GTA 6 is a 210GB download on PS5, according to the PlayStation Store's own data

GTA 6 on PS5 looks like a 210GB download. The number was posted on 27 October by PlayStation Game Size, an account on X that pulls download sizes from the PlayStation Store's backend before they show up on the public listing, and it's for the Standard Edition.

Insider Gaming ran it the same day and says it "can corroborate this information", though it doesn't say how. Engadget picked it up a few hours later. Rockstar hasn't published a size, and Sony's store page still doesn't show one.

That's the first figure for the game that comes from somewhere real. Ten days ago our file size piece said the sensible estimates sat between 150 and 200GB, so this lands just over the top of that.

Download size isn't the whole story

The post says "Download Size". Insider Gaming's headline calls it the install size. They're not always the same thing, and Engadget points out it's unclear whether 210GB is the full footprint on your drive or just what comes down the pipe. Installers often need some temporary room on top of the game itself, too.

Then there's the day-one patch. Nobody knows if there is one or how big it'd be, and Insider Gaming's own piece says players might have more to grab after launch. For a game this size, Rockstar shipping a sizeable update on the 19th wouldn't be a shock.

And there's no Xbox figure at all yet. Engadget's comparison is a worrying one for Series S owners, though: 210GB is more than half the usable space on the 512GB model, so if the Xbox version comes in anywhere near that, it'll be tight.

For a bit of scale, Engadget points back to Red Dead Redemption 2, which IGN reported needed 149GB of free space on PS4 in 2018. GTA 6 is roughly 60GB more than that, on a console built to stream compressed data fast, which was supposed to keep sizes down.

What it means for a launch PS5

A base PS5 has an 825GB drive, but about 667GB of that is actually yours once the system's taken its share. 210GB is close to a third of it. If you're running two or three big live-service games alongside, there's a good chance you don't have that free right now.

Here's what we'd do before preload opens on 12 November:

• Go to Settings, then Storage, then Console Storage, and see what you've actually got free. The number's usually lower than people think.
• Aim for about 250GB free. That covers the 210GB, some temporary install room, and a patch of unknown size. If the real figure's smaller you've lost nothing.
• Delete the stuff you can redownload. Your PS Plus library and anything you've bought digitally can come back whenever you want, and save data lives in the cloud if you're a Plus member (check it's synced first).
• If you're still short, an M.2 drive is the proper fix. Our SSD guide covers which ones meet Sony's speed requirement and when it's cheaper to just delete things.

On a typical home connection 210GB is an overnight job, so the preload week matters. Our preload guide has the two settings that stop the console from going to sleep halfway through.

Honestly, the size isn't the bit I'd worry about. It's people finding out on the night of the 12th that they've got 140GB free and a full backlog they don't want to touch. Clear it this weekend and it's one less thing.

If Rockstar or Sony publish an official figure, or an Xbox number turns up, we'll update this page.