 (RDR2), the last game developed by Rockstar. Instead of a collector's edition including a physical copy, fans received a collector's box priced at $99.99 / £89.99 with "outlaw essentials" inspired by the Van der Linde gang.

These included various themed items like a metal tithing box, a bandana, pins, and more, all neat, but notably, there was no digital content included. Bundles were available that included a hard copy, but officially speaking, these were distinct and separate products. It was met with mixed feelings; some fans liked the focus on real-world collectibles rather than in-game content, but others at least wanted a unique game box to

So, will we see a collector's box for GTA 6?

Well, reader, I've got no clue. It's been a long eight years since RDR2, an even longer 12 years since GTA 5, and it's a whole different ball/car theft game in 2025. In our pre-order live blog, our Managing Editor, Gaming and Streaming, speculates:

"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."

Indeed, GTA 6 already stands to shape the market. Its pricing alone has been a huge point of interest, with analysts putting early predictions at over $100; it's safe to say that would have been the real kicker here, even if a collector's edition would be appreciated by many fans.

Who knows, perhaps Rockstar is going all-in on the digital future and scrapping all physical media, including merchandise. I mean, I'd be surprised, but it's not beyond the realms of imagination that we'd see fewer publishers making their own merch and offloading the effort onto third-party providers.

Still, I sincerely hope that's not the case; whether it's a collector's edition with a physical disc, a game code, or just a box filled with junk I can shove on a shelf to proudly show in the background of my Zoom calls, there's plenty of demand for collector's items.

If you've been following our GTA 6 pre-order live updates, you'll know that pre-orders now finally live in the UK for the new game.

Not only can you get your order in, including for the GTA 6 Ultimate Edition with all of its extras over the standard edition, but this has also finally revealed to us what the UK price actually is — Rockstar only revealed the US prices when it announced the pre-order time.

So now we know that GTA 6 will cost £69.99 for the Standard Edition, and £89.99 for the Ultimate Edition — we're in a brave new world of video game prices here, folks.

And don't forget, if you buy the 'physical' version of it, you're not getting a disc in the box. It's just for show on your shelf.

We're updating this page as different retailers start showing their pre-order pages — here's a quick list of search page links for now, but we'll put solid links in as they appear.

Confirmed pre-orders

• PlayStation Store
  🅿️ Standard Edition digital pre-order
  🅿️ Ultimate Edition digital pre-order
• Xbox Store
  ❎ Standard Edition digital pre-order
  ❎ Ultimate Edition digital pre-order
• Amazon:
  📦 PS5 Standard Edition box pre-order
  📦 Xbox Standard Edition box pre-order
• ShopTo:
  🟡 PS5 Standard Edition box pre-order
  🟡 Xbox Standard Edition box pre-order
• The Game Collection:
  🎮 Standard Edition box pre-order (both consoles)
• Smyth's Toys:
  🇸 PS5 Standard Edition box pre-order
  🇸 Xbox Standard Edition box pre-order
• Very:
  𝓥 PS5 Standard Edition box pre-order
  𝓥 Check Ultimate Edition box pre-order

Links for other retailers — pre-orders not confirmed yet

• 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
• John Lewis:
  🛍️Check Standard Edition stock
  🛍️Check Ultimate Edition stock

Developer Rockstar Games has unveiled a deluge of new promotional screenshots, alongside the confirmation of the game's price and GTA 6 pre-order information.

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

They mainly focus on the content included with the Ultimate Edition, or the Vintage Vice City Pack pre-order bonus DLC, but still reveal some interesting titbits about the game and point to some potential key mechanics.

Expect plenty of flashy cars, and vehicle customization

Loads of the new screenshots focus on cars and car customization, with the press release accompanying the images confirming that Ultimate Edition owners will be able to visit two exclusive vehicle mod shops.

We know that interiors will be customizable, alongside rims, paint jobs, and more.

Clothing stores and hairdressers are returning too

As in past games, it's clear that players will be able to visit clothing stores to customize how their characters look as the Ultimate Edition comes bundled with access to the exclusive Stock 305 Clothing Store.

There will also be hairdressers if you need a trim, including Sara's Unisex Salon if you buy the Ultimate Edition version.

The game will also feature tattoo parlors, again just like previous games.

You can get your own boats

One of the biggest benefits of the Ultimate Edition seems to be access to the Shitzu Squalo, a flashy boat that you can use to explore the sea and access a weapons crate. Like Grand Theft Auto 5, it seems players will be able to own and presumably customize their own ships.

You'll have somewhere to stay on land as well

When you're on land, you will be able to access safehouses, with one included in the Ultimate Edition. It will allow you to store vehicles and, I assume, access other features.

Weapon customization is back with a bang

Loads of the screenshots show flashy weapons (or characters holding them). The fact that you will be able to customize weapons has been confirmed, which should mean access to skins and attachments. like scopes or suppressors.

Pre-order buyers get a dose of nostalgia

While the screenshots so far have focused on the Ultimate Edition, 12 of the 63 sent out today are all about the Vintage Vice City Pack.

This is one of the bonuses that will be given to fans who pre-order, and includes some outfits, hairstyles, and weapons that you can see above.

They're clearly inspired by the world of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and so should offer a big dose of nostalgia to returning fans.

• A digital Grand Theft Auto 6 pre-order comes with a free month of GTA+
• The subscription service offers access to GTA Online benefits and the ability to play older GTA games
• Here's everything you need to know about the service

If you place a GTA 6 pre-order on a digital storefront for PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X and Series S, you immediately get access to a free month of GTA+.

But what exactly is it, and how should you use it? Here's what you need to know.

What actually is GTA+?

GTA+ is Rockstar's subscription service, primarily intended for the most devoted GTA Online players.

It gives you access to a load of benefits in the multiplayer game, including a monthly $500,000 in-game cash injection, a 15% bonus when you buy Shark Cards (the game's currency gift cards), and reward multipliers in certain missions.

You also get access to The Vinewood Car Club, where you can claim a free vehicle or modify your existing collection in its exclusive workshop. The Car Club also boasts a 100-car garage for you to use.

This is on top of monthly drops that include exclusive liveries, special paint jobs, and unique clothing. Other smaller benefits include free taxi rides in-game, access to a discounted gun store, the ability to bribe the police to reduce your wanted level, and some other additional features.

These are some fantastic benefits if you're a big GTA Online player, but GTA+ does also have something to offer with its game library...

Which games does GTA+ include?

Alongside its GTA Online benefits, GTA+ includes access to a range of Rockstar Games title. The selection changes on a regular basis, but right now the following GTA games can be played:

• Grand Theft Auto 5 (PS5, Series X / S, PC)
• Grand Theft Auto Online (PS5, Series X / S)
• Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition (PS5/PS4, Xbox, PC)
  • Grand Theft Auto: Vice City - The Definitive Edition (Android, iOS)
  • Grand Theft Auto 3 - The Definitive Edition (Android, iOS)
• Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (Android, iOS)
• Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (Android, iOS)

That's not everything, though, as there are some titles from other series included too:

• Bully (PS5/PS4, Xbox, PC, Android, iOS)
• Red Dead Redemption (PS5/PS4, Xbox, PC)
• L.A. Noire (PS5/PS4, Xbox, PC)

As you can see, the games are available on a wide range of platforms, with some even available for mobile devices.

Out of all the games here, I would recommend checking out Vice City the most ahead of GTA 6, either as part of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition or its standalone The Definitive Edition version.

With GTA 6 set to take place in the same fictional city, it's likely going to offer important context and should get you up to speed ahead of the new game.

How much does GTA+ usually cost?

One month of GTA+ usually costs $9.99 / £6.99 / A$11.95.

If you do make use of the free month, remember to cancel the auto-renewal unless you wish to continue your subscription at those rates.

• Grand Theft Auto 6 will have a Standard and Ultimate Edition
• The Ultimate Edition is the premium version that comes with a host of exclusive features
• Pre-ordering any edition will grant the Vintage Vice City Pack

Rockstar Games has officially revealed that Grand Theft Auto 6 will only have two versions at launch: Standard and Ultimate Edition.

It's not what many expected, but there are some major differences between the two.

If you're on the fence about what form your GTA 6 pre-order will take when it comes to the edition, here's everything you need to know about both.

Price

The Standard Edition will cost $79.99 / AU$129.95, which isn't too expensive for the most highly anticipated game of all time, while the Ultimate Edition is priced at $99.99 / AU$159.95.

No disc in physical editions

Rockstar has confirmed that those who pre-order digital versions of GTA 6 can begin pre-loading on November 12, seven days in advance of the game's launch on November 19.

However, no matter what version of the game you purchase, be it Standard or Ultimate, the physical edition won't come with a disc, but a download code in the box instead.

It's unfortunate, but the physical version will be available starting November 12 to support pre-loading.

What's included in the Standard Edition?

As is typical with most games, the GTA 6 Standard Edition will only come with the base game and no additional add-ons, unlike its more premium counterpart.

What's included in the Ultimate Edition?

Being the more costly edition of the game, the Ultimate Edition will come with an exclusive collection of "premium vehicles, weapons, apparel, and action around every corner."

"Ultimate Edition bonuses are threaded across all aspects of Jason and Lucia’s story, with new items uncovered behind each chapter," Rockstar teased.

