Shoppers lower GTA VI preorder cost with discounted gift cards

This is a new development in a story we reported earlier: Rockstar moves Grand Theft Auto VI digital preloads to November 10. Earlier in this story: Grand Theft Auto 6 to launch November 19, 2026, on PS5, Xbox Series X/S.

Grand Theft Auto VI launches on Nov. 19, 2026, on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S. The standard edition costs $79.99, while the ultimate edition costs $99.99.

The Verge said direct digital discounts on Grand Theft Auto VI are unlikely for some time, but shoppers can lower the effective preorder cost by buying discounted PlayStation or Xbox gift cards before the Nov. 19, 2026, launch.

Preloading means downloading a game before release so it unlocks automatically. Preloading is underway for Grand Theft Auto VI on both consoles, and the game unlocks at midnight local time on Nov. 19. Preloading began on Nov. 12 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, a week before release.

The Verge pointed to two Sony gift card options that lower the effective preorder price. A gift card is a prepaid card that adds funds to a digital store. Newegg sells a $75 Sony gift card for $69 at checkout when shoppers use coupon code BNWF2669. Costco members can buy four $25 Sony gift cards for $89.99.

Newegg sells a $90 Xbox gift card for $80 at checkout when shoppers use coupon code BNWF2662. The Verge presented this as another way to lower the effective preorder price on Xbox.

IGN reported on Oct. 21, 2026, that Newegg sold a $100 PlayStation Store gift card for $89 with promo code GTWF822, saving $11 on a PlayStation 5 copy. The same report said Newegg sold a $100 Xbox gift card for $90 with promo code GTWF792, saving $10 on an Xbox copy. Like the PlayStation offer, this Xbox gift card sale was a one-day deal that ended on Oct. 22.

IGN said Newegg offers similar discounted PlayStation Store and Xbox Store gift cards roughly every week or two, and each deal lasts one day and requires a promo code. The outlet added that shoppers who miss a deal will probably get another shot before the official release date.

At launch only the Grand Theft Auto VI campaign will be available, and Rockstar has not announced when GTA Online will arrive. IGN reminded readers to stay tuned for further information on the online component.

Sony said Grand Theft Auto VI is the most preordered game in PlayStation Store history. Microsoft said Grand Theft Auto VI is the most preordered title of all time on the Microsoft Store. Early preorders are heavily skewed toward PlayStation 5, according to a report from The Verge cited by The Source.

Matthew Ball said Xbox’s share of Grand Theft Auto VI orders matches its share of the console market. Xbox Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ball said Microsoft is very happy with its numbers and that Grand Theft Auto VI is breaking preorder records on Xbox. Rockstar and Microsoft have not released platform-by-platform preorder totals.

Grand Theft Auto VI runs natively on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Pro, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S, and streams via Xbox Cloud Gaming to Xbox Series and Xbox One consoles. Native means the game runs on the console’s own hardware. Cloud streaming runs a game on remote servers and sends video to a player’s device. Cloud streaming to Xbox One is the only way to play Grand Theft Auto VI on last-generation consoles.

Digital Foundry said Rockstar published the confirmation on its site, and the streaming version uses Xbox Series S graphics settings with possible compromises versus Series X. Digital Foundry described cloud streaming as critical for last-generation console owners because console hardware has become more expensive.

Grand Theft Auto VI supports Remote Play on PlayStation and Xbox. Remote Play lets a player stream from their own console to another device, such as a PlayStation Portal. Players without Xbox Game Pass can pay as you go for cloud streaming, with 50 hours costing $12.

Rockstar has confirmed worldwide regional release times for Grand Theft Auto VI. Grand Theft Auto V sold more than 11 million copies in its first 24 hours in 2013. KitGuru said it is safe to assume Grand Theft Auto VI will exceed this figure by a wide margin.