Grand Theft Auto VI comes out November 19, 2026 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, and Rockstar says the pre-load “will require up to 212 GB depending on your device.” So the first thing to buy is not a controller. It is space. Here is the short list, with makers’ prices checked on November 10, 2026:
- Storage for PS5: the SANDISK Optimus GX PRO 850P, an officially licensed drive that slots inside the console, on sale at $309.99 for 1 TB at SanDisk’s store (list price $474.99).
- Storage for Xbox: the SANDISK Optimus GX C50 expansion card, which plugs into the console’s expansion slot and comes in sizes up to 2 TB.
- Pro controller: the DualSense Edge at $199.00 on PS5, or the Xbox Elite Series 2, which starts at $149.99 for the Core version.
- Headset: the PULSE Elite at $149.00 on PS5, or the Xbox Wireless Headset at $119.99.
- The safe gift: a PlayStation Store or Xbox gift card, matched to their console. On the Xbox store the game costs $79.99, or $99.99 for the Ultimate Edition.
- A new TV: not needed for this game. Rockstar is targeting 30 frames per second, so a faster screen is not required.
GTA VI gear at a glance
| What | PlayStation 5 | Xbox Series X/S | Maker’s list price (Nov. 10, 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Storage | SANDISK Optimus GX PRO 850P | SANDISK Optimus GX C50 | 850P 1 TB: $309.99, marked down from $474.99. C50 512 GB: $119.99, marked down from $149.99 |
| Pro controller | DualSense Edge | Xbox Elite Series 2 | $199.00 / $199.99 (Core: $149.99) |
| Headset | PULSE Elite | Xbox Wireless Headset | $149.00 / $119.99 |
| Gift card | PlayStation Store Gift Card | Xbox Gift Card | Sold in set amounts |
Sony’s prices are from its PlayStation Direct store. Xbox prices are the list prices Microsoft marks “ERP,” which it says may vary by retailer, and two of them were lower at the Microsoft Store on November 10: the Elite Series 2 at $157.95 and the headset at $90.61. Prices on Amazon can differ, so the buttons below say “check price.”
What you need to know about the launch first
- Pre-loading has started. Rockstar opened digital pre-loads on November 10.
- The boxed copy has no disc. Rockstar says the physical version has “a download code inside the box” and that “a disc will not be included.” Rockstar expects it at retailers from November 12. Either way, you download the whole game.
- It is single-player. Rockstar and Xbox both call it a single-player experience.
- Two editions. The Standard Edition is $79.99 and the Ultimate Edition is $99.99 on the Xbox store. There is no physical Ultimate Edition.
- PS5 Pro gets extras. Rockstar says the PS5 Pro adds a clearer picture and “ray-traced shadows only available on PlayStation 5 Pro,” meaning more lifelike shadows.
Storage: the thing most players will need
Sony’s own blog tells PS5 owners to clear “a minimum of 212GB.” Compare that with what the consoles hold:
| Console | Built-in storage | GTA VI’s share at 212 GB |
|---|---|---|
| Xbox Series S | 512 GB | About 41% |
| PS5 Digital Edition | 825 GB | About 26% |
| PlayStation 5 | 1 TB | About 21% |
Those shares are of the size on the box. Sony notes that part of the drive is reserved for system software, so the real space on a PS5 is smaller. If your console is already full of other games, you have two choices: delete some, or add storage.
A cheap USB drive is not the fix. Sony says “PlayStation®5 games can’t be played directly from USB extended storage.” You can park finished games there to free up room, but on a PS5, GTA VI itself has to sit on the console’s own drive or on an M.2 drive added inside it.
PS5: SANDISK Optimus GX PRO 850P
The PS5 has an empty slot inside for a second drive, called an M.2 SSD. SSD stands for solid-state drive, a fast kind of storage with no moving parts. Sony’s main rules for it: a PCIe Gen4 NVMe drive (older M.2 SATA drives aren’t supported), 250 GB to 8 TB, a read speed of 5,500 megabytes per second (MB/s) or faster recommended, and a heatsink or heat transfer sheet to keep it cool. The Optimus GX PRO 850P is officially licensed for the PS5 and PS5 Pro, comes with a heatsink made for the PS5’s slot, and reads at up to 7,300 MB/s, SanDisk’s rating for the 1 TB and 2 TB sizes.
It is not cheap. SanDisk’s store sold the 1 TB drive for $309.99 on November 10, 2026, marked down from $474.99. If you know the WD_BLACK SN850P, SanDisk says that drive “is now” the Optimus GX PRO 850P.
