Pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto 6 went live on Thursday, but gamers hoping to slot a disc into their console were left disappointed: the physical edition will contain only a code for a digital download, developer Rockstar has confirmed.
"My initial reaction was one of confusion and shock," said Ben, a 24-year-old UK-based gamer who covers GTA news on social media under the handle 'videotech'. The announcement contradicted earlier statements from Strauss Zelnick, chief executive of Rockstar's parent company Take-Two, who told Variety in February that a digital-only launch was "not the plan".
“Pre-orders for GTA 6 went live, but the physical edition contains only a digital download code, not a disc.”
Ben said this led many to hope the physical disc would be available at launch too – and for more than sentimental reasons. "An important benefit of owning a disc is that you can lend the game to a friend or sell it later," he said. Online retailers selling the physical edition have stated that, as with other digital game codes, the one offered for GTA 6 is single-use and will become invalid after it is redeemed.
Rockstar revealed that the standard edition will cost £70, while the more premium edition will be priced at £90.
Digital sales now account for the vast majority of game revenue, and online stores such as Steam for PC and the PlayStation Store have been around for many years. The addition of consoles without physical disc drives is only helping further this trend, said Mat Piscatella, senior director and video game industry advisor at market research firm Circana. "More than half of all Xbox Series consoles in the US don't have a physical drive, while over a quarter of PS5's are the same," he posted.
For some gamers, the news they wouldn't be able to play GTA 6 on a disc felt like less of an upset. "I'm pretty much all digital these days, I download most of my games directly onto my console," Alogirlx, a gaming content creator from Canada, told the BBC's What in the World podcast. "Whether there's a physical disc or not it doesn't really change anything for me," she said.
With physical game sales at an all-time low, the issue may well be less about the disc itself than what it represents: ownership in an era where you don't really own the games you buy.