How to Play GTA 6 Early: Release Date and Access Guide

Gamers have waited 13 years for Grand Theft Auto VI. Fans can download the digital version of the game starting November 10 ahead of the official November 19 launch, as Mashable reported.

Xbox Console Settings Adjustment

Xbox owners can use a well-known console workaround to access titles early by shifting their system time zone. Because New Zealand sits 18 hours ahead of Eastern Time in the U.S., the region receives the game first. According to PCMag, players can go to the Xbox dashboard, select settings, choose system language and location, switch the region to New Zealand, and restart the console. This process tricks the hardware into unlocking the game at midnight New Zealand time.

While this method has historically functioned for major launches like Call of Duty, publisher policies can shift. It’s likely that Rockstar would find a way to stop this, noted Jordan Minor, PCMag’s gaming expert.

PlayStation 5 Region Restrictions

Sony implements strict regional locks on PlayStation accounts, making early access significantly more complicated for PS5 users. Attempting the same trick requires creating a brand-new PlayStation Network account while using a virtual private network anchored in New Zealand, then purchasing the game directly through the New Zealand PlayStation Store.

PCMag points out that this workaround might incur extra costs from currency conversions, and success remains entirely unconfirmed. Players who opt against the effort simply wait for the standard regional release window.

Staggered Global Release Schedule

Investigation into Sony’s regional store timestamps by fansite GTAVice indicates that Grand Theft Auto VI will roll out across 15 distinct release windows spanning 19 hours. The rollout begins in New Zealand on November 18 at 11:00 a.m. UTC (12 a.m. NZDT), moving through Australia, Asia, and the Middle East before reaching Eastern Europe, the UK on November 19 at 00:00 UTC, and South America.

In North America, release times adjust by zone. The schedule places New York at 12 a.m. EST on November 19, Chicago at 11 p.m. CST on November 19, Denver at 10 p.m. MST on November 19, and Los Angeles at 9 p.m. PST on November 19. Canadian times stretch into the early hours with Halifax at 1:00 a.m. AST and St. John’s at 1:30 a.m. NST on November 19. PCMag noted that Sony and Rockstar have not officially confirmed these specific rollout times, leaving them subject to change.