If you’re running out of storage on your PS5 or Xbox Series X|S, there’s one important limitation to understand. GTA 6 will have to live on internal storage or compatible expansion storage. A regular USB external drive can hold it, but it cannot run it.

That doesn’t rule out an external drive. You can move other games onto it and free up internal storage for GTA 6.

How much space will GTA 6 need?

Rockstar has not confirmed GTA 6’s file size, and the PlayStation and Xbox store listings don’t currently provide one either. Estimates are circulating, but none are official.

The launch size won’t necessarily reflect the game’s long-term footprint. GTA V used around 8GB of storage when it arrived on PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2013. Today, it takes up more than 100GB. Games can grow substantially as updates and new content are added.

Until Rockstar publishes a number, the most useful approach is to look at what’s using your storage now and decide what you can comfortably remove or move elsewhere.

What you can safely delete

Start with games. On both PS5 and Xbox, they’re likely to take up far more space than anything else. A single modern game can use well over 100GB, so removing one or two you no longer play can free a substantial amount of storage.

On PS5, go to Settings > Storage > Console Storage > Games and Apps. On Xbox, go to Settings > System > Storage devices, then View contents.

You may not even need to uninstall an entire game. On PS5, games with a Customize option let you remove individual portions, such as a campaign you’ve already finished. Xbox offers similar control through Manage game and add-ons. What you can remove depends on the game and how its files are packaged.

There are also a few places that aren’t worth looking for extra space. Saved data may seem like one option, but it’s usually measured in megabytes, and deleting it puts your progress at risk for very little gain. On Xbox, Add-ons may look like another option, but only installed content takes up storage.

The PS5 system cache is designed for troubleshooting, not for creating extra space. Xbox has a similar per-game area sometimes called “reserved space” that’s used for downloads and patches. Neither is likely to make a meaningful difference to your available storage.

Will deleting a game delete your saves?

No. On both PS5 and Xbox, deleting a game does not delete your saved progress. How that saved data is stored and backed up differs between the two consoles.

Xbox is the simpler case. Saved games sync to the cloud automatically, with no subscription required. When you reinstall a game, your saved progress is restored from the cloud. If you’ve been playing offline, connect to Xbox Live and give the console time to sync before deleting anything.

On PS5, saved data is stored separately from the game. You can see it under Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings, and uninstalling a game does not remove it. Cloud backup is available with a PlayStation Plus membership.

If you don’t have PlayStation Plus, deleting a game still leaves its saved data on the console. If you want a separate backup, PS5 also supports a full console backup to a USB drive through Settings > System > System Software > Back Up and Restore.

Can you download a game again after deleting it?

Yes, in almost every case. Deleting a game doesn’t remove your ownership of it. Anything you’ve purchased from the PlayStation Store or Microsoft Store remains tied to your account and can be downloaded again at no additional cost. Subscription games can also be downloaded again while you still have access to them through PS Plus or Game Pass.

There are three exceptions worth knowing about.

Subscription catalogue titles sometimes rotate out of PS Plus or Game Pass. If a title is removed from the catalogue, you’ll lose access unless you own it separately. Delisted games, usually removed for licensing reasons, can generally still be downloaded if you already purchased them, but they’re no longer available for new purchases from that store. Disc-based games still require the disc to reinstall or play them.

For most games, deleting the installation is a temporary way to reclaim space, not a permanent loss of the game.

What an external drive can actually do

On both PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, GTA 6 has to run from internal storage or compatible expansion storage. A regular USB external drive isn’t fast enough to run it, but it can hold other games and free up the space GTA 6 needs.

On PS5, an external USB drive lets you move PS5 games off the internal SSD and play PS4 games directly from the drive. If you want to play a PS5 game you’ve moved there, you’ll need to copy it back to the internal SSD first, but you won’t have to download it again. Sony’s requirements are straightforward: USB 3.0 or later, at least 250GB in capacity, and no larger than 8TB.

On Xbox Series X|S, an external USB 3.0 or later drive serves a similar purpose. Xbox Series games can be stored on the drive but need to be moved back to internal storage before you can play them. Xbox One and Xbox 360 backward-compatible games can be played directly from the external drive. Microsoft’s minimum capacity is 128GB.

If you have several games installed that you want to keep but aren’t actively playing, moving them to an external drive may free enough internal storage for GTA 6 without requiring a more expensive storage upgrade.

Check your captures

Screenshots and gameplay clips are easy to accumulate without realizing how much space they’re taking up. They usually won’t rival the size of an installed game, but months or years of them can add up to several gigabytes.

On PS5, you’ll find captures under Game Library > Media Gallery. On Xbox, they’re at My games & apps > See all > Captures. Both platforms let you select and delete in bulk.

If there are screenshots or clips you want to keep, both consoles let you copy them to a USB drive before deleting them from the console.

If you use the Xbox network to store captures, there’s one limitation to know: uploads are automatically deleted after 90 days. If you’ve been treating that as a permanent backup, it isn’t. Move anything you want to keep to a USB drive or your own cloud storage.

When adding storage makes more sense

At some point the free options stop being practical. If making room for GTA 6 means repeatedly deleting games you still play just to install something else, you’re on a storage treadmill. That’s usually the point where adding more storage starts to make sense.

On PS5, the upgrade path is a compatible M.2 NVMe SSD in the console’s internal expansion slot. Our Will Your PS5 Play GTA 6? guide looks more closely at the requirements and the SSDs that meet them. Once installed, the drive expands your playable storage, and GTA 6 can run from it just as it can from the console’s original SSD.

On Xbox Series X|S, the equivalent is a Storage Expansion Card that slots into the back of the console. These cards are designed to provide the same performance as the console’s internal SSD, so games can be played directly from them. The cards are more expensive per gigabyte than a comparable PS5 M.2 SSD, but there isn’t a cheaper USB alternative for adding playable Xbox Series storage. Current availability is limited, with many of the cards either out of stock or selling well above their usual prices.

With storage prices higher in 2026 than they’ve been in recent years, it’s worth comparing current prices if you decide to upgrade.

What to do now

Start by checking how much free space you have, then see what you can reclaim without spending anything: uninstall games you aren’t playing, clear out captures, and move games you want to keep onto an external drive if you already own one.

If you’re still short on space, or regularly deleting games you still play to make room for others, adding storage may make more sense. For PS5, that’s a compatible M.2 SSD. For Xbox Series X|S, it’s a Storage Expansion Card.

GTA 6 preload begins November 12, with the game launching one week later on November 19. After years of waiting, that week is finally getting close.