The price of entry to Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) has finally been revealed, and it's not as much as everyone was expecting, but there are a few caveats.
Rockstar has confirmed the standard release of GTA 6 will be $79.99, and the Ultimate Edition will be $99.99. Not as outrageous as any of us were expecting, but if you dig a little deeper, the Standard Edition is locking some content behind that price. Bluntly, if you want to play the full game, it's going to cost $100.
The Ultimate price tag gates some in-game content
For that extra $20, Rockstar is locking more than just cosmetic items behind the paywall. Details so far confirm that the Ultimate Edition includes exclusive access to five specific in-game stores for the single-player experience. These locations, ranging from specialized mod shops like "Rideout Customs" and "One-Eyed Willie’s" to unique clothing stores, hair salons, and tattoo parlors, are restricted solely to Ultimate Edition owners.
Whether locking single-player customization options behind a higher-tier edition will sit well with the fanbase remains to be seen, especially as there is currently no mention of these stores being available in GTA Online.
The industry has been abuzz for quite some time on what the price of GTA 6 was going to be, with some predicting it was going to be a base price of $100 and while the reality is $20 cheaper, I'd argue that in locking areas behind the Ultimate price tag, they might as well have stuck to predictions. Will anyone really excited for the game want to pay for less access?
The physical edition is just a code in a box
Perhaps even more contentious than the outrageous gatekeeping pricing, is the reality for physical media collectors. Despite the title having a boxed release, Rockstar confirmed that the physical version will contain only a download code in the box.
There is no disc included, continuing the industry's trend of moving away from physical media, even for a release as huge as GTA 6.
"Grand Theft Auto VI plays best on PS5"
Sony is using the opportunity to go hard on its marketing, claiming in a blog post that PS5 will be the best place to play GTA 6.
They report that they've worked with Rockstar to take advantage of PS5's more immersive features, such as the DualSense controller, which responds to your gameplay and adds another dimension to key in-game moments. I wonder if Xbox will have anything to say about that?
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