SANDISK Optimus GX PRO 850P 1TB: Check price on Amazon · SANDISK Optimus GX PRO 850P 2TB: Check price on Amazon · See it at SanDisk
Xbox: SANDISK Optimus GX C50
On Xbox you plug a card into the console’s expansion slot. Microsoft says the Storage Expansion Card “performs identically to the console’s internal SSD,” and that you can play games made for the Series X|S straight from it. SanDisk’s Optimus GX C50 is officially licensed for the Series X|S and comes in 512 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB sizes. SanDisk’s store listed the 512 GB card at $119.99 on November 10, 2026, marked down from $149.99; the larger sizes cost more. For a 512 GB Series S, this is the purchase that matters most.
Seagate also makes a card, designed with Xbox, and lists its 1 TB version at $199.99. It is on Seagate’s site.
SANDISK Optimus GX C50 2TB: Check price on Amazon · All sizes at SanDisk
Pro controllers
PS5: DualSense Edge
The DualSense Edge is Sony’s own pro controller, $199.00 at PlayStation Direct. The box holds three sets of swappable stick caps, two kinds of back buttons, a braided USB cable and a carrying case. Tom’s Guide called it “a fantastic, highly customizable controller” and was blunt about two weak spots, the price and the battery: its reviewer usually ran out of charge after as little as five hours of play.
Check price on Amazon · DualSense Edge at PlayStation Direct
Sony also made two limited-edition GTA VI versions of the regular DualSense, due November 19. Sony’s blog gave the price as $84.99, and PlayStation Direct listed the White edition at $84.00. Sony says both will be available “in limited quantities,” so don’t plan a gift around finding one.
Xbox: Elite Series 2
Microsoft sells its pro controller two ways. The full Xbox Elite Series 2, $199.99, comes with a charging dock, four back paddles, extra thumbsticks and a carrying case. The Elite Series 2 Core, $149.99, is the same controller in white with only a thumbstick tool and a USB-C cable, so no back paddles. Both have a built-in battery that Microsoft rates at up to 40 hours. Tom’s Guide praised its design and customization, and listed two downsides: “Front grips can be slippery” and “Expensive.”
Elite Series 2 Core: Check price on Amazon · Xbox Elite Series 2 at Xbox.com
If a pro controller is more than you want to spend, the Xbox Rechargeable Battery + USB-C Cable is $24.99 and ends the hunt for AA batteries in an Xbox Wireless Controller that has a USB-C port.
Xbox Rechargeable Battery + USB-C Cable: Check price on Amazon · See it at Xbox.com
Headsets
PS5: PULSE Elite
Sony’s PULSE Elite is $149.00 at PlayStation Direct. Sony lists up to 30 hours of battery life, up to two hours of play from a 10-minute charge, and a microphone that tucks away when you don’t need it.
Check price on Amazon · PULSE Elite at PlayStation Direct
Xbox: Xbox Wireless Headset
Microsoft’s headset is $119.99, with up to 20 hours of battery life. It connects to the console directly and to a phone over Bluetooth, and can do both at once. Windows Central found “surprisingly good audio and bass for its price,” and faulted its “limited size adjustability.”
Check price on Amazon · Xbox Wireless Headset at Xbox.com
Gift cards: the safe gift
If you don’t know which accessories someone already owns, a store card is the safe gift, as long as you buy the one for the store their console uses. On the Xbox store the Standard Edition is $79.99 and the Ultimate Edition is $99.99. Someone who already bought the Standard Edition can also use a card on the Ultimate Edition Upgrade.
PlayStation Store Gift Card: Choose an amount on Amazon · Xbox Gift Card: Choose an amount on Amazon
Still need a console?
GTA VI is made for the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X and Series S. Xbox One owners can stream it through Xbox Cloud Gaming, which uses Series S graphics settings; the game still has to be bought separately. Xbox calls the Series S “the most affordable way to play GTA VI natively on XBOX,” and Microsoft lists it at $499.99 with 512 GB or $599.99 with 1 TB. Given the size of this game, the 1 TB model is the safer buy.
On PlayStation, the choice is the PlayStation 5 with a disc drive and 1 TB, or the PS5 Digital Edition with 825 GB. The PS5 Pro runs it too, with the extra graphics features above. Since the boxed game is a download code, you don’t need the disc drive for GTA VI.
Current prices, bundles and the five-year cost of each machine are in the game console buying guide.
Do you need a new TV for GTA VI?
No. Rockstar says the game is “targeting 30 frames per second” on both consoles. A 120 Hz screen, one that redraws the picture 120 times a second and that RTINGS’ gaming TV guide tells shoppers to look for, will not make this game run any faster.
A new TV can still make it look better, through deeper blacks and brighter highlights, and it will help with other games that do run faster. If you are shopping for a 65-inch set anyway, these are two of the picks from RTINGS, a site that lab-tests TVs, in its gaming TV guide updated October 1, 2026.
