ScreenRant and Notebookcheck report that the GTA 6 digital preload opened on November 10, as scheduled on Rockstar's support page for regional preload and release times. According to ScreenRant's reading of that page, PS5 preloads opened at midnight local time and Xbox Series X|S preloads opened globally at 12 a.m. GMT. Notebookcheck gives a later Xbox start, so the exact Xbox timing may have varied by region.
The preload is available to players with a digital pre-order and a PlayStation or Xbox account. Notebookcheck notes that automatic downloads need to be switched on and the console left on or in rest or sleep mode. PlayStation's guidance calls for at least 212 GB of free storage on PS5. Preloading does not grant early access: the game unlocks at midnight local time on November 19, and a smaller launch-day update is still possible.
Why it matters: this is the last major pre-launch milestone, and with a download this large, starting early is the practical way to be ready at unlock. Buyers of boxed code-in-box copies and anyone short on storage should check their setup now. See our preload guide for sizes and regional unlock times.