The Ultimate Edition exclusive features include:

• The '95 Gotti Cheetah vehicle
• Hawk & Little Morgan Revolvers - His and hers versions of this powerful revolver with classic Vice City stylings sourced from the Vercetti Estate, including palm-tree-etched grips, engraved detailing, and high-performance scope
• Personalized variant weapons - Personalized sidearms with detailed engravings for Jason's Girardi ES9 pistol and Lucia's Klose K17 pistol.
• Exclusive Vice City Style outfits, tattoos, and more for Lucia and Jason
• Jason's safehouse vehicles - including an Army fatigue-tinged Dinka Enduro motorcycle or Crest Kayak
• Jason's Vapid Ganado low-riding pickup with exclusive mods
• Rideout Customs - a mod-shop to customize vanilla vehicles
• Sara's unisex hair salon - facial hair and hairstyles for both Lucia and Jason, and makeup and nails for Lucia
• Shitzu Squalo boat with an explosives-laden weapons crate
• Stock 305 clothing store - featuring various unique and exclusive looks for Jason and Lucia at Stockyard’s premier destination for elevated streetwear
• '67 VAPID Dominator Buggy - can be stored at the Paradise Garage in Watson Bay, which features a weapon locker plus a secure place to deposit stolen goods to be fenced
• Electric Fang Tattoo Shop - featuring over 50 tattoos for Lucia and Jason
• One-eyed Willie's mod shop in Lake Leonida
• Goodtime Gear - a capsule collection of apparel and accessories inspired by the Goodtime State’s hit TV show character, Macca the Gator
• PTT Younging$ Illegal Goods Store - a gang compound in Southside Vice City to score some special items and distinct contraband
• Classic Car Collection - Track down a variety of abandoned classic and work-in-progress project cars and revitalize them to their former glory in this special commission from eccentric collector and local fixer, Wyman

Vintage Vice City Pack pre-order goodies

Players who pre-order or purchase any edition of the game before November 20 will receive a code for the Vintage Vice City Pack, "a collection of items that flash back to when the neon burned brightest."

The Vintage City Pack includes:

• ’55 Vapid Stanier vehicle - can be stored in the Shore Court personal garage by Ocean Beach
• Outfits and hairstyles - a linen, vintage pastel suit for Jason and a red sequin mini dress and curls for Lucia
• Weapon pattern - inspired by Tommy Vercetti's iconic palm tree button-up

GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PS5, Xbox Series X and Series S.

If you're interested in placing a physical pre-order as quickly as possible, you can check and save the search links below.

US GTA 6 pre-order retailer search links: Amazon | Walmart | Best Buy | Target | GameStop

UK GTA 6 pre-order retailer search links: Amazon | Currys | Argos | Very | EE | ShopTo | The Game Collection | John Lewis

AU GTA 6 pre-order retailer search links: EB Games | JB Hi-Fi

Finally, Rockstar Games has announced GTA 6's price, which retails at $79.99 (likely £75 / AU$114.40), and the excitement has unsurprisingly reached an all-time high among gamers.

With the game now locked in for a November 19 launch, there are plenty of ways to get prepared for gaming's biggest event in decades. Whether that's via buying a PS5, PS5 Pro, Xbox Series X, or Xbox Series S console, or acquiring necessary accessories, this announcement comes at a perfect time.

It's Prime Day, and if you're a PS5 owner, you're in luck, as several deals on headsets and controllers will certainly come in handy once the long-awaited day finally arrives later this November.

First and foremost, the Razer Raiju V3 Pro is available on Amazon for $144 (was $219.99), with a strong 35% discount, making this top-of-the-line controller much more affordable.

You can find the Razer Raiju V3 Pro available in the UK on Amazon for £142.08 (was £199.99), at a slightly lower price.

If you're all set on your controller setup already, and you need a gaming headset to enjoy GTA 6's immersive audio, look no further.

The Logitech G Pro X 2 wireless gaming headset is available on Amazon for $199 (was $279.99), thanks to a 29% discount. This is a gaming headset that will keep you locked into your games for hours, only requiring 5 minutes of charging for 1 hour of playtime, compatible with PC, PS5, PS4, and the Nintendo Switch 2.

Another big highlight is the Razer BlackShark V3, which is available for $85.49 (was $149.99), a wireless gaming headset that prioritizes great surround sound audio, long battery life, and ultra-low latency.

Effectively, there's something for everyone this Prime Day — and it's one of the best times to prepare for one of the biggest games of all-time and celebrate your GTA 6 pre-order.

Today's best Prime Day controller & headset deals in the US

Today's best Prime Day controller & headset deals in the UK

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186
• Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99
• Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire, Ring & Blink from £13.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: up to 33% off AirPods & Apple Watch
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja & Tefal
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from £5
• Fans: from £20
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Gaming: £90 off PlayStation 5
• Headphones: up to 50% off Beats & Sony
• Laptops: from £149
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £79.99
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Shark & Roborock
• Wearables: up to 30% off Garmin & Oura

• The Grand Theft Auto 6 Ultimate Edition comes with a ton of exclusive content
• Some fans are understandably disappointed
• However, it looks like an Ultimate Edition upgrade will be available

Some Grand Theft Auto 6 fans are frustrated by the amount of exclusive content locked behind the game's Ultimate Edition, but it looks like a separate upgrade will be available at some point.

Rockstar Games has officially announced the price for GTA 6, when pre-orders go live, and what editions will be available: a $79.99 Standard Edition and a $99.99 Ultimate Edition.

Unlike the Standard Edition, which only comes with the base game, the more expensive Ultimate Edition features a ton of extra goodies, including premium and exclusive content such as missions, Vice City shops, locations, and outfits.

While the announcement has many fans excited, some are disappointed that much of GTA 6 will be locked behind a higher cost version of the game.

"Locking this much s*** behind the Ultimate Edition is scummy," one fan said. Another wrote, "Having stores locked behind the Ultimate Edition in a single player game is definitely a choice."

A user on Reddit shared similar frustrations, saying, "Rockstar I love you and all but locking content behind editions of the game like this is pretty egregious. This shouldn't be things you hide behind an ultimate edition of the game for players who just want to buy the basic game."

However, taking a look at the PS Store now that pre-orders have gone live in New Zealand, it seems that an Ultimate Edition Upgrade will be available.

There's no price right now, but if we had to guess, it could cost about the difference between the Standard and Ultimate Edition, so roughly $20.

A release date for the add-on hasn't been confirmed, but it will likely be available at launch, giving players who purchase the Standard Edition the option to upgrade and unlock all Ultimate Edition content.

Elsewhere, Sony has teamed up with Rockstar and announced that players who pre-order any edition on PlayStation Store will also instantly receive a redeemable free month of GTA+, a premium subscription for Grand Theft Auto Online.

Unfortunately, physical copies of GTA 6 won't include a disc. Instead, they'll come with a download code, and some fans aren't pleased with the new.

• Star Wars: Galactic Racer has a synergy system that impacts the players' vehicles
• Fuse Games says planets will have status effects, like driving in lava or burning in Jakku's sun
• Players can also counteract these effects, like driving through water, if their vehicles overheat

Fuse Games has revealed that Star Wars: Galactic Racer features a synergy system with status effects that impact the players' vehicles.

In an interview with TechRadar Gaming at Summer Game Fest 2026, where studio co-founder and CEO Matt Webster and Creative Director Kieran Crimmins discussed the game's "runs-based" campaign structure and "consequential decision-making," the pair also detailed the game's reactive gameplay system.

In the game, players will visit a range of planets to take part in races, each with their own environmental differences. There are the hot, dry sand planets like Tatooine and Jakku, the lush jungle planet Lantaana, the snow planet, Ando Prime, and more.

This means players will need to adapt to the occasion, swapping out vehicle parts for ones better suited for the specific track. There's also an upgrade tree, which Crimmins said will let players improve their cornering, speed, or resilience, and upgrading vehicles over time will be "a very satisfying experience."

However, the game's synergy system will offer a bigger challenge. Planets will also have status effects, meaning hot lava will overheat your vehicle, but it can also be counteracted by physically driving through water.

"We wanted synergies, so that is status effects that each planet has a different status effect that can be inflicted on you," Crimmins said. "For instance, Ando Prime, you can get frozen, Lantaana, you can overheat in the lava, but you can also get cooled in the water. And then on different versions of Jakku, you can get burnt as well by the sun."

The developers said they couldn't speak on Crait just yet, which is a planet covered in a layer of white salt over a red crystalline mineral, suggesting that, just like in the movie The Last Jedi, speeders and other vehicles will impact the ground players navigate.

Crimmins continued, explaining how negative status effects can be subverted, for instance, to increase the speed of the new system called a Ramjet, which offers a massive boost in speed.

Webster added that using the Ramjet can "come at a real cost and heats up," but if players drive over the rivers of water in Lantaana, it heats up more slowly.

"You end up thinking of your build in a much more tactical way, where you're like, how can this thing prop this thing and create this thing to make an entirely new race," Crimmins said.

Star Wars: Galactic Racer arrives on October 6 for PS5, Xbox Series X, Series S, and PC.

• Sony says Grand Theft Auto 6 "plays best on PS5"
• The company is giving away a free month of GTA+ if fans pre-order the game on PS5
• It says GTA 6 takes full advantage of the PS5’s immersive features "to deliver a deeply engaging single-player experience"

Rockstar Games has teamed up with Sony to offer Grand Theft Auto 6 fans a free month of GTA+ if they pre-order the game on PS5.

In a new PlayStation Blog post, Sony claimed that "thanks to a close partnership" with the studio, GTA 6 "will play best on PS5 by taking advantage of PS5’s immersive features to deliver a deeply engaging single-player experience," following the game's price and pre-order time announcement.

"Since Grand Theft Auto first arrived on the original PlayStation in 1997, the series has defined generations of play," the company said. "We know players are excited for Grand Theft Auto 6, which heads to the state of Leonida — home to the neon-soaked streets of Vice City and beyond, in the biggest, most expansive evolution of the series yet."

It's confirmed that the game will feature DualSense haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, an integrated speaker, and sound effects to enhance the experience, as well as Tempest 3D AudioTech to "surround yourself in the distinct soundscapes of Leonida."

GTA 6 will also leverage the PS5’s ultra-high-speed SSD, which Sony said will enable "near-instant load times."

Pre-orders will begin on June 25 at midnight local time for the Standard and Ultimate Editions, which cost $79.99 and $99.99, respectively.

GTA 6 pre-orders are currently live in New Zealand, and according to the PS Store, an Ultimate Edition Upgrade will be available at some point, likely at launch.

Players who pre-order the Standard or Ultimate Edition before November 20 will also receive the Vintage Vice City Pack and can begin pre-loading the game on November 12, seven days before the game's launch on November 19.

What's more, Sony announced that players who pre-order any edition on PlayStation Store will also instantly receive a redeemable free month of GTA+, a premium subscription for Grand Theft Auto Online.

