Three weeks from now GTA 6 will be out. The week before launch is packed, though, and a couple of those dates matter more than the release day itself if you want to play the second it unlocks.

Here's the whole week, day by day.

Before November 12: clear your storage

This is the one job that can ruin your launch night if you skip it. GTA 6 is reported to need about 210 GB, based on PlayStation store data, and a day-one patch is likely on top of that. Rockstar hasn't confirmed the final size.

Free up at least 250 GB. On a launch-model PS5 that's well over a third of the usable space. Our SSD space guide has the numbers for every console.

Also turn on automatic downloads and make sure rest mode is allowed to download. That way the preload starts while you sleep.

One more thing: if you're thinking about cancelling your pre-order, do it now. On most stores, once the preload starts downloading, a refund gets much harder. Our refund guide covers every store.

Thursday, November 12: preload opens

Digital pre-orders can start downloading at local midnight. Physical buyers aren't left out: the box contains a download code, not a disc, and reports say the code can be redeemed from the 12th so you can preload too.

Preloading doesn't unlock anything early. It just gets the download out of the way so launch night is only a matter of pressing play.

Wednesday, November 18: reviews and a night in Vice City

If insider reports are right, the review embargo lifts on the 18th, so this is the day the scores land. We've got more on that in our review embargo piece.

It's also the night of the Miami Heat game that's reportedly branded A Night in Vice City, part of Rockstar's takeover of Miami.

And the first players get in. New Zealand hits midnight on November 19 at 11:00 UTC on the 18th, so the first gameplay posts and streams will start appearing that evening in Europe.

Thursday, November 19: launch

Most regions unlock at 12:00 AM local time. The UK opens at midnight GMT, Central Europe at midnight CET and India at midnight IST.

The US is the exception. It unlocks everywhere at once at midnight Eastern, which means West Coast players get in at 9:00 PM Pacific on Wednesday the 18th.

These hours come from PlayStation and Xbox store listings rather than an official Rockstar announcement. Our release time page shows the unlock time for your exact time zone and we'll update it if Rockstar posts anything official.

After launch

Expect a busy first night. Store pages and servers usually struggle for an hour or two after a release this big. If the game won't start, check that the day-one patch has finished installing before you start reinstalling anything.

We'll be posting through launch week with tips, fixes and anything Rockstar confirms, so keep the news page open.