GTA 6 now reportedly needs PS5 system software 14.22.00.00 or newer to play. That's up from version 14.10, the figure reported at the start of October. If your PS5 installs updates normally, all you have to do is install the latest one before launch.
The new number appeared on November 2, and it lines up with an update Sony released the same week.
Where does the 14.22 number come from?
It comes from PlayStation Game Size, an X account that tracks PlayStation Store data for upcoming games. In early October it posted that GTA 6 "requires at least PS5 Update 14.10.00.00." On November 2 it quoted that post with a new number: 14.22.00.00.
The October figure was widely reported at the time and never contradicted, and Sony has now shipped the exact version the new listing names. Even so, this is backend data, not an announcement. Sony and Rockstar haven't commented, so we label this Likely rather than Confirmed.
What is PS5 update 14.22?
It's real, and it's the newest PS5 version on Sony's own update page, listed as 26.07-14.22.00. Here are the last three releases as Sony describes them:
| Version | What Sony's notes say |
|---|---|
| 26.07-14.22.00 | Security fixes to the system software |
| 26.07-14.20.00 | Improved messages and usability on some screens |
| 26.06-14.10.00 | Security fixes, plus better performance and stability |
Sony doesn't say what it fixed. It almost never does, because detailed notes would help the people trying to break the console.
Why would GTA 6 need the newest firmware?
Rockstar hasn't explained it, but the timing points at piracy. Jailbroken PS5s are kept on old firmware so their exploits keep working. A game that refuses to start on anything older than the newest version shuts those consoles out on day one.
PS5 hacking has been busy this autumn. The Relapse exploit chain jailbroke consoles on firmware 7.00 to 13.60 in late September before Sony closed it, and a researcher ran their own code on 14.20 within hours of its release. Moving GTA 6's minimum to 14.22 looks like Rockstar closing the gap again, but that part is our reading, not something either company has said.
Does this change anything for normal players?
Not much. If your PS5 installs updates automatically, it may already be on 14.22. Nothing similar has been reported for Xbox Series X|S.
The practical step is to update before November 12, when preload opens. Nobody has said whether the preload itself checks your version, so it's easier to update now than to find out on launch night. Free up space at the same time: the download is about 210 GB.
How to check and update your PS5
- Go to Settings, then System, then System Software.
- Open System Software Update and Settings. It shows "Update Available" if you're behind.
- Select Update System Software and let it install. Don't turn the console off during the install.
If the download keeps failing, Sony's USB method works too. On a FAT32 or exFAT drive, make a folder called PS5 with a folder called UPDATE inside it, save Sony's file there as PS5UPDATE.PUP (about 1.1 GB free is enough), then start the PS5 in Safe Mode by holding the power button until the second beep. Choose Update System Software, then Update from USB Storage Device.
Could the requirement change again?
It could. If another exploit turns up, the minimum could rise again with a later update, so the number might still move before November 19. We'll update this page if it does.
If you were hoping a jailbroken PS5 or a PC emulator would get you in early, the answer was already no, and this makes it even less likely. For the full countdown, see the launch week schedule and when GTA 6 unlocks in your time zone.