"Grand Theft Auto 6 marks an exciting new chapter for one of gaming’s most iconic series, and we’re proud to help bring the best experience to players on PS5," Sony said.

"We can’t wait until the game arrives on November 19 and we look forward to celebrating its launch with Rockstar Games and our PlayStation community around the world."

Securing your GTA 6 pre-order is the most exciting thing you can do now ahead of the game's launch in November. Everybody around the world can place a pre-order now, and the good news is that stock is holding steady at all major retailers, especially in the US and UK.

There are two editions: the Standard Edition gets you the main game as a code in a physical box and will cost $79.99 / £69.99, while the Ultimate Edition features an "exclusive collection of premium vehicles, weapons, apparel, and action threaded across all aspects of Jason and Lucia’s story," and will cost $99.99 / £89.99.

Anybody who pre-orders or buys the game before November 20 will also receive the Vintage Vice City Pack, described as "a collection of items that flash back to when the neon burned brightest." It offers a little selection of throwback items based on the classic Vice City game.

Now that we're a full day past the pre-order start date, I'm hoping we'll start to see some bundles appear that wrap up the game and consoles together. I'd put money on PS5s and PS5 Pros being the main culprits here, but let's see.

But let's get to it: below you'll find a host of quick links to get you right to the correct retailers as fast as possible, then more detail about the editions and links to retailers for each below that, and to finish, some info on hardware and accessories which might make a huge difference to your GTA 6 experience.

GTA 6 pre-orders: US quick links

• 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

GTA 6 pre-orders: UK quick links

• Amazon:
  📦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
• Currys:
  ©️Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
  ©️Standard Edition Xbox Series X - £69.99
• Argos (try code MDEXCCAMP-1-MK for 5% off):
  🟥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
• PlayStation Store
  🅿️Standard Edition - £69.99
  🅿️Ultimate Edition - £89.99
• Xbox Store
  ❎Standard Edition - £69.99
  ❎Ultimate Edition - £89.99

GTA 6 pre-orders - PS5 US

• 🔆Walmart: Standard Edition PS5 - $79
• 🏷️Best Buy: Standard Edition PS5 - $79.99
• 🎯Target: Standard Edition PS5 - $79
• 🎮GameStop: Standard Edition PS5 - $79.99

• 🔆Check stock at Walmart
• 🏷️Check stock at Best Buy
• 🎯Check stock at Target
• 🎮Check stock at GameStop

GTA 6 pre-orders - PS5 UK

• 📱EE: Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
• 𝓥 Very: Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
• 🟥Argos: Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
• 🟡ShopTo: Standard Edition PS5 - £69.85
• 🎮The Game Collection: Standard Edition - £69.95
• 🧸Smyths Toys: Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
• 🛍️John Lewis: Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
• 💥Hit: Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
• 🕹️Game: Standard Edition PS5 - £69.99
• ©️Check stock at Currys

• ©️Check stock at Currys
• 🟥Check stock at Argos
• 𝓥 Check stock at Very
• 📱Check stock at EE
• 🟡Check stock at ShopTo
• 🎮Check stock at The Game Collection
• 🛍️Check stock at John Lewis

GTA 6 pre-orders - Xbox Series X

• 🔆Walmart: Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - $79
• 🏷️Best Buy: Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - $79.99
• 🎯Target: Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - $79.99
• 🎮GameStop: Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - $79.99

• 🔆Check stock at Walmart
• 🏷️Check stock at Best Buy
• 🎯Check stock at Target
• 🎮Check stock at GameStop

GTA 6 pre-orders - Xbox Series X UK

• 📱EE: Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.99
• 𝓥 Very: Standard Edition Xbox Series X - £69.99
• 🟥Argos: Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.99
• 🟡ShopTo: Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.85
• 🎮The Game Collection: Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.95
• 🧸Smyths Toys: Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.99
• 🛍️John Lewis: Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.99
• 💥Hit: Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.99
• 🕹️Game: Standard Edition Xbox Series X|S - £69.99
• ©️Check stock at Currys

• ©️Check stock at Currys
• 🟥Check stock at Argos
• 𝓥 Check stock at Very
• 📱Check stock at EE
• 🟡Check stock at ShopTo
• 🎮Check stock at The Game Collection
• 🛍️Check stock at John Lewis

Should I pre-order GTA 6?

Folks often discuss or ask me personally whether something is worth pre-ordering or not. That usually comes down to people balancing whether to go early or to wait for launch day stock, or even deals at a later date.

However, this is GTA 6 and my advice is as categorical as ever: this will be the most in-demand video game of all time; you absolutely should pre-order if you are willing and able to do so. I'd still say that, despite physical boxes being 'code in a box' affairs and without disks — there will still likely be a finite number of GTA 6 game boxes with retailers so it might genuinely sell out. If you want the most physical preorder for GTA 6, then still go for it, despite the digital game code within, is my advice.

I really, wholeheartedly recommend a GTA 6 pre-order if you can, just to secure your unit and know that it'll be in your hands on day one.

GTA 6 pre-orders — what's in each edition?

With two GTA 6 pre-order editions and options, there are a few extras and differences to be aware of. If you're looking for a quick overview to inform your choice, then we've got you covered.

Starting off simply, if you pre-order the GTA 6 standard edition, you will get the following:

• The base game as a digital code
• A physical box
• Vintage Vice City Pack — "a collection of items that flash back to when the neon burned brightest."
• The ability to preload from November 12

The Ultimate Edition gets you a few more digital bonuses on top of what's in the standard edition, though Rockstar's description is a little vague still.

• The base game as a digital code in a physical box
• Vintage Vice City Pack — "a collection of items that flash back to when the neon burned brightest."
• Digital bonuses — "An exclusive collection of premium vehicles, weapons, apparel, and action threaded across all aspects of Jason and Lucia’s story."
• The ability to preload from November 12

The best hardware upgrades for GTA 6

There are some cracking discounts and deals running right now, so it might be a great time to consider a hardware upgrade or accessory refresh alongside your GTA 6 pre-order.

Fear not though, as the TechRadar team has sifted through the mass of tech deals right now to present you with some top picks which will elevate your GTA 6 experience.

US deals

UK deals

Live updates

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!

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

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!

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.

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.

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...

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

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."

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

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.

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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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?

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?

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.

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?

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

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.

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.

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…

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…

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.

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

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

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.

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

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...

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!

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!

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!

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

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 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

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

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

ShopTo is live!

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

• ShopTo:
  🟡Standard Edition — £69.85

The Game Collection too!

As has The Game Collection!

• The Game Collection:
  🎮Standard Edition - £69.95

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

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

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...

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?

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

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,....

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

First Walmart, now Target!

Another set of listings are live.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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)...

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

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.

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.

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...

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

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 - £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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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!

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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…

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…

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.

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

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

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.

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

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...

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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!

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

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.

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!

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!

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.

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

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

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.

That's right, I'm back

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

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

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.

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 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!

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...

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!

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

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

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!

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.

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.

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…

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!

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.

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

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!

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!

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.

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

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

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!

• Grand Theft Auto 6 physical copies come with a digital download code instead of a disc
• Fans hoping to secure a physical copy are disappointed
• One said it's "Such a bummer as a physical collector"

Physical copies of Grand Theft Auto 6 won't include a disc. Instead, they'll come with a download code, and some fans aren't pleased.

Rockstar has finally announced the price of the game and some more details on the ins and outs of GTA 6 pre-orders, as well as unveiled the two editions players can choose from: Standard and Ultimate.

Both versions are available physically and digitally; however, the studio has said that the physical editions won't feature a disc as expected, but rather a digital download code in the box.

One explanation for this could be is that Rockstar is trying to minimize the potential for leaks as much as possible, even if that means physical copies won't come with a disc.

Some fans who were eager to get their hands on a physical edition of the most anticipated game of all time are upset, to say the least.

"Obviously I’m going to get this game but 13 years of waiting & this is all physical editions are getting? A f****** code in a box? For the biggest game to ever launch & that’s all the effort you’re putting in for physical? So damn disappointed man," one said.

A user on Reddit wrote, "Such a bummer as a physical collector. Hopefully they start printing disks after release but that’s probably copium on my part".

"This is beyond ridiculous. So everybody has to pay the insane digital price without any discounts whatsoever. Such a lame and greedy move," another added.

There are some who are also considering skipping the day one purchase in hopes of a disc being produced later down the line, but again, there's still the risk of spoilers. For now, it looks like all players will own a digital license for the game instead.

GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PS5, Xbox Series X and Series S at $79.99 for the Standard Edition and $99.99 for the Ultimate Edition.

Pre-loads will begin seven days in advance, on November 12.

• GTA 6 pre-orders will officially begin at midnight local time
• The Standard Edition will cost $79.99 and the Ultimate Edition will cost $99.99
• Pre-loads will begin seven days ahead of launch, on November 12

Rockstar Games has unveiled the editions for Grand Theft Auto 6 and confirmed when fans can secure their pre-orders.

GTA 6 pre-orders are scheduled to begin on June 25 at midnight local time for the Standard and Ultimate Editions. The Standard Edition will cost $79.99, and the Ultimate Edition will cost $99.99.

As Rockstar details on its website, the Ultimate Editions "amplifies this experience with an exclusive collection of premium vehicles, weapons, apparel, and action threaded across all aspects of Jason and Lucia’s story."

Players who pre-order the Standard or Ultimate Edition before November 20 will also receive the Vintage Vice City Pack, which comes with a collection of items that "flash back to when the neon burned brightest."

Those who pre-order digital versions of GTA 6 can begin pre-loading on November 12, seven days in advance of the game's launch on November 19.

The physical version of GTA 6, which contains a download code inside the box, will be available starting November 12 to support pre-loading.

In case you missed it, Rockstar Games has finally announced that GTA 6 pre-orders will go live on Thursday, 25th June, which has opened the floodgates of excitement and relief, as the feared potential delays have now been put to bed.

However, there's one major factor that we'll have to wait to find out on the very day, and that's how much GTA 6 will cost for PS5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S. Rumors based on recent Portuguese retailer listings suggest we could see a potential £80 / $100 price tag for the standard edition, but there's still no confirmation.

