GTA VI, one of the most anticipated games of all time, is set to launch on November 19th. As one of the most technically ambitious games ever made, it is expected to have a pretty sizeable download to match.
Gamers across the country are waiting to find out more about when they will be able to get into the game and, perhaps more importantly, how quickly they will be able to download it.
For those with slower rural broadband connections, that wait could be a long one. Our new analysis shows that some households could be waiting almost two days to download Grand Theft Auto VI.
Rockstar Games has yet to confirm the final download size, so we’ve looked at a range of possible file sizes and calculated how long the game could take to download on different broadband speeds.
What is the estimated file size of GTA 6?
Although Rockstar Games has yet to confirm the final file size, early estimates suggest GTA VI could be between 150 GB and 200 GB, with some predictions suggesting it could be considerably larger.
For comparison, Rockstar’s most recent major release, Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018), required around 100 GB of storage depending on the platform. More recently, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 (2025) has pushed things even further, with a full installation requiring around 200 GB.
That gives us some idea of just how large modern games can be, but GTA VI could push things even further. If the early estimates are accurate, it could be one of the biggest game downloads we’ve seen.
At that size, broadband speed could be the difference between getting into Vice City on release day and being left waiting well into the next.
How long will GTA VI take to download?
How long a game takes to download depends heavily on the broadband connection you’re using. The faster your connection, the sooner you’ll be ready to play.
For households without Full Fibre Broadband and still relying on a copper connection, the wait could be much longer. On a 10 Mbps connection, a 150 GB game could take more than 33 hours to download. A 200 GB game could take almost 45 hours. That’s before taking into account game updates, busy launch-day servers, WiFi issues or other people using the connection at home, all of which could make the wait even longer.
At the UK’s median broadband speed of 73.21 Mbps, a 150 GB download could take around four and a half hours, while a 200 GB download could take around six hours.
On a 500Mbps Wildanet Full Fibre connection, the same game could be downloaded in under an hour. With our 1Gbps connection, it could take as little as 20 to 27 minutes under ideal conditions.
Download time for GTA VI by internet speed
| Connection | Estimated download time 150GB | Estimated download time 200GB | Estimated download time 600GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rural copper @ 10 Mbps | 33 hrs 20 mins | 44 hrs 27 mins | 132 hrs |
| UK median average @ 73.21 Mbps | 4 hrs 33 mins | 6 hrs 4 mins | 18 hrs 13 mins |
| Wildanet full fibre @ 100 Mbps | 3 hrs 20 mins | 4 hrs 27 mins | 13 hrs 20 mins |
| Wildanet full fibre @ 500 Mbps | 40 mins | 53 mins | 2hrs 40 mins |
| Wildanet full fibre @ 1 Gbps | 20 mins | 27 mins | 1hr 20 mins |
The download speed and times that you actually get will depend on your connection. The above figures assume a constant connection operating at its full advertised speed.
Currently, console Ethernet connections are limited to 1 Gbps. That doesn’t mean a 2 Gbps broadband connection won’t help, though. The extra capacity means other people using the WiFi are less likely to affect your download speeds, so you can still make the most of a faster connection.
Actual download and installation time may be longer, particularly at release as millions of players may be downloading at the same time, causing exceptional demand.
“For millions of households, gaming is one of the clearest examples of how quickly everyday life is becoming more data hungry. Nobody wants to spend release day watching a progress bar, especially when a big download can also slow down streaming, home working, video calls and everything else people rely on their connection for. For people still using older copper broadband, downloading a game of this size could mean waiting more than a day and tying up the home internet in the process. Full fibre makes a real difference as it gives households the speed and capacity to download the latest games far more quickly, while the rest of the family can stay online.”
Is WiFi vs Ethernet better for GTA 6?
WiFi is a great choice for downloading games, especially with a modern router and a strong signal. WiFi 6 and WiFi 7 can deliver fast, reliable speeds throughout your home, making them more than capable of handling large game downloads.
For the best possible connection, you can also connect your console directly to your router using an Ethernet cable. This removes potential wireless interference and can help you get closer to the full speed of your broadband connection.
Remember that your broadband connection is shared across your whole home. If someone else is streaming 4K TV, downloading another game or making a video call while GTA VI is downloading, some of your available bandwidth will be used elsewhere.
How can you download GTA VI quickly?
If Rockstar allows pre-loading before launch, use it. Downloading the game ahead of release means you won’t be waiting for the entire installation to finish when the game officially launches.
Make sure your console is connected to the internet and has enough free storage before pre-loading begins. If possible, leave it in its standby or rest mode so the download can continue while you’re away.
You can also:
- Use Ethernet where possible
- If using WiFi, use a 5 GHz connection and a WiFi 7 router
- Close any games or apps running in the background of your console
- Make sure your console has plenty of free storage
- Avoid downloading other large files at the same time
Need faster broadband?
If your current connection could leave you waiting hours for a big game download, it might be time to see what faster broadband could do.
Check out Wildanet Full Fibre and see what’s available at your address.
FAQs
Your advertised broadband speed is the maximum speed available to your connection, not necessarily the speed a console will achieve at all times. Download servers, network congestion, WiFi conditions and the console itself can all affect the actual download speed.
A faster broadband connection can give your home more capacity, but your WiFi speed also depends on your router, device and signal strength. A fast Full Fibre connection combined with modern WiFi can help multiple people use the internet at the same time without slowing each other down.
Yes. Modern WiFi can provide more than enough speed for large game downloads. WiFi 6 and WiFi 7 are designed to handle faster speeds and more devices at once, making them a great choice for gaming and large downloads.
Your actual download speed will depend on your broadband connection, the strength of your WiFi signal, your router and how busy your home network is.