Why GTA 6 will launch without a disc - and what it means for gamers

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Why GTA 6 will launch without a disc - and what it means for gamersImage source, Rockstar GamesImage caption, Rockstar revealed that the price of GTA 6 will be £70 for a standard edition and £90 for its more premium editionByLaura CressTechnology reporterPublished1 hour agoOnce, video games came with lots of physical goodies, such as guides, maps and manuals. Those days are mostly gone, but gamers have, up to now, usually been able to rely on one thing they could literally get their hands on - a disc. But when pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto 6 went live on Wednesday, developer Rockstar said customers who opted for the physical edition would get a box that just contained a code for a digital download instead.

It's not the first time a physical edition has launched this way. But if the makers of one of the biggest franchises in entertainment history has decided to follow suit, does that mean the disc is dead? And what does that say about game ownership in the digital age?

The Details

Unacceptable - or inevitable? "My initial reaction was one of confusion and shock," Ben, a UK-based 24-year-old gamer who covers GTA news on social media, told me following the announcement. In an interview with Variety, external in February, Strauss Zelnick, the chief executive of Take-Two, Rockstar's parent company, had said a digital-only launch was "not the plan".

Ben said this led many to hope the physical disc would be available at launch too - and for more than sentimental reasons. "An important benefit of owning a disc is that you can lend the game to a friend or sell it later," he said. Online retailers selling the physical edition have stated that, as with other digital game codes, the one being offered for GTA 6 is single-use and will become invalid after it is redeemed.

Image source, Rockstar GamesImage caption, GTA 6 is set in a fictional US state called Leonida, which is Rockstar's version of FloridaDigital sales now account for the vast majority of game revenue, and online stores such as Steam for PC and the PlayStation Store have been around for many years. The addition of consoles without physical disc drives is only helping further this trend, said Mat Piscatella, senior director and video game industry advisor at market research firm Circana. "More than half of all Xbox Series consoles in the US don't have a physical drive, while over a quarter of PS5's are the same," he posted, external.

What Experts Say

For some gamers, the news they wouldn't be able to play GTA 6 on a disc therefore felt like less of an upset. "I'm pretty much all digital these days, I download most of my games directly onto my console," Alogirlx, a gaming content creator from Canada, told the 's What in the World podcast. "Whether there's a physical disc or not it doesn't really change anything for me," she said.

GTA 6 - all you need to know about Rockstar's blockbuster game Published1 day agoWith physical game sales at an all-time low, the issue may well be less about the disc itself than what its absence may represent.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.