GTA VI: how to prepare for the pre-load and free up space on your console

It’s becoming increasingly difficult to install a new video game, especially if the console’s storage is almost full. Several of the more recent titles, in fact, take up tens of gigabytes, and some even far exceed 100GB – not to mention subsequent updates, additional content and game save files. For example, Rockstar Games has announced that the pre-load – that is, the early download of GTA VI – will begin on Tuesday 10 November 2026, whilst the official launch is scheduled for 19 November on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S: pre-loading the game does not mean you can play it straight away, but rather that the files will be stored on the console and will be ready to be unlocked at midnight on the day of release. However, the US company specifies that installing the pre-load file will require up to 212 GB of space, depending on the device being used; it is therefore advisable not to be caught unprepared and to check the available storage on your console a few days in advance.

Both the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X and Series S offer dedicated sections for managing storage and even allow you to expand it. To check the remaining storage space on the PS5, for example, simply start up the console and go to Settings > Storage: this section shows the categories taking up space, from games to video recordings. If you’re running out of gigabytes, the quickest way to free up space is to go to Settings > Storage > Console Storage > Games & Apps: from here, you can select any unused titles and delete them by choosing ‘Delete’. Of course, games purchased digitally will not be permanently lost but will remain in your collection without taking up any space, and can be downloaded again when needed. Alternatively, if you do not wish to delete any data from the console’s hard drive, there are two other solutions. The simplest is to connect a compatible USB storage device that supports SuperSpeed USB technology at 5 Gbps or higher and has a capacity of between 250 GB and 8 TB; the external drive can be configured via the Settings menu > Storage > USB Extended Storage > Format as USB Extended Storage and then use it to transfer games that are already installed, thereby freeing up space on the built-in hard drive. Bear in mind that formatting will permanently delete any data already present on the drive. It is also important to note that PS5 games can be stored on an external device but cannot be launched directly from there: to use them, you must therefore move them back to the internal storage or store them on a compatible M.2 NVMe SSD equipped with an adequate heat dissipation system. Although the latter option is more expensive, it is the most comprehensive solution as it allows you to install and run PS5 games directly from the additional storage.

Even those who own a Microsoft console, be it an Xbox Series X or Series S, can follow specific steps to free up or expand storage space. Simply press the Xbox button on the controller and go to Profile & System > Settings > System > Storage: this screen displays a graph for each storage drive, showing the percentage of space used and still available. By selecting a drive, you can view the installed games and apps: to delete content, simply highlight it, press the Menu button on the controller and select Uninstall. As with the PS5, digitally purchased Xbox games can be downloaded again after removal.

To store installed games, however, you can increase the console’s storage capacity by using a compatible SSD expansion card, available in various capacities ranging from 512 GB up to 4 TB: this is a device that can be purchased separately and inserted into the dedicated slot on the back of the Xbox Series X and Series S, allowing you to store and launch video games directly from the additional storage, whilst maintaining performance equivalent to that of the internal SSD.

With a few simple steps, therefore, it is possible to free up the necessary space without having to give up your video games for good: checking your available storage and organising your installed content in good time will enable you to prepare your console for the GTA VI pre-load, avoiding last-minute delays ahead of the official launch.