GTA 6 sounds the death knell for physical discs

Pre-orders for the biggest video game in recent memory, GTA 6, have gone live. The release heralds a new reality in the gaming market; one that many have already embraced, and the rest are now being forced to accept.

GTA 6 will later this year be available on the shelves of a physical store near you. Online retailers also began taking pre-orders overnight for physical boxed editions for PS5 and Xbox Series.

However, there are no shiny discs inside, just codes that can be redeemed from the PlayStation and Xbox stores on the consoles. This has been confirmed by Rockstar Games, the studio behind GTA 6.

- "The physical version of Grand Theft Auto VI, containing a download code inside the box, will be available starting November 12, 2026 to support pre-loading," Rockstar Games announced.


Declining physical disc sales
Much like films on physical media, the gaming industry is pushing consumers toward digital formats, cutting out the middleman in the process.

In the most recent quarter, 85% of all games for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 were sold through the PlayStation Store on the console itself. Only 15% of games were sold on physical disc. For 2025 as a whole the split was 78–22, up 2 percentage points from 2024, so the trend is clear.

As older PS4 and Xbox One consoles are widely expected to be replaced this fall with PS5 and Xbox Series consoles – required to run GTA 6 – the share of digital purchases will climb further. New PS5, PS5 Pro and Xbox Series consoles no longer have a disc drive unless you pay extra.

 Also read: The new PlayStation 5's disc drive requires internet pairing

Game studio Capcom recently presented an even more striking figure: 93% of their games were sold digitally last year.


Death knell for physical discs
Grand Theft Auto VI is not the first game to ship a box containing only a digital download code, but it is a colossal release that the entire industry is watching closely. Rockstar Games has effectively legitimized the code-in-box model.

There may of course be valid reasons why GTA 6 is not being released on disc. The decision could stem from a desire to prevent leaks or simply because the game's file size is too large – though UHD Blu-ray exist with 100GB storage capacity – but it is also possible that it is purely a financial calculation.

 Also read: Sony is closing the PlayStation Store on PlayStation 3

Digital games have advantages such as pre-loading before release, faster startup and no limits on the number of copies available, but they cannot be resold or stored away in case the storefront shuts down. These are among the reasons some buyers still prefer games on physical media.

 Also read: Steam admits that you don't own "purchased" games


Strong preorder sales
Despite the absence of a physical disc in the box, retailers are reporting exceptionally strong pre-orders for the highly anticipated game, which will release on November 19, 2026.

GTA 6 costs $80 or $100 for an Ultimate edition.