GTA 5 E&E's PS5, Xbox file size and pre-load date revealed

Pre-loading is now available on Xbox Series X|S as well for players who have pre-ordered the game. On Microsoft's console, the download size for the game will be heavier, clocking in at a little over 94 GB. With both versions of the game getting uncomfortably near the 100 GB mark, ample time for pre-loading will not go amiss, especially if you're dealing with slower connections.

One thing that isn't clear yet, however, is the install size of the standalone version of GTA Online. We do, however, know the price - it will be $19.99, if you decide to skip the single player experience entirely. Right now, there are discounts for the full Expanded and Enhanced release as well as standalone Online on both platforms though, so these full prices of $40 and $20 won't go into effect for a while yet.

These lower-than-expected prices and discounts definitely reinforce the sense that Rockstar Games' and Take-Two Interactive's goal here, ultimately, is to get more and more players logging into GTA Online. Decreasing that initial entry cost will make upgrading more enticing for existing players and joining the game entirely for new ones.

Why is that important?

Simple - recurring spending in GTA Online is the company's biggest revenue source, and the more players are logging in the more they are likely to drop on Shark Cards. Of course, this also raises the question - especially now that Online is standalone - of why they don't just go free-to-play. One possible answer is that this is an attempt to avoid a massive influx of cheaters, which is something the biggest F2P games out there continually struggle with. GTA Online has, historically, had its own problems with hackers in the past.

Cheating in story mode, on the other hand, is absolutely fine and we fully expect the existing cheat codes to work on both the new PS5 and Xbox Series X versions.

In any case, Expanded and Enhanced splitting off Online could also be viewed as the main GTA franchise finally raising anchor; a sense strengthened by Rockstar's long-due acknowledgement of an actual sequel being in development.

GTA 5 launches yet again on March 15.