Step-up pick: Hisense U7SG
RTINGS names the Hisense U7SG its best lower mid-range gaming TV. It notes “some haloing around bright details on a dark background” and more motion blur than the pricier OLED sets it ranks higher. Hisense lists the 65-inch model with a 165 Hz screen and four HDMI 2.1 ports, the newer kind of TV input that current consoles use.
Budget pick: TCL QM6K
RTINGS’ budget pick is the TCL QM6K: “you don’t lose a ton by going with the TCL QM6K instead,” it says, though high dynamic range (HDR) games “appear somewhat flat and underwhelming” because the screen is dimmer. Only two of its HDMI inputs carry the full HDMI 2.1 signal, which RTINGS says is fine “if you just have one or two recent consoles.” TCL lists a 144 Hz screen.
RTINGS’ top two gaming TVs are OLED sets, a screen type with deeper blacks: the Samsung S95H OLED and the LG C6 OLED, if your budget stretches further.
Gift ideas by budget, at makers’ list prices
- Under $30: the Xbox Rechargeable Battery + USB-C Cable at $24.99, or a small gift card toward the game.
- About $80 to $100: a gift card toward the $79.99 Standard Edition or the $99.99 Ultimate Edition, at Xbox store prices; sales tax can add to the total.
- $120 to $150: a headset, the Xbox Wireless Headset at $119.99 or the PULSE Elite at $149.00, or the Elite Series 2 Core at $149.99.
- About $200: a pro controller, the DualSense Edge at $199.00 or the full Xbox Elite Series 2 at $199.99.
GTA VI questions
How much storage does GTA VI need?
Rockstar says the pre-load “will require up to 212 GB depending on your device,” and Sony tells PS5 owners to clear at least 212 GB.
Can you play GTA VI from an external USB drive?
Not on PS5. Sony says PS5 games can’t be played directly from USB extended storage. On PS5 the add-on that works is an M.2 drive inside the console. On Xbox, plan on a Storage Expansion Card, not a USB drive: it is the add-on Microsoft says performs identically to the internal drive.
Does the physical copy of GTA VI come with a disc?
No. Rockstar says the box holds a download code and that a disc is not included.
Do you need a 120 Hz TV for GTA VI?
No. Rockstar is targeting 30 frames per second on both consoles.
How much does GTA VI cost?
The Standard Edition is $79.99 and the Ultimate Edition is $99.99 on the Xbox store.
When can you start downloading GTA VI?
Digital pre-loads opened on November 10, 2026, and Rockstar expects the code-in-box version at retailers from November 12.
Sources (30)
- rockstargames.com Rockstar Newswire: Grand Theft Auto VI pre-load begins on November 10
- rockstargames.com Rockstar Newswire: Pre-load Grand Theft Auto VI now
- rockstargames.com Rockstar Newswire: Pre-order Grand Theft Auto VI on June 25
- support.rockstargames.com Rockstar Support: Grand Theft Auto VI platform, editions and versions
- blog.playstation.com PlayStation.Blog: Grand Theft Auto VI pre-download begins November 10
- blog.playstation.com PlayStation.Blog: Grand Theft Auto VI limited edition DualSense controllers
- news.xbox.com Xbox Wire: Grand Theft Auto VI comes to Xbox Cloud Gaming November 19
- playstation.com PS5 consoles
- xbox.com Xbox Series S
- playstation.com PlayStation Support: How to add an M.2 SSD to a PS5 console
- playstation.com PlayStation Support: USB extended storage on PS5
- support.xbox.com Xbox Support: Using the Storage Expansion Card on Xbox Series X|S
- sandisk.com WD_BLACK SN850P NVMe SSD for PS5 consoles
- sandisk.com Optimus GX PRO 850P SSD for PS5 consoles
- sandisk.com Optimus GX C50 SSD Storage Expansion Card for Xbox
- seagate.com Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S
- playstation.com DualSense Edge wireless controller
- direct.playstation.com PlayStation Direct: DualSense Edge wireless controller
- playstation.com PULSE Elite wireless headset
- direct.playstation.com PlayStation Direct: PULSE Elite wireless headset
- direct.playstation.com PlayStation Direct: DualSense Grand Theft Auto VI White Limited Edition
- xbox.com Elite Wireless Controller Series 2
- xbox.com Xbox Wireless Headset
- xbox.com Rechargeable Battery + USB-C Cable
- tomsguide.com Sony DualSense Edge review
- tomsguide.com Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 review
- windowscentral.com Xbox Wireless Headset review
- rtings.com The best gaming TVs
- us.tcl.com TCL: QM6K Series QD-Mini LED TV
- hisense.com 65-inch U7 Series Mini-LED TV (65U7SG)
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