"Ironically, the fake set looks more like a traditional game than the real one does." That line from GTA BOOM sums up one of the stranger stories of the final stretch before November 19: people are paying for a GTA 6 box with a disc that won't run, and they know it.
According to the site, which published the story on the 18th, Chinese sellers have started offering unofficial GTA 6 sets for PS5 in "Standard" and "Ultimate Edition" flavors. They come with a replica case, printed artwork and a real-looking Blu-ray that holds no game data at all; some even include a content card with a code. The listings call them "commemorative set models" meant for display, and one credits the design to an agency called Lionheart. There is no link to Rockstar. Fans have posted on X that they ordered one anyway.
The reason anyone would pay for this is sitting inside the official box.
What Rockstar is actually selling
The "physical" version of GTA 6 is a code inside a case. That came out alongside the opening of pre-orders on June 24; Brazil's Terra reported it that day, as did Screen Rant (republished by OpenCritic). Box buyers redeem the code on the PlayStation Store or the Microsoft Store and download the whole game. For those who pre-ordered, pre-loading opens on November 12, a week before launch.
The sources disagree on one detail. GTA BOOM and Kotaku describe the Ultimate Edition as digital-only, with the code-in-a-box limited to Standard; Terra refers to physical Standard and Ultimate editions, both without a disc. We couldn't find an official SKU list in the sources we read to settle it. What they all confirm is the part that matters: no PS5 or Xbox Series X|S version ships the game on a disc.
Will it stay that way? The report that cemented the "no disc" idea came from The Hollywood Reporter, which, according to GTA BOOM and Brazil's Jornal Metropolis, heard from a source that Rockstar has no disc plans "anytime soon." Some headlines went further and said there would never be one. We didn't find that claim on any page we opened. "Anytime soon" isn't "never," and Rockstar has a history of re-releasing its games in new editions years later. So far, the company hasn't announced any change.
A Brazilian store said no
Not every retailer was happy with the format. On June 30, Jornal Metropolis reported that Gamer Hut, a specialist Brazilian store, would not sell GTA 6 on its site while the game comes only as a code. The store said its mission is offering "the true physical media experience, with the game on a disc" (our translation) and left the door open: when GTA VI gets a disc edition, it will "certainly" stock it.
It wasn't alone. Canada's Video Games Plus and Loot Box Gaming made the same call, while Amazon, GameStop and Best Buy are selling the box as usual. Remember Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick promising a significant "physical presence" for GTA 6? GTA BOOM points out that, in the end, this meant exactly that code-in-a-box.
The bill that name-checks the game
On October 15, Rep. Ritchie Torres, a New York Democrat, announced the Power To The Players Act. He put it simply to Kotaku: "I think there should be a simple rule: if you pay for it, you own it." His press release went further: "A game that can be taken away the moment a company pulls the plug is not a purchase."
The bill would direct the FTC to write rules ensuring that buying a digital game grants the right to own, play and transfer it, rather than a license that can expire at any time. Games with online features would need an offline mode that keeps working after servers shut down. Movies and music are excluded.
Kotaku used GTA 6 as the poster child for the all-digital future the bill targets: the game launches next month as a code in a box, starting at $80. Torres said he grew up playing GTA. The immediate trigger, though, is another Take-Two game: NBA 2K25, the fifth best-selling game in the US in 2024, leaves digital storefronts on October 30 and loses its servers by January 1, 2027, leaving its most popular modes unplayable.
The odds are