The GTA VI controversy isn't the price – it's what's missing from the box

Grand Theft Auto VI, the most highly anticipated game of the year, will be released without a physical copy - and that's riled up some gamers.

Pre-orders were released on Thursday, with the game costing £69.99 in the UK and $79.99 in the US - but for those planning to buy a physical copy to install, they might be disappointed.

The plastic Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA VI) boxes that will no doubt line every game shop's window come 19 November won't contain discs. Instead, there'll just be a digital download code inside.

So why the uproar?

Digital copies of games aren't new by any stretch of the imagination.

Depending on your definition of a digital game, they've been around since 1983 when Atari 2600 owners were able to download games over their phone lines.

The more recognisable version of that hit the mainstream in 2004 when Microsoft released the XBox Live Arcade, with a suite of downloadable games like Ms Pac-Man.

But as long as digital downloads have existed, there's been resistance.

Video Games Plus, a large independent games seller in North America, says it has been committed to "preserving the value of physical game ownership" for nearly 40 years, and as a result, won't be stocking Grand Theft Auto VI.

That's despite the team recognising that GTA VI is "poised to be one of the biggest entertainment launches in history".

"Should Rockstar one day release a physical edition containing a disc in the box, we would be pleased to carry and support that version for our customers," said the retailer in a statement.

Another game shop, Loot Box Gaming, is also refusing to sell the game.

"When we started LBG, it was out of a love for our favorite form of media, gaming, as well as the preservation of said media," posted the company online.

"If a product can't honor the people who pay their hard-earned money to purchase it, then we have no business trying to sell it to our customers whom we value above anything else."

A third game shop, PNP Games in Canada, has launched a petition for the discs of GTA VI to be released.

"On our own we're easy to ignore," posted the company. "Together, we're a number they can't."

PNP Games said it'll take the petition "straight to Take-Two (Rockstar's parent company) once it reaches 10,000 signatures", although the company hasn't responded to Sky News over how many it currently has.

No resales or cheaper second-hand copies

Although physical copies of games, films and music may seem old-school, they do come with benefits.

A big one is the ability to sell the copy once you're done with it, or buy it second-hand if you can't afford the original retail price.

Simon Cardy, senior editor at video game news site IGN, argued GTA VI being digital-only will mean trade-ins become "null and void, meaning anyone who wants to buy the game will have to do so at full price".

"By taking away your leverage, you're locked into paying whatever Rockstar and storefront owners deem is worthy."

Will you actually own it?

There's also the issue of ownership.

When you buy a games on discs, those discs can then sit on your shelf, ready and waiting to be played whenever you like.

Some people are concerned that only buying a digital copy of a game doesn't give you the same level of control and ownership.

Customers are usually protected by digital storefront policies when they buy a digital copy of a game, meaning that even if the game developer stops being able to sell new copies, people who already paid for the game will still have access as long as they don't uninstall it.

However, there have been examples of people buying digital games and then losing access completely when the company pulls the game.

Players of the multiplayer racing game The Crew are now suing Ubisoft, the game's developer, for example, after it shut down the game that was entirely online, making it unplayable.

Ubisoft argues that the players never actually owned the game in the first place; they only bought a licence for it.

One Reddit user on a thread bemoaning the lack of GTA VI discs argued there's a risk the game could be taken away.

"Digital licenses are revokable, it's in the [terms of service] of Steam, PSN, Xbox, Nintendo, etc, that at any time they can take that digital license and steal your access to the game you paid for," they wrote.

"Rockstar can take away the license, or push an update that completely f***s the game, and you have no say whatsoever as a consumer."

Finally, what about the ritual of it all?

Fans have waited 13 years for this release, and despite digital downloads being fairly commonplace now, some were looking forward to the ceremony of buying the physical copy.

Samuele Sciacca, chief executive of video game company Dinobros, posted online saying he hasn't bought a physical game "in years" - but for GTA VI, he was "ready to do it".

He wanted to "experience the ritual" because sometimes, the "experience starts even before you hit 'New Game'".

"I wonder if, with GTA VI, it wasn't one of the last games for which millions of people would have gladly paid a little more to have a real physical copy," he said.

Sky News has contacted Rockstar about the concerns around a digital-only game.

(c) Sky News 2026: The GTA VI controversy isn't the price – it's what's missing from the box