{"id":758295,"date":"2026-06-25T01:17:19","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T01:17:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/758295\/"},"modified":"2026-06-25T01:17:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T01:17:19","slug":"grand-theft-auto-vi-release-no-disc-130-price","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/758295\/","title":{"rendered":"Grand Theft Auto VI release: No disc, $130 price"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Tim Biggs\" data-testid=\"author-avatar-image\" height=\"64\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/8200a4f9bf702126b9abbfe4377fad29e2b9f2e7.png\"  width=\"64\" class=\"sc-9a01536c-0 libeSR\"\/>Save<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-d1b14060-4 JmUoF\">You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n<p>Remove items from your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/goodfood\/saved\" class=\"sc-3f16ee48-12 sc-d1b14060-2 jyLmZI iQLtAb\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n<p>AAA<\/p>\n<p>The hugely anticipated video game Grand Theft Auto VI will launch on November 19 at $130, with an optional Ultimate Edition at $160, but will not be available on physical discs. The package sold in retail stores will be empty, save for a printed code you enter into your console to download the game.<\/p>\n<p>The new details were revealed overnight by developer and publisher Rockstar Games, as the game became available to pre-order. Those who buy the game at or before launch will get access to extra digital items in the game. On November 12, players will be able to begin downloading the game, ensuring it is ready to play on its release on November 19 (Australian time). This also means physical packages will hit store shelves a week before the game can be played. Rockstar has not confirmed the size of the download.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Dozens of vehicles, guns, cosmetic items and in-game shops will be exclusive to the more expensive Ultimate Edition.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/26eb04acf6d23a1f1067555ca350b4f3935095cca48e520feb8da19d609fe51e.jpeg\"  class=\"sc-d34e428-1 ioInpc\"\/>Dozens of vehicles, guns, cosmetic items and in-game shops will be exclusive to the more expensive Ultimate Edition.<\/p>\n<p>Set in a <a class=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/technology\/video-games\/gta-6-trailer-offers-first-look-series-first-female-protagonist-20231205-p5ep4w.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">fictionalised version of Florida<\/a>, Grand Theft Auto VI is an open-world crime game that is expected to be the biggest entertainment launch in history. Some analysts have predicted 45 million copies could be sold in the first week, though that\u2019s at the high end of the predictions. It\u2019s been speculated that the game has cost around $US2 billion ($2.9 billion) to develop. It is yet to be classified, but is likely to be rated R, restricting its sale to Australians 18 and over.<\/p>\n<p>The $130 price is only slightly higher than other current blockbuster games, but Rockstar is aggressively pushing the Ultimate Edition by locking certain in-game cars, weapons, cosmetic items and shops behind the higher-priced version, which is highly unusual for a single-player game. But the lack of a physical disc is likely to prove more controversial.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRockstar is taking away part of what made buying a new GTA game special for longtime fans,\u201d said one commenter on Reddit.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt feels less about the players and more about maximising profits.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Early purchasers will get access to exclusive retro cosmetic items, meaning pre-ordering the Ultimate Edition or buying it at launch is the only way to get all the game\u2019s content.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/04e09b16fe1eeae58d15fd2e880def9471dfa0b493b2cdf306d36401831b6af3.jpeg\"  class=\"sc-d34e428-1 ioInpc\"\/>Early purchasers will get access to exclusive retro cosmetic items, meaning pre-ordering the Ultimate Edition or buying it at launch is the only way to get all the game\u2019s content.<\/p>\n<p>Most games sold on disc over the past 20 years have required installation to a hard drive, and many major games have also required initial downloading of data, since not all of the game is included on the disc. By not including a disc at all, Rockstar saves a lot of money on manufacturing but also ensures every player has to buy a brand-new copy. You will never get a used copy of the game, nor will you be able to sell yours once you\u2019re done playing it, because the license is tied to your account rather than a plastic disc, and is non-transferable.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI won\u2019t be buying it, I avoid digital only. Buying used and selling on is how gaming is affordable to me,\u201d said another commenter.<\/p>\n<p>Rockstar, originally a Scottish development studio and now a subsidiary of entertainment giant Take Two, is famous for its America-satirising crime series Grand Theft Auto as well as its sprawling Old West series <a class=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/technology\/red-dead-redemption-2-review-a-wild-west-work-of-art-20181030-p50csi.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Red Dead Redemption<\/a>. But much is still unknown about its latest game. It will be partially set in Vice City, an area that has been seen in previous games, and will follow small-time criminal couple Lucia and Jason as they unravel a state-wide conspiracy.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Grand Theft Auto VI box art.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5b36fc31282c443ad2fdd933dc87eb2915f0bc48d797c65d80ad8415b523afe4.jpeg\"  class=\"sc-d34e428-1 jvMZxu\"\/>The Grand Theft Auto VI box art.<\/p>\n<p>Grand Theft Auto V was a gargantuan hit at launch in 2013 and sold a consistently high volume of copies for more than 10 years as it was re-released across three generations of consoles. It is the biggest entertainment product in history by practically any metric, and certainly the most lucrative. The game made $US1 billion in just three days, faster than Avengers: Endgame (which took five days to hit $US1 billion). It has sold 230 million copies to date, more than any single novel. And it has made a total of more than $US10 billion in revenue, dwarfing the highest-grossing film (Avatar) at $US2.92 billion.<\/p>\n<p>Editor&#8217;s pick<a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/technology\/video-games\/james-bond-s-battle-with-ai-is-his-most-human-story-yet-20260526-p600va.html\" tabindex=\"-1\" class=\"sc-cba76dee-0 hdiTqm\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"007 First Light\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c79db84bbc753f724d4af0c7cd3e0e864929b387bc44c516f47ee8108e8f110f.jpeg\"  class=\"sc-d34e428-1 ioInpc\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>A key to its ongoing success has been the GTA Online mode, which has been estimated to pull in more than $10 million per month in currency purchases. Rockstar has not announced plans to transition GTA Online to Grand Theft Auto VI, but has said the new game will be a single-player experience only at launch.<\/p>\n<p>Get news and reviews on technology, gadgets and gaming in our Technology newsletter every Friday. <a class=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/newsletter-signup?newsletter=technology&amp;utm_source=EditorialArticle&amp;utm_medium=ArticleText&amp;utm_campaign=Newsletters\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Sign up here.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Save<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-d1b14060-4 JmUoF\">You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n<p>Remove items from your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/goodfood\/saved\" class=\"sc-3f16ee48-12 sc-d1b14060-2 jyLmZI iQLtAb\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Tim Biggs\" data-testid=\"author-avatar-image\" height=\"40\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768710498_543_8200a4f9bf702126b9abbfe4377fad29e2b9f2e7.png\"  width=\"40\" class=\"sc-9a01536c-0 libeSR\"\/><a class=\"sc-cba76dee-0 hdiTqm sc-b5b9fd03-2 jcGta-D\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/by\/tim-biggs-1071n5\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Tim Biggs<\/a> is a writer covering consumer technology, gadgets and video games.Connect via <a class=\"sc-cba76dee-0 hdiTqm sc-b5b9fd03-5 czsZcI\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/timbiggs\/?lang=en\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">X<\/a> or <a class=\"sc-cba76dee-0 hdiTqm sc-b5b9fd03-5 czsZcI\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/technology\/video-games\/mailto:tim.biggs@theage.com.au\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">email<\/a>.From our partners<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":758296,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[64,63,105],"class_list":["post-758295","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/758295","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=758295"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/758295\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/758296"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=758295"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=758295"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=758295"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}