Key Takeaways
- GTA 6 pre-loading has started in New Zealand and other early time zones, allowing dataminers to examine the game’s encrypted PlayStation files.
- The audio allocation reportedly takes up 22.15 GiB, while world data and textures account for the largest portions of the game’s files.
- PlayStation backend entries referencing multiplayer activities suggest Rockstar may be preparing an online component for GTA 6, although nothing has been officially announced.
- A 704 KB data chunk named core_restofworld001 appears to be missing from the Australia and New Zealand versions, raising questions about regional differences.
- References to BVH8 ray-tracing data could indicate additional graphical improvements for PS5 Pro, but Rockstar has not explained the feature.
Grand Theft Auto 6’s pre-loading has officially started in the earliest regions, and it didn’t take long for fans to begin digging through the game’s files. With New Zealand and Australia among the first markets to receive the PlayStation 5 preload, dataminers have already started examining the available data in search of anything Rockstar Games might have left behind. Unfortunately, most of the actual game content remains encrypted, so nobody is getting a proper look at the game’s missions or major story details just yet.
That hasn’t stopped the community from finding some interesting things, though. The first reports have revealed how much space different parts of GTA 6 occupy, with the audio files alone reportedly taking up more than 22 GiB. There are also references to multiplayer functionality in PlayStation’s backend, potentially offering another hint that a new version of GTA Online is somewhere in Rockstar’s plans.
Some other discoveries are even more interesting for console players. Dataminers have spotted separate BVH4 and BVH8 ray-tracing data, which could point towards additional graphical enhancements for PS5 Pro owners. Meanwhile, a tiny file appears to be missing from the Australian and New Zealand versions of the game, leading to speculation that certain regions could receive slightly different content.
None of these findings should be treated as a confirmed feature announcement from Rockstar. Still, considering how little the developer has revealed about GTA 6’s technical details and online component, the preload is already giving fans plenty to discuss ahead of the November 19 release.
GTA 6 Audio Files Alone Take Up More Than 22 GB
One of the most interesting discoveries concerns the sheer amount of space GTA 6’s different assets occupy. Rockstar previously confirmed that the game requires up to 212 GB of available storage space, depending on the device. However, the PlayStation 5 preload has allowed fans to examine individual data chunks and get a better idea of where that space is going.
According to the breakdown shared by dataminer Tex2, GTA 6’s PlayStation version is divided into 32 separate PlayGo chunks. These cover everything from world data and textures to audio, story content, animations and ray-tracing assets.
The audio allocation is particularly impressive, reportedly measuring 22.15 GiB. That’s a substantial amount of storage for sound alone, although it makes a little more sense when considering the scale of Rockstar’s upcoming open world. GTA games have always relied heavily on radio stations, licensed music, character conversations, environmental sounds and radio chatter to make their worlds feel alive.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the largest reported GTA 6 data allocations:
- World data (Americas): 64.51 GiB
- Texture databases: 53.42 GiB
- Audio: 22.15 GiB
- Story content: 17.92 GiB
- Ray-tracing data (BVH4): 12.18 GiB
- Ray-tracing data (BVH8): 12.11 GiB
- Movies: 8.22 GiB
- Navigation meshes: 5.42 GiB
- Animation: 3.85 GiB
The numbers offer an interesting look at how Rockstar has distributed the game’s assets. World data and texture databases account for the biggest allocations, which is hardly surprising for a game expected to feature a massive open world spanning Vice City and the wider state of Leonida.
It’s also worth mentioning that these figures come from reported PlayStation data rather than a complete breakdown officially released by Rockstar. The different chunks should not simply be added together to determine the final installation requirement, as the data includes separate configurations and assets that may not all be installed in the same way.
There is also a difference between Rockstar’s official storage requirement and another figure spotted in the PlayStation backend. A reported PS5 package manifest lists approximately 223.09 GB, while Rockstar continues to advertise up to 212 GB of available storage. The reason for the difference has not been explained, and the backend’s separate application-size metadata does not necessarily represent the final installed game size.
For players who haven’t already prepared their consoles, our GTA 6 preload schedule and 212 GB storage guide covers the download timings and everything players should know before installation.
GTA 6 Preload Files Hint at the Return of GTA Online
Perhaps the biggest discovery so far concerns the possibility of a new online component for GTA 6. Rockstar has been surprisingly quiet about the multiplayer side of its upcoming release, with most of its marketing campaign focusing on Jason, Lucia and their single-player adventure through Leonida.
However, PlayStation Game Size, an account known for tracking PlayStation game file information, has spotted several interesting entries in the game’s backend data. These include:
- joinSession
- launchActivity
- launchMultiplayerActivity
The last entry is particularly interesting because it references the ability to launch a multiplayer activity. This has naturally encouraged fans to speculate that Rockstar is already preparing the infrastructure for a new online mode.
It wouldn’t be surprising. GTA Online has remained a major part of Rockstar’s business for more than a decade, attracting players with regular updates, new vehicles, businesses, missions and other activities. Given the success of the multiplayer component in GTA 5, it would be difficult to imagine Rockstar abandoning that formula entirely with its successor.
However, there is an important distinction between finding multiplayer-related backend entries and confirming that GTA Online will arrive with GTA 6. These references only suggest that the game has some multiplayer-related functionality accounted for. They do not reveal the mode’s name, features, player count or release date.
Rockstar has also not announced whether the next online experience will retain the GTA Online name or introduce an entirely different structure. Until the developer says something officially, fans will have to treat these discoveries as clues rather than confirmation.
Could GTA 6 Allow Players to Download Story Mode and Online Separately?
Another interesting theory has emerged from the way GTA 6’s files are organized. Tex2’s reported PlayGo breakdown separates different portions of the game into individual chunks, including story-related content and other core assets.
One Rockstar fan believes this could eventually allow players to download GTA 6’s single-player campaign separately from its multiplayer component. In theory, that would be particularly useful for players who only want to experience Jason and Lucia’s story without having to keep the online portion installed.
With GTA 6 already requiring up to 212 GB of storage, having the option to manage individual game modes could save a considerable amount of space. It would also make sense if Rockstar plans to support its online experience with years of additional content, much like it has done with GTA 5.
However, the presence of separate story and core data chunks does not prove that players will receive independent installation options. PlayGo divides a game’s assets into downloadable content groups for several technical reasons, and those groups do not automatically represent separate game modes that players can install or uninstall.
For now, the possibility of separate Story Mode and Online downloads remains speculation. Rockstar has yet to provide any details about how GTA 6’s multiplayer experience will work.
GTA 6 May Have Different Content in Australia and New Zealand
While the online discoveries have attracted plenty of attention, another finding has raised questions about regional differences in GTA 6. Dataminer TexFunz2 noticed that a file named core_restofworld001 appears to be missing from the Australian and New Zealand versions of the game.
The missing data chunk reportedly measures just 704 KB, which is extremely small compared to the overall size of GTA 6. The wider PlayStation file breakdown also contains another file called core_restofworld, which is approximately 1.28 GB in size.
The naming has led to speculation that Rockstar could be preparing different versions of the game for certain regions. Australia, in particular, has a history of receiving modified versions of games when certain content runs into local classification requirements.
Some previous Grand Theft Auto releases were also affected by regional censorship. Grand Theft Auto 3 and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, for example, had content involving prostitutes removed from their Australian releases.
That history makes the latest discovery worth watching, but there is currently no concrete evidence that the missing GTA 6 file contains censored content. Since the chunk is less than a megabyte, it could represent a relatively minor asset, such as an image, texture, logo or other piece of regional data.
Neither Rockstar nor its regional publishing partners have explained the difference. Fans will likely have to wait until the game launches before anyone can determine what, if anything, has actually been removed or modified.
GTA 6 Preload Suggests PS5 Pro Could Receive Better Ray Tracing
PS5 Pro owners might have another reason to be excited about the early file discoveries. Separate BVH4 and BVH8 data entries have reportedly been spotted in GTA 6’s PlayStation preload, with fans suggesting that the latter could be associated with enhanced ray tracing on Sony’s more powerful console.
For anyone unfamiliar with the terminology, BVH stands for Bounding Volume Hierarchy. It’s an acceleration structure used in ray tracing to organize 3D objects into groups, making it easier for the GPU to calculate how light interacts with different surfaces and objects.
BVH4 and BVH8 essentially refer to different ways of organizing that data. The latter allows each node to contain more child groups, potentially making ray-tracing calculations more efficient.
Ubisoft previously explained the benefits of BVH8 while discussing its PS5 Pro version of Assassin’s Creed Shadows. According to the developer, implementing BVH8 allowed it to speed up GPU tasks involving hardware ray tracing by approximately 300% in that particular game.
That is an impressive improvement, but it is important not to assume GTA 6 will receive the same performance benefit. Ubisoft’s figure relates specifically to its own implementation in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
In GTA 6’s case, the separate BVH4 and BVH8 data has led dataminer videotech to suggest that BVH8 could be reserved for PS5 Pro. However, the available PlayGo metadata does not explicitly identify which console uses each data group. The interpretation remains unconfirmed.
Players interested in understanding the technology can read Ubisoft’s technical explanation of BVH8 support in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
Rockstar Has Yet to Confirm GTA 6’s PS5 Pro Resolution or Frame Rate
There is already plenty of excitement surrounding the possibility of improved ray tracing, but PS5 Pro owners shouldn’t get too carried away just yet. Sony’s official PlayStation Store listing identifies GTA 6 as PS5 Pro Enhanced, confirming that the game will support enhancements for the upgraded console.
Unfortunately, Rockstar has not explained exactly what those improvements will involve. There are still no official resolution or frame-rate specifications for the PS5, PS5 Pro or Xbox Series X|S versions of the game.
Some players are hoping the stronger hardware will allow GTA 6 to run at 60 frames per second, particularly if the game offers additional performance options on PS5 Pro. Others are concerned that Rockstar’s ambitious physics systems, advanced world simulations and ray-tracing features could make higher frame rates difficult to achieve.
The BVH8 discovery is certainly interesting, but it does not confirm a 60 FPS mode. Even if the technology makes ray tracing more efficient, Rockstar still has to balance visual quality, CPU performance, world simulation and other demanding systems.
There have also been predictions that GTA 6 could be limited to 30 FPS on consoles, but those remain expert opinions rather than confirmed specifications. The actual performance targets will only become clear when Rockstar releases more technical details or the game arrives on November 19.
GTA 6’s Encrypted Preload Has Already Given Fans Plenty to Discuss
Rockstar probably didn’t expect the game’s pre-load to become another major source of discussion, but that’s exactly what has happened. Even with the main game files encrypted, the available metadata has already provided fans with a closer look at the scale of the project and some of the systems Rockstar might be preparing.
The enormous audio allocation, possible multiplayer functionality, regional file differences and PS5 Pro ray-tracing references are all interesting discoveries. However, none of them should be mistaken for a full reveal of the game’s features.
GTA Online’s successor remains unannounced, the missing regional file has no confirmed explanation, and Rockstar has yet to reveal what PS5 Pro enhancements actually mean for players. The upcoming release should answer at least some of these questions.
Until then, fans can continue preparing for launch and checking out the other GTA 6 news surrounding the game. Recent developments include the exclusive Selfridges GTA 6 merchandise collection and the upcoming GTA 6: The Festival music event in Miami.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is scheduled to launch on November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. With less than two weeks remaining, the wait for Rockstar’s next open-world adventure is almost over.