At the very least, we can predict that Rockstar's blockbuster title will hit the £70 region. Regardless, there's bound to be an influx of console users looking for the best way to save on gaming's biggest event in 2026 — and if you're a PS5 user, you're in luck.

Fortunately, the £70 PlayStation Store gift card is available on ShopTo for £60.85 (was £70), thanks to a significant 13% discount. Effectively, you'll be paying the previous standard £59.99 price model for £70 games — and in this case, you'll save a significant amount on GTA 6.

If Rockstar matches Nintendo's £79.99 price standard, the £10 PlayStation Store gift card, available for £9.85 (was £10), will come in handy for buyers. Luckily, all gift cards are discounted at ShopTo, and better yet, ShopTo users with 'Gold' or 'Silver' memberships can get further discounts at checkout.

It's worth taking a gamble now with securing the wallet funds, as discounted gift cards at multiple retailers like ShopTo are likely going to skyrocket in demand, so now may be the last chance to secure your GTA 6 purchase at the lowest possible price.

Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire, Ring & Blink from £13.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: up to 33% off AirPods & Apple Watch
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja & Tefal
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from £5
• Fans: from £20
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Gaming: £90 off PlayStation 5
• Headphones: up to 50% off Beats & Sony
• Laptops: from £149
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £79.99
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Shark & Roborock
• Wearables: up to 30% off Garmin & Oura

Did you know that you can stream World Cup 2026 matches in 4K on BBC iPlayer? Well, you can — it's just not entirely obvious as to which devices actually support the feature. What is certain is that not all of them do — and your TV may not be among them.

While it would be useful to have a list of which of the best TVs and other devices support 4K for the World Cup, there isn't one. Instead, BBC says the easiest way to check if your device supports 4K content on iPlayer is to go to BBC iPlayer app itself and stream some 4K content, then look for the 'UHD' logo. If it appears, then your device supports it: hooray! If not, then unfortunately you won't be able to watch the World Cup in 4K on your current device.

If you want a list of 4K shows on BBC iPlayer to check, there's one here, but some quick names are Blue Planet II, SAS Rogue Heroes and Doctor Who (the latest series). If the UHD logo doesn't appear in the listing for one of the shows, then your device doesn't support it.

Thankfully, there are two devices that do support 4K streaming on BBC iPlayer: the Roku Streaming Stick 4K and the PS5. The Roku is a cheap upgrade to your TV that will allow 4K streaming on iPlayer and while the PS5 is pricier, it's a multimedia system that can obviously play games and 4K Blu-rays, as well as supporting most of the best streaming services.

And just in time for Amazon Prime Day, there are deals available for both devices.

Today's best Roku Streaming Stick 4K deal

Today's best PS5 deals

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire, Ring & Blink from £13.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: up to 33% off AirPods & Apple Watch
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja & Tefal
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from £5
• Fans: from £20
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Gaming: £90 off PlayStation 5
• Headphones: up to 50% off Beats & Sony
• Laptops: from £149
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £79.99
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Shark & Roborock
• Wearables: up to 30% off Garmin & Oura

• Star Wars: Galactic Racer will feature a combination of vehicle parts "in the trillions"
• Creative Director Kieran Crimmins says the game has "unbelievable depth"
• He adds, "There may not be an arcade racer with that much depth in it ever made"

Fuse Games has revealed that Star Wars: Galactic Racer has a combination of moving parts that is "in the trillions."

Speaking in an interview with TechRadar Gaming at Summer Game Fest (SGF), Fuse Games co-founder and CEO Matt Webster and Creative Director Kieran Crimmins shared how the studio designed a Star Wars racing game with a narrative that balanced what fans are already familiar with while also adding to the universe in a meaningful way.

Webster touched on the accessible planets where the races will take place, such as iconic planets like Tatooine, and others like Lantaana and Jakku, as well as the game's "runs-based" campaign structure and vehicle customization with over 300 parts.

That's a lot of options which will certainly offer a lot of player freedom, but according to Crimmins, the game at large goes beyond that. The creative director said that he spoke to one of the game's designers at SGF and asked how many combinations of moving parts there are in the game, and he was told, "It's in the trillions."

"I can't really calculate it at that point, because the amount of mechanical depth we've got in both the parts, the racer styles, the abilities, the upgrades, and then the different environmental effects that are on the planets, is an unbelievable depth."

"We've never had that much depth in a game we've made," he added. "I would argue there may not be an arcade racer with that much depth in it ever made. This might not be the biggest one possible, and that's something we really wanted to give back to the genre."

Coming back to how the team balanced the new and old of Star Wars, Crimmins explained that it wants people who are familiar with the franchise to have those "touch points," but it also looked at it from "more of a fantasy fulfillment point of view."

"It's like when we watch the movies, we watch the TV shows, or we play the games," he said. "What are the vehicle fantasies that are represented in this universe, which there are a lot of, and then, how do we get the right word, the right worlds, the right parts, the right vehicles? So that we can give as many of those different fantasies as possible."

One of those new vehicles is the skim speeder, which offers fast mobility and is something the Fuse Games knew needed to do a "knife-edge" turn in races.

"We made a vehicle that was able to do that and give, what I feel is a very authentic Star Wars experience, but it is a completely new vehicle, so something new to the Star Wars canon."

Star Wars: Galactic Racer launches on October 6 for PS5, Xbox Series X, Series S, and PC.

• Fuse Games CEO Matt Webster confirms Star Wars: Galactic Racer has a runs-based structure in the campaign
• Webster says "consequential decision-making" is built within the campaign
• Creative Director Kieran Crimmins says that when the team prototyped the system, "it felt right" for Galactic Racer

Star Wars: Galactic Racer will feature a runs-based structure within the campaign, which Fuse Games has said will involve "consequential decision-making."

That's according to Fuse Games co-founder and CEO Matt Webster, who told TechRadar Gaming during an interview at Summer Game Fest 2026 (SGF) that while he and the team love arcade racing games, "you can't make one really in the same way as you did all those years ago," because game genres have adapted and evolved.

Webster said the team wanted to bring something fresh to Galactic Racer, and the runs-based structures, which "are built for replayability and racing thrives on replayability," and in other games, the "meta" is car collection. So instead, the team shook things up by bringing back "consequential decision making and consequence back into the experience."

Creative Director Kieran Crimmins added that "consequence" was the "key" for Galactic Racer, saying, "We want every decision to matter, every upgrade to matter, every vehicle to matter, every race to matter, and like the runs-based structure allows us to do that, like we've never done in an arcade racing before."

"Not only have you got to keep on top of the curve with your build and your skill and your track knowledge, but also you get to reset every time," Crimmins continued.

In other arcade racers, the developer explained, cars can be upgraded to max level, but then players will realize they haven't experienced 99% of the other systems. And while they can always be revisited, the runs-based structure "allows you to do that with consequence."

"It gives you a reason to try all those different builds, a reason to experiment, and also a reward if you get your synergies right, you get your build right, and you get your knowledge right," Crimmins said.

"Then that's what actually wins the game, so it was incredibly compelling to us to have a structure that not only changed the way that you play, but changed the way that you play that was advantageous for the feelings that you get in a racing game, and like anything, the way we made it is we prototyped it and it felt right.

"This is an innovation we think we can bring to the genre."

During the interview, Crimmins also revealed that the game will feature a combination of moving parts that are "in the trillions," across racer styles, the abilities, the upgrades, and then the different environmental effects that are on the planets.

"It's an unbelievable depth," the creative director said.

Star Wars: Galactic Racer arrives on October 6 for PS5, Xbox Series X, Series S, and PC.

I test a whole heap of gaming headsets, and have done so for nearly a decade now. I've also worked with a whole load of excellent freelancers who offer brilliantly clear, thoughtful, analytical, and fair takes on the products we test as a collective.

And I've agreed with every single review we've published in my time here at TechRadar Gaming — up until now. While very accurate and full of great advice, especially when the headset launched, I think my writer Phil's (who is one of the best in the business) review of the Audeze Maxwell 2 scored the gaming headset too low with a four-star rating.

I think it's a five-star headset.

Simply put, it is the best-sounding gaming headset I have ever used. After using it for a few months as a daily driver, nothing has come close before or since — even some of my absolute favorites can't hold a candle to it on sheer audio quality, detail, richness, and balance.

As a result, I have been recommending the headset at every opportunity possible. For anyone looking to upgrade their audio and take a step up, no matter your platform, this is absolutely worth the price tag — even at full price.

The whole audio spectrum is served so well by the Maxwell 2's 95mm planar magnetic drivers and design that I have been immersed further into my games, picked up details I didn't realise were there, and been blasted by a full-bodied richness that's just so dang enjoyable.

Further backing this up was my recent visit to Audeze in California, where I got to see the magic, science, and philosophy up close and personal. Hearing the approach that Audeze takes to audio, as well as learning about the planar magnetic tech under the hood, including the patented SLAM technology too, only cemented my newfound opinion on this quality set.

No headset is perfect, of course, and folks will point out that its mic is just OK, or that it's weightier than other headsets — though I think we all have a tendency to be too afraid of heavier headsets, or think that heavy = bad — but the default audio quality, out of the box, is so good that it definitely, absolutely, categorically outweighs all of the potential negatives.

At launch, Phil pointed out the fact that the original Maxwell was still available and this posed a bit of a problem for the Maxwell 2, as it offered also-excellent audio but was much cheaper. However, there are genuine improvements over the Maxwell 1 that the 2 offers (like SLAM), and now, a few months after release, the OG model is harder to find, making the case for going to the Maxwell 2 even stronger.

If you want premium gaming audio, then there is none better on the market right now.

• New Grand Theft Auto 6 details have been spotted
• Fans have seemingly discovered an easter egg referencing Vice City's Tommy Vercetti
• A Marvel's Wolverine actor has also reportedly been cast in the game

Ahead of the game's pre-order availability this week, new Grand Theft Auto 6 details have been discovered, including a new cast member and a strange easter egg that could have a connection to another GTA game.

First, let's talk about the easter egg, which was spotted in the game's second trailer by TheGameVerse (via IGN) following some deep analysis of every single frame.

While the trailer was posted over a year ago, the split-second nod was easily missed. But if you pause at the 33-second mark, you can spot it.

As protagonist Jason Duvall backhands a store clerk, just behind his head, you can see a lizard wall ornament that appears to be wearing a blue floral shirt. Upon closer inspection, it's believed to be the same shirt worn by fan-favoriteVice City character Tommy Vercetti.

Not a huge easter egg if it was Rockstar's intention, but the game is sure to feature many more nods to the wider GTA franchise.

The second detail comes courtesy of IGN and seems to confirm that actor Brett Gipson, who plays Sabretooth in Marvel's Wolverine, has joined the cast of GTA 6.

The actor recently updated his resume, stating that he will play a character named Ellis, but there's no information on his role in the game.

The cast of GTA 6 has been kept pretty under wraps since its announcement, and we still don't know who will be playing co-protagonists, Jason and Lucia.

Rockstar has now officially confirmed that GTA 6 pre-orders will begin on June 25 ahead of the game's launch on November 19, while also revealing the game's official cover art.

No price has been set just yet, but if you're looking to pre-order a copy, here are some PS5 and Xbox gaming accessory upgrades that we'd recommend before you play.

I don't know if you've seen the price of a PlayStation 5 SSD lately, but they're absolutely cooked. Right now prices are easily triple what they were just a few years ago thanks to the pressure caused by AI demand, so I'd recommend other options instead.

Luckily Amazon Prime Day Is bringing some serious value, with the 5TB Seagate Game Drive PS5 external hard drive discounted to just £143.48 (was £207.99) right now.

• Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

This is an external HDD, which means it functions a little differently to a regular SSD, but it's still designed for storing games. It's also officially licensed for PS5, and has a design that matches the console itself to keep your setup looking super slick.

Today's best PS5 storage deal

So what makes a PS5 external hard drive different to a PS5 SSD? The main differentiator is that you can't play the PS5 games stored on an external hard drive directly. Instead, they need to be copied back to your internal storage for each use.

It's perfect if you have slow internet speeds and want to avoid lengthy downloads when coming back to large games, which is mainly how I use the Seagate Game Drive hooked up to my own console.

Backwards-compatible PS4 games are playable with no barriers, though, making this a very good choice for those with large libraries of older games they want to keep installed.

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: sign up for a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire TV, Ring & Blink from £24.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: AirPods Pro 3 for a record-low price
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja, Tefal & Sage
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from under £10
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Headphones: up to 50% off
• Laptops: from £149.99
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £125
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Eufy & Roborock
• Wearables: Garmin & Huawei from £36.99

If you were looking to get your hands on a PlayStation 5 ahead of the Grand Theft Auto 6 pre-order date this week, then this Amazon Prime Day deal is for you. Right now you can grab the console at a 16% discount over at Amazon, which takes its price down to just £479 (was £569.99).

• Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

It's not the cheapest PS5 we've ever seen, but with the recent price increases, it's likely going to be the lowest it's available for some time. This is the Slim 1TB version of the console as well, with a disc reader fitted so you can buy the physical version of GTA 6 to keep on your shelf.

The deal is only on for a limited time, and stock is already flying off the shelves - with just under half of the available units sold already. This is a deal I'd recommend snapping up quickly!

Today's best PS5 deal

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: sign up for a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire TV, Ring & Blink from £24.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: AirPods Pro 3 for a record-low price
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja, Tefal & Sage
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from under £10
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Headphones: up to 50% off
• Laptops: from £149.99
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £125
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Eufy & Roborock
• Wearables: Garmin & Huawei from £36.99

Grand Theft Auto 6 pre-orders are starting this week, and it's the perfect time to have a look at your console gaming setup, be it PS5 or Xbox Series X or S, and think about any upgrades you might want to make. It'll be the perfect way to ensure your setup is up to date with new gear that you're used to by the time the game arrives on your doorstep.

Be it upgrading your console to get the best performance, embracing a new display to make Vice City shine, getting a premium controller to ensure you have every action at your fingertips, or taking a step up audibly to ensure you get can hear all the sounds, there's likely to be something worth mulling over before GTA 6 comes in November.

As a result, I've taken it upon myself to suggest some brilliant products in key console setup areas that will make a difference to your GTA 6 experience, while also fielding some suggestions from the rest of our TechRadar experts. You'll find US and UK prices for each below, and if you're not in those regions, you can head to the bottom and find a list of the best prices available in your region as presented by our price-finding tech. If you're looking for an early retailer page to sit on for the game itself, then the below ones are worth bookmarking, too.

• US GTA 6 pre-order retailer search links: Amazon | Walmart | Best Buy | Target | GameStop
• UK GTA 6 pre-order retailer search links: Amazon | Currys | Argos | Very | EE | ShopTo | The Game Collection | John Lewis

Consider a beefy console

Yep, it'll be a big purchase to consider at any time of the year, but if you're going to be a GTA 6 player who wants the best possible experience with the game and be able to have all the bells and whistles it can offer, then it might be time to consider some more horsepower.

In terms of those rocking a last-gen console still (a PS4 or Xbox One) then this should be of great interest, and if you're already a regular PS5 owner or a Series S owner, then making the jump up to the PS5 Pro or Series X, respectively, might ensure you get the most out of GTA 6's likely graphical and technical prowess.

This is even more the case if you own a 120Hz-capable TV or monitor, as that'll help you get even more out of such a machine, especially the PS5 Pro.

Let the game shine

GTA 6 is likely to be a visual marvel of the video game medium, trumping almost all other video game worlds, environments, and aesthetics (well, nearly all, surely) and what better way to make sure you catch every detail and enjoy every colour, stripe, and crack in the sidewalk than by upgrading to a new and superior display.

The LG C5 is our single pick for those looking to go big for a Grand Theft Auto 6 big screen experience, as it has the best feature set, image processing, and picture detail for the price right now. It offers extraordinary bang-for-buck value, especially in the face of the newer C6 being out now.

For those looking for a monitor, the Alienware AW32255QF is a 4K curved beauty that is perfect for both PS5 and Xbox players, offering all the connectivity and specs you need, while also giving you a brilliant QD-OLED panel with a gorgeous curve to pull you into games.

Feel the burn

If you want to have all the tools and weapons available to you at all times in GTA 6 and want the utmost level of versatility and 'at your fingertips' control for GTA 6, then going for a better controller, one that offers more than the standard offerings, is a brilliant move.

It's an easy choice for both consoles for me, here, with Sony's DualSense Edge, especially when on offer, giving PS5 players a familiar and effortless way to upgrade their controller, while those on Xbox should definitely go for the Asus ROG Raikiri II, which is perhaps the very best third-party Xbox controller going.

Hear every detail of Vice City

Upgrading your audio by going with a fantastic set of quality earcups from a trusted brand is one of the most tangible ways to improve your gaming experience in one fell swoop — and without having to do any huge sweeping changes to a set up.

The Audeze Maxwell 2, with its fantastic planar-magnetic drivers, is my favorite gaming headset for pure audio quality right now, and it will be perfect for anyone looking to hear every detail in Vice City.

It also comes in PlayStation and Xbox-facing variants so it's a cross-platform recommendation, and you'll find links for both below.

Give it room to breath on console

Rumors have abounded about the potential file size of Rockstar's next behemoth, and if even some of them come partially close, some extra storage space is likely to be very welcome indeed! However, we've all seen the price rises happening, so it's a bit of a struggle finding great value for money in any kind of memory right now. I've picked out the best prices on some great value offerings below though.

By far the best solution on PS5 — and perhaps even more acutely for those rocking a launch PS5 with its smaller hard drive — is an internal SSD. As for Xbox, there's only really one storage device to recommend, and that's the bespoke model for Series X or S that's made by Seagate or WD_Black — I've recommended the WD_Black variant below as it's always better value for money.

• Sonic the Hedgehog is officially 35 years old this year
• Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka thinks he might not make it to the franchise's 70th anniversary, but will "definitely be wanting to play" future games if possible
• Iizuka also says he is "really proud" of the series

Sonic the Hedgehog is officially 35 years old, with anniversary celebrations kicking off in January of this year, and to mark the occasion I sat down with Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka to discuss all things blue and spiky in a new interview at Summer Game Fest 2026.

The veteran developer explained that he "of course" considers it almost like his own child and revealed that he has "been with Sonic longer than I've been with my own children" in real life. "I'm really proud," he said.

Right now the franchise is undeniably in a strong position, with fans impressed by the recent Sonic x Shadow Generations remake and the support for the ongoing racing title Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, so I was interested to find out where he thinks it will be in another 35 years.

The Japanese-speaking staff sat in the interview room immediately began to chuckle as he replied, the translator barely containing his laughter as he revealed that "Iizuka-san does not think he's going to be alive" to see it.

My suggestion that his spirit "will continue to live on in Sonic" did not help get proceedings back on track.

"The Sonic Team in Japan is a great group of people," Iizuka added after a few more titters.

"It's really because of all of the great people who are making content for Sonic that we get things like Sonic X Shadow Generations, we get things like Frontiers, we get all these great, new experiences," he continued.

"They're constantly challenging themselves, they're constantly trying to make new fun game experiences, and so 35 years from now, even if I do not believe I'm still going to be working at Sega making games, as a gamer, I'll definitely be wanting to play their experiences."

If you're looking to pick up a Grand Theft Auto 6 pre-order once they go live later this week, then you'll need a console to play it on. If you're currently sticking with a last-generation system like the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, then you'll need to upgrade in order to play.

• Shop more early Prime Day deals at Amazon US

With no word of a port yet, PC gamers will also need to get their hands on a system if they want to play day one. Luckily, the Amazon Prime Day deals and other retailer sales events make now a fantastic time to pick up a console.

In the US, for example, you can buy a PlayStation 5 Slim with some exclusive Fortnite content for lower than its regular price, while UK shoppers can net a free copy of Ghost of Yotei with a discounted limited edition bundle.

US console deals and bundles

UK console deals and bundles

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186
• Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99
• Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

Upgrading any area of one's gaming setup is something I can always get behind, and regardless of budget, need, desire, or platform, I'm often able to find recommendations across all kinds of gear.

Shop more early Prime Day deals at Amazon US

However, audiophile or high-end gaming headsets is one of my favourite areas in which to delve and recommend. We've seen a surge of new products in recent years either targeting the audiophile market directly or at least the audiophile-adjacent, premium and high-end part of the spectrum. As such, there's now a good few products to choose from nowadays.

But there's only a few I recommend over the others. Each offers something slightly different, but all are excellent and are my personal picks for the best audiophile gaming headsets going right now. They're so good, they justify their price tag even when at full price, I believe, too. So if you're looking to enhance your gaming audio ahead of GTA 6 pre-orders starting this Thursday, then check out my recommendations below.

Planar-magnetic drivers FTW

For me, the Audeze Maxwell 2 is the greatest-sounding gaming headset money can buy right now. It is now my default go-to set of cups for all gaming, no matter the genre or type of game I'm playing, and I absolutely love it.

At the core of the headset are its 90mm planar magnetic drivers, which are frankly absurd. I am a big fan of a lot of brands' default audio quality, but I have never had better audio out of the box than the Maxwell 2's. It's the best going right now, and literally can't speak highly enough about it.

The science and philosophy of Audeze really make it exquisite for those looking to get better audio for single-player games, stemming from the company's history in making premium headphones for music and media. The reality is that it is still brilliant for multiplayer games, and you also get some flexibility via the Audeze app for tweaking your own EQ settings if you need to.

There are very few chinks in the armor, but some things to be aware of might be its good but unspectacular mic, and its overall bulkiness — though I think we are all a bit too scared of headsets that are big and that weigh more than others; it's genuinely OK if a headset weighs a few more ounces or grams, don't worry! I really like the chunky feel and slightly heavier feel of the set myself, and find the set incredibly comfortable.

Otherwise, I simply cannot reiterate this again: if you really want to get the best gaming audio, and something that'll make GTA 6 sing beautifully no matter the scenario, then this is the audiophile gaming headset to buy right now.

An Elite experience

While the Maxwell 2 rules on the driver and audio quality front, if you're looking for an audiophile-level, premium headset that offers a complete solution and all the bells and whistles — along with some excellent audio, of course — that you need from a headset on any platform, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite is worth considering.

It's pricey, I know, but as I said in my review, it really is the best gaming headset I've ever tested. It simply offers it all in one truly excellent package, from audio quality and versatility — you can use it across every platform, simultaneously — to feature set, build quality, comfort, and microphone performance — literally everything.

If you really want one high-grade headset to rule them all while offering audiophile-level gaming audio, then this is the upgrade to make this year, ahead of GTA 6.

It's an old one, but a great one

The PC38X is a wonderful wired audiophile-level headset which I have loved using on both PC and PS5. It sounds fantastic, and is a pretty no-nonsense gaming headset with genuine pedigree behind it.

You might see it styled as Drop + Epos PC38X or just a Drop PC38X, but whichever title you see it under, I really recommend this as a wired set for anyone who wants to keep things simple and get a brilliant-sounding open-backed set of audio givers.

It is a bit old now, but you know what they say: class and quality endures (or something like that. Now, there is one caveat with this headset, and one that is directly related to it being a slightly older model: its availability is a bit spotty. Our automatic price-finding tool below should surface the headset, however, and I have seen it with my own eyes at Amazon US and Amazon UK this week.

However, if you are looking for some wired audiophile gaming headset alternatives to the PC38X if it's not available in your region, then I have some picks for you too.

The Audeze LCD-GX is an open-back premium set of headphones that have been built for gaming. Channeling all that planar magnetic goodness that the brand is known for, these are a seriously high-end set of cups. The massive 106mm drivers pack an almighty punch and offer immense detail, while it comes with a mic, so it's a genuine wired headset option.

The Sennheiser HD 550s are one of my favorite sets of headphones from recent years, and while they may appear as another headphone offering from Sennheiser, these are definitely targeted at gamers who want higher quality audio. You'll need to buy a mic attachment separately to elevate it to a full gaming headset offering.

The Asus ROG Kithara is another option, and is a recent release into the audiophile market. Developed with HiFiMan, this headset has huge 100mm planar-magnetic drivers (not too dissimilar to the Maxwell 2), an open-backed design, and sounds wonderful.

And while not an audiophile gaming headset in the truest sense, per se, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro wired gaming headset is an excellent option for those looking for a complete wired gaming headset experience, with brilliant audio and all the features to boot.

After just a few minutes, Alien: Isolation 2 had me feeling that very particular sense of tension and stress that only the first game could create — and I’m, perhaps strangely, incredibly excited for more.

Horror games aren’t usually my bag, but my love for franchises and series like Alien or Dead Space will always trump my fear of scares and fuel my interest in soaking up everything that games have to offer in such universes.

And that’s the case with Alien: Isolation 2. It’s shaping up to be an absolutely belting sequel, channeling all that Creative Assembly executed supremely well with the first game, as well as offering evolutions sure to enhance the experience. But there is still one thing that I really wish I’d seen in my preview that will transform this game in comparison to the last.

Familiar foe, familiar feeling

Taking place right at the beginning of the game, my preview saw me take control of a new protagonist, Blake, travelling in a rover on a dark and dingy planet right on the cusp of a storm.

The weather does indeed turn, and we step out of our buggy to investigate a crashed ship that fans of the first game will instantly recognise. Ignoring the advice of our pals, our character climbs aboard the small ship and proceeds to investigate and enter.

From here, we’ve all seen this movie before. Power needs to be booted back on, but, of course, it allows something to escape containment. Soon after, we get a familiar, but fantastic and hold-your-breath moment as the Xenomorph is introduced. I’m immediately transported back into the shoes of Ripley from the first game, and return to form, looking for maintenance hatches, crawling between desks, and trying to pick up anything of use, while my heart rate climbs, thundering on my chest, and I put all the effort I can into my peripheral vision.

It's here that the very particular, almost unique mix of tension, stress, and fear that the first Alien: Isolation game oozes becomes tangible to me. It’s one of the most interesting and impactful feelings a game has ever had on me, and it’s back by the bucketload as I try and consider all the routes open to me to slowly and stealthily make my way back to the exit hatch while avoiding the perfect predator. Spoilers: my go-to approach of relying on maintenance tunnels, vents, and desks did not work.

While working my way through the demo, the retro-futuristic aesthetic is once again right at the forefront of the game, and there’s been a colossal leap forward in terms of fidelity and detail and execution. Combine this with some excellent atmospheric and environmental design in the exterior environment, as we say in the Summer Game Fest 2026 trailer, and this is going to be a visual treat.

However, as exceptional as all this is — and it really is — it’s still somewhat familiar territory to the first game, and has me almost wishing to see something brand new.

Inside out

It turns out that brand new element is the great outdoors. Alien: Isolation 2 is promising outdoor environments for the Xenomorph to now hunt players down in. It’s new territory for the franchise, as far as I can remember, and as such, is an extremely exciting (and terrifying) prospect.

How will the Xeno traverse the landscape? You have to assume that climbing and shooting through tunnels or caves isn’t going to be a problem, but how will it also decide where to go? How will it learn and develop from our actions in the open environment? Can the Xeno do it on a rainy Tuesday night in the dark in an unfamiliar place? (To somewhat use a UK football phrase.)

There’s just so much unknown here for Alien: Isolation 2, and with it being such a key evolution of the formula, I’m almost annoyed at Creative Assembly for not letting me get a look at it…

Equally, I’m dead keen to know how we might turn the open areas to our advantage. Are we going to be able to turn the tide at all given the scale of space the Xeno has to cover, or are we going to be in just as much trouble?

I can’t imagine there being a load of resources available in the landscape, and a human obviously has no chance in a foot race across a field or through a forest. My gut instinct is that it will feel relentlessly one-sided again — and I can’t wait to dive back in.

Alien: Isolation 2 doesn't yet have a release date but will be coming to PS5, Xbox Series X and Series, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.

• Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 game director Chris Cross says the game will have "massive amounts of customization"
• The new Specialist class can be customized to become almost like a multiclass
• Cross says players can build a team that is just four medics

Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 will feature "massive amounts of customization" across all available classes, including the brand-new endgame Specialist class.

That's according to game director Chris Cross, who told TechRadar Gaming in an interview at Summer Game Fest 2026 that besides the new addition of four-player co-op, "there are so many different ways to put together" the highly customizable Specialist class, which also has its own progression system.

"Basically, you can end up with like really awesome multiclass," he said, adding as an example, "It's like a Marauder and a Gunslinger."

The game will also introduce four new elemental damage types, fire, cyro, electric, and piercing, as well as interchangeable weapon attachments, which can be used to combat the three "expanded" enemy factions, Xenomorphs, Pathogen horrors, and Security Synths, which will all have their own "weaknesses and strengths versus the different damage types."

Players can also build their fireteam however they like, with Cross confirming that squads can "take four medics in and they're not going to be the same."

"There's enough customization that you can take four medics in, and they'll all be different," he said, "It's mostly weapon synergy, damage synergy, ability synergy. It's funny, you would think that four medics are not as offensively capable, but actually, you can take a poison medic and drop off a med station that puts poison out; it's almost a cheat code, because almost everybody's running at overclocked help. It's totally awesome."

Cross added, "Basically, there's almost an infinite amount of ways to coordinate with your buds, on how you want to kit up as a group...You could customize to your heart's content."

Managing your loadout will also become more important as players reach greater difficulties because friendly fire will be turned on, which in turn makes coordination with their squad vital.

For this reason, Cross explained that the crouch ability "becomes very important in the higher difficulties."

"Crouch seems so trivial, but it's actually one of the more important things," he said. The director also hinted at Horde mode, which has been "revamped" since the first game, but is keeping some additional features secret for the time being.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 is in development for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC.

• Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 director Chris Cross confirms that the sequel won't be a continuation of the first game
• He says the sequel is a "self-contained" story
• Cross reveals that Cold Iron worked closely with 20th Century Studios to ensure it matched the Alien lore

Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 creators Cold Iron Studios worked closely with 20th Century Studios to ensure the game respected the Alien franchise lore.

In an interview with TechRadar Gaming at Summer Game Fest 2026, where we went hands-on with the upcoming co-operative shooter, game director Chris Cross discussed the game's story and confirmed that it won't be a continuation of its predecessor.

"It's its own story. It's self-contained," he said, but revealed that it "does feature return characters."

Cross went on to say that Cold Iron actually worked closely with 20th Century Studios to make sure that Fireteam Elite 2's story followed the Alien lore correctly.

"There's a linear mystery that you're uncovering as you're going here," he said, "and I will say that it is all like we worked very close[ly] with 20th Century to make sure that we were hitting the lore correctly and doing things in our story that are exciting for Alien fanatics."

The director also hinted at what players can expect, including a prologue mission that will introduce new and returning fans to the game, then four locations that the studio is calling "biomes" with different environmental features, such as a planet-side surface colony and a ship.

The game will also feature an underground area beneath the colony, where players will encounter something Cross wanted to simply describe as "Alien-esque"... which sounds creepy.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 is in development for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC. It will also feature four-player co-op, which Cross explained was added because it was "highly-requested" and it "works better in a PVE game."

• Gears of War: E-Day creative director Matt Searcy says the game "makes a lot of sense" as an Xbox exclusive
• He confirms that The Coalition "never talked about this coming to PS5"
• Meanwhile, two developers for Halo: Campaign Evolved and Fable are "excited" about branching out to multiple platforms

Xbox games coming to other platforms has been an intriguing concept and process to witness from the outside. There have been ebbs and flows, reports of this and that, and recently an interesting move back to console exclusivity for two titles, as per that recent Xbox Games Showcase earlier in June.

We had the chance to speak to multiple Xbox Game Studios teams at an event adjacent to this year's Summer Game Fest 2026 after the showcase had streamed and found that there was a stark difference of opinion between some of the developers on being an Xbox exclusive or embracing being on multiple rival platforms.

For example, the Coalition creative director Matt Searcy believes making Gears of War: E-Day an Xbox exclusive was the best decision — something not all Xbox Game Studios teams are aligned on.

According to Searcy, it feels right in the case of Gears of War, and the studio never talked about it going to other platforms. "Well, we never talked about it going to PS5; it was announced as an [Xbox] exclusive," Searcy said. "I would say that Gears as an exclusive makes a ton of sense to me, thinking about how tightly [...] Gears has been tied to the Xbox brand [for] its entire life."

He went on to say that, "It's kind of an honor, and I think excitement to be like one of the best Xbox flagship titles. As a developer, of course, it's awesome to have people play our games, but we're Xbox fans."

When asked about missing out on a potential player base and the effect it might have had on hypothetical multiplayer numbers, he went on to say that "we're not too concerned about the size of the audience."

While it's admirable, in a way, that such confidence and sense of ease was exuded by the devs in the face of a smaller player base than some of their contemporary Xbox studios are hoping to get, it does seem a bit of a shame when those other studios will get the games in front of millions more players.

This was clear when we spoke to two other Xbox Game Studio developers in Halo: Campaign Evolved executive producer Damon Conn, and Ralph Fulton, founder and GM of Fable studio, Playground Games. Unlike Searcy, both developers are eager to branch to multiple platforms and are truly excited by it, because it will allow them to reach a wider audience.

"We're excited to put the game [out] and to play it with as many different people as we can," Conn said. "With Halo Campaign Evolved, we have it coming out on more platforms than ever before, and we're going to meet the player where they are."

The executive producer is also looking forward to players trying out cross-play, which he calls "a win for us, just sharing the experience with as many people as possible."

"Halo has always been about coming together and shared experiences and socialising, and this is something that we're really excited about," Conn added.

Meanwhile, Fulton confirmed that he and the team at Playground Games are still committed to bringing Fable to PlayStation 5, alongside Xbox Series X, Series S, and PC, like Halo, and are incredibly excited at the prospect of reaching a larger number of people.

"For us, we look at this as an opportunity to get this game - [in a series] that has been out of circulation for some 15 years - in front of as many fans who want to play it as possible," Fulton said. "We're really excited with the number of people we can bring this game to."

Each game can of course be treated in isolation to some extent, but it is intriguing to see such a contrast and witness such opposing views within the Xbox Game Studios group itself.

Fable has been in development for a very long time, but will officially launch on February 23, 2027, while Halo: Campaign Evolved releases globally on July 28. Gears of War: E-Day arrives on October 6.

• Brand new GTA 6 footage has been released
• The footage shows Vice City at sunset, and fans think it looks "glorious"
• One fan says it "almost looks like real footage"

Rockstar Games has released a brand new look at Vice City in Grand Theft Auto 6.

In case you weren't around when the internet exploded yesterday, the studio finally announced that GTA 6 pre-orders will officially begin on June 25, although we still don't have a price.

The news arrived alongside the official cover art reveal trailer and an updated website featuring new artwork of GTA 6 protagonists Lucia and Jason, as well as a dynamic image on the landing page showcasing Vice City at sunset.

It looks pretty impressive, and the sprawling city looks highly detailed, with helicopters flying overhead and boats sailing across the waterfront.

While the footage is quite literally seconds long, it offers a sneak peek at what players will be able to freely explore when the game arrives later this year, and fans are eating up every single crumb.

"IT LOOKS GLORIOUS!!" said one fan on Reddit. "This is the most realistic and beautiful night shot of VC we have gotten so far. I swear it didn't look this good in previous media."

"Holy s***, this almost looks like real footage," another said.

The new video on the website from r/GTA6

Meanwhile, some fans are suggesting that the footage doesn't look "polished", with one user pointing out the missing ferris wheel reflection in the background.

"Damnit OP JUST DELAYED THE GAME," one fan joked in response, while another said, "Yep game is unplayable."

"It just shows the limitations still with this generation," a fan suggested, "maybe the next gen version will be able to have the reflections in the distance as well."

Others are concerned about how the game will perform on current-gen consoles, considering the graphical fidelity.

"Looks like the raytraced water cuts off at a distance. The pop will be disgusting," one user said.

Following the pre-order and cover reveal announcements, Rockstar also updated its icon and banner on social media to match the game's theme. Now it's pink and purple, instead of the classic yellow fans are familiar with.

GTA 6 will officially launch on November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Series S. A PC release has not yet been announced.

• Upcoming crossover puzzle game Sonic Pico Park is intended to bring Sonic to a wider audience
• It's intended to be "very easy to pick up and play"
• "A lot of people are aware of Sonic the Hedgehog, and it's interesting because not a lot of those people are actually gamers," the head of Sonic Team explained

Announced at Summer Game Fest 2026, Sonic Pico Park is an upcoming crossover game that combines the casual puzzling of Pico Park with the platforming chaos of Sonic the Hedgehog.

A few days after the reveal, I chatted to Pico Park president Shintarou Shimazu and Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka about the unlikely pairing, which the developers hope will help bring the character to a wider audience.

"We said, 'Hey, we're really popular in China, but a lot of people in the West don't really know Pico Park. How can we make a game format that's going to really reach out to a broader audience of people?'" Shimazu reveals.

He explains that the original designer of Pico Park, Shunsuke Miyake, used to work at Sega. "Let's see if we can collaborate with Sonic, who's really strong in the West, and put them together and make something that everyone around the world is going to be really interested in playing," he said.

Iizuka went on to say that, in addition to appealing to complete Sonic newcomers, he hopes that Sonic Pico Park will resonate with fans of the character that might not enjoy the traditional platformer games.

"We have Sonic in movies, we have Sonic in Netflix animated shows, we have games coming out. There's lots of different ways that people can experience and enjoy Sonic," he explains.

"A lot of people are aware of Sonic the Hedgehog, and it's interesting because not a lot of those people are actually gamers, but they're experiencing Sonic. Sonic Pico Park is one of these games that we think is perfect for those non-gamers.

"It's going to be very easy to pick up and play, and have a lot of fun with, and it's good to get them to experience Sonic if they just watched the movies, but haven't played the games."

"You don't need to be super hardcore to be good at this one," Shimazu says. "A lot of people can play and enjoy the experience. They designed the game for even up to eight people to be playing all at the same time, whether you have eight people in the room, or you're going online."

Sonic Pico Park is expected to release later this year.

• Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 game director Chris Cross says the sequel will have four-player co-op because it was "highly requested" and it "just feels better"
• Cross says four players also comes with "challenges"
• Balancing the "attention economy" is "basically a constant challenge for us"

Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 game director Chris Cross has explained why Cold Iron Studios decided to make the sequel four-player co-op, but acknowledged that it came with some obstacles during development.

Speaking in an interview with TechRadar Gaming at Summer Game Fest 2026, Cross said one of the "challenges" of making the jump to four-player was balancing the "attention economy" and the multitude of assets and effects on screen at the same time.

"There's four times the amount of things that you need to put on screen," he said, "like more enemies and such, because if everybody focuses fires on something, it'll melt, [so] managing enough targets and distractions for the team is basically a constant challenge for us."

Fireteam Elite was two-player, but when asked why the team decided on making the successor four-player instead of three-player, as you would typically find in other online co-op shooters, Cross revealed that it was for two reasons. One, it was "highly requested" by fans, and two, "four works better in a PVE game because you can do two and two."

"You can have even more combinatory-like abilities, mixing and matching, but also it kind of harkens back to like four-player split screen, right? Like it feels good to have co-op before."

Cross continued, saying, "The thing for us, though, is if you go three and one person splits off, they would end up being a liability. Whereas, [with four players] you can do two and two now. But another thing, though, is the three-person sort of convention I kind of felt like came from battle royale games, like trios [in] Apex Legends, Fortnite, etc.

"It feels like a good, a good mix for a solitary unit, but I just like four, [it] just feels better... A four-person rifle team feels good having four slots with five classes and a possible six. The opportunities that mix and match are so much greater than just three."

Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 doesn't have a release date yet, but it will launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC.

• 007 First Light game director Hakan Abrak says the game was always planned as an origin story
• He says the team pitched to MGM and had ideas for a young Bond story that was a "non-negotiable"
• He adds that there were weekly feedback meetings, but IO was always in charge of the story

IO Interactive has confirmed that 007 First Light was always intended to be a young James Bond story, and it collaborated frequently with the franchise owner, Amazon MGM Studios.

In an interview with TechRadar Gaming at an event adjacent to Summer Game Fest 2026, game director Hakan Abrak discussed the conceptual phase of the game and confirmed that First Light was "always supposed to be a young Bond story," and the pitching process to MGM and Bond IP co-owners Barbara Broccolo and Michael G. Wilson was "massively intimidating."

Abrak recalled the pitching process being in a room decked in old books from James Bond novelist Ian Fleming, a grand piano, and "the atmosphere of history was so thick you could just cut through it."

When he and other IO team members went in to pitch, he remembered the MGM heads came into the room and were "completely silent" before telling the developers to go ahead and pitch.

"We pitch the story, we pitch our approach, and why this would be different from other Bond games," Abrak said. "[They were] very silent, and then Barbara just says, after a while, stonefaced just says, 'I quite like it,' and then the room just erupted right after; [they said] 'These guys are so cool, like they didn't really get it, I was like keeping my cool and whatnot, but deep inside I was like 'phew' that was something."

The game director did note that he thought IO's initial pitch was "a bit ballsy" and the team had lots of ideas of introducing aspects from Ian Fleming novels, like James Bond's scar, and create a young coming-of-age story "where it's not like he has figured everything out."

Abrak said the team didn't want to recreate a "perfect digital version of Daniel Craig, I love Daniel Craig, but it just wanted to make something that feels original."

"More importantly, what we also told them was that we want to go for the gamers, we want to create a Bond for the gamers," he said, explaining that some young gamers might not have a familiar attachment to Bond like the older generation.

"We [wanted] to take that risk and introduce a fresh Bond for the gamers," he said, "We want to make a Bond for the gamers, not the gamification of a movie. It's difficult [to go there] with non-negotiables, but this was a non-negotiable for us. If we did this, we needed to get this freedom for this approach. So, this was very, very clear from the get-go."

While IO had creative control over the story, Abrak said there was input from MGM, as well as several sessions of casting before Patrick Gibson was cast as Bond. The team also had weekly meetings with Eon Productions, the British film production company that primarily produced the Bond film series.

"Although the story was written by IO and delivered by us, we got a lot of feedback," he said. "I think we had some affinity, and we had something to start with, like with the Danish dark humor, dry humor, but getting the British humor right, there [was] still some way to go.

"It's been massively helpful, and we're really into it, and I think for the younger generation of Eon creators that we had meetings with, and the artwork from the movies, which [was] attached to it as well, it was very, very exciting for them to get to do, because they were actually making a new one [Bond] from the ground up.

"It was a collaboration; they were very much involved, but it was always IO, doing the story, doing the characters and things, and then getting feedback and working closely."

007 First Light is out now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC. A Nintendo Switch 2 version is slated to launch sometime this year.

• Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka says that working on the franchise is "a lot of pressure"
• He thinks he is "going to continue to enjoy making Sonic games" for the foreseeable future
• The comments come as the franchise celebrates its 35th anniversary

At Summer Game Fest 2026, I had the chance to chat with Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka in a wide-ranging interview that touches on everything from the newly revealed Sonic Pico Park to his thoughts on the current position of the franchise as a whole.

Right now the blue blur is celebrating its 35th anniversary, which kicked off in January this year, and the series is in a very good spot. The most recent games, racing spinoff Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds and the Sonic X Shadow Generations remake, were very well received, and Iizuka seems driven to keep the quality up for the sake of the series' most devoted fans.

"When I started making Sonic games over 30-plus years ago, I didn't really think about [the community]. We were just making games, but the longer I was working on Sonic, and the more games we made, the more we heard from fans who really appreciated the content, who really wanted to know what's coming next," he said.

"We had games like Sonic Generations, which was a game that parents and children could play together, because we had that early group of Sonic fans who were now grown up, and they had children of their own," he added.

"Even now we have a wide range of not only adults playing Sonic games, but we also have children playing Sonic games. We have a huge audience of people who are enjoying the content, which I really appreciate, but it's also a lot of pressure because I don't want to betray them. I don't want to make something that people are not going to feel is true to Sonic."

A big milestone

Iizuka has been working on Sonic games for decades, so I ask how spending such a long time with one series has shaped him and whether he sees himself moving on to anything else.

"It's strange when you say things like that, because when you think about it, I've been making Sonic games and been with Sonic longer than I've been with my own children," he replies.

"I really enjoy getting to be creative for such a great character, and bringing this content to so many great people. And moving forward, I'm going to continue to enjoy making Sonic games."

He added that he 'of course' sees Sonic almost like his own child as well. "Please imagine your child on the screen," he jokes. "I'm really proud."

For the latest on the 35th anniversary celebrations, you can tune in to a special birthday livestream on June 23, 2026 at 9:30 AM PT via the official Sonic the Hedgehog YouTube channel.

• The last-gen version of Grand Theft Auto 5 can now be upgraded to the current-gen for free
• Players on PS4 and Xbox One can now upgrade their game to the PS5 and Xbox Series X and Series S versions
• The upgrade has been made free ahead of the next GTA Online update

Grand Theft Auto 5 fans still playing the last-gen version can now upgrade to current-gen, free of charge.

Rockstar Games announced the upgrade in a new blog post, confirming that those with a copy of the PlayStation 4 or digital Xbox One version of GTA 5 can upgrade to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and Series S versions for free, ahead of the next GTA Online update.

This means players will save roughly $40 compared to if they were to purchase the game for the first time on current-gen.

"Beginning tomorrow, those who own any PS4 version or the digital Xbox One version of Grand Theft Auto 5 will be able to upgrade to the PS5 or Xbox Series X|S versions at no additional cost, and experience the best versions of GTA 5 and GTA Online ahead of the launch of The Kortz Center Heist," the studio said.

"GTA 5 and GTA Online on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S feature vast technical improvements, easy migration of your Story Mode and Online progress, and new features including Hao’s Special Works high-performance vehicles and upgrades, Career Progress rewards, and much more."

These features have already been available for PC for some time, along with additional PC-only features like ambient occlusion, global illumination, ray-traced shadows and reflections, as well as Nvidia DLSS 3, AMD FSR1, and FSR3 support.

In case you missed it, Rockstar has also officially confirmed that pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto 6 will begin later this month on June 25.

The long-awaited announcement comes from a new trailer, where the studio revealed the game's official cover art and shared new artwork fans can use as their desktop wallpaper.

While we finally know when fans can secure their copies ahead of the game's November 19 launch, there's still no word on how much GTA 6 will cost. However, we'll know within the next seven days.

GTA 6 will be available for PS5 and Xbox Series X and Series S at launch, with no PC version announced just yet.

• Grand Theft Auto 6 pre-orders will begin later this month
• Rockstar Games shared the game's cover art and confirmed that preorders begin on June 25
• There are still no price details yet

Rockstar Games has officially confirmed that preorders for Grand Theft Auto 6 will begin later this month.

The long-awaited announcement comes from the official cover art reveal trailer, in which the studio said that GTA 6 preorders will begin on June 25 on digital storefronts and at other select retailers.

"Add Grand Theft Auto 6 to your wishlist today on the PlayStation Store or Microsoft Store to get alerted when pre-orders are live," Rockstar said in a blog post.

This also means Rockstar has confirmed that the game won't be coming to PC at launch, and will only be available for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and Series S.

While we finally know when fans can secure their copies ahead of the game's November 19 launch, there's still no word on how much GTA 6 will cost.

Prices are sure to be revealed within the next seven days. Many believe the game could cost as much as $100, but analysts have suggested that a $70 price would generate more money for Rockstar.

Following a six-month delay, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick suggested that GTA 6 is more than a year behind schedule.

He was also recently asked why the game has taken so long to come out, he explained: "The team at Rockstar really does seek to do something that’s never been done before. That’s really hard, and it takes a long time."

• IO Interactive says 007 First Light's upcoming story expansion is "awesome"
• The principal level designer Mattias Engström says fans are "starting to expect" post-launch content from IO Interactive games
• Lead environment artist Hilde Sunde says the positive reception has "been amazing"

IO Interactive has teased 007 First Light's upcoming post-launch content following the game's "unreal" reception.

Speaking with TechRadar Gaming at Summer Game Fest 2026 following the announcement of a brand-new story expansion, principal level designer Mattias Engström and lead environment artist Hilde Sunde discussed working on IO games long after their release, such as Hitman 3 and, in this case, First Light.

According to Engström, getting to create new content for players is "very cool because it's very rewarding for our players," and is something IO is now well known for, unlike other studios that ship their game with no further content updates.

"It doesn't just stop," he said, "it's not the one and done, right? So, adding more content for our fans is very cool. I think it's also something you're starting to expect from IOI, right?"

"It's kind of in our DNA to do that type of stuff and also keeping the players happy," Sunde added. "In Bond, we also have a lot of replayability. So, if you play through it one time, you could do it very differently the next time and try different ways and play it again."

"Also, IO is a pretty big company," continued Engström. "We can have people moving around and going to other projects, and some people who may not have worked on Bond before can get going and bring in fresh new ideas and whatnot."

Engström went on to tease the post-launch content, saying it will be "awesome" and "we want the players to come back, and we want to create more content."

007 First Light was a success with critics and players alike, selling 1.5 million within its first 24 hours before hitting 2.7 million copies worldwide in its first week across all platforms.

Sunde recalled the emotional response she and the team had when the reviews came in, touching on what it was like to hear the reception after working on First Light for six years out of the game's seven-year development cycle.

"A lot of blood, sweat, and tears have gone into this," the developer said. "We really wanted to nail the Bond fantasy and get everything right, and right up until release, when you have worked on a game for that long ride, and you're gonna ship something that is very dear to I think [Bond] fans, you really want to get it right.

"And then when we got the reviews in, there people were crying, we were hugging each other, we were like it was unreal. I was in shock. I'm still in shock. I mean, I knew the game was good, but you're not prepared for it. It just feels so good for everybody who has worked so hard on this at IOI and all the other people we have collaborated with on this.

"It's just been amazing. I still don't believe it. I'm pitching my arm."

007 First Light is out now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC. A Nintendo Switch 2 version is slated to launch sometime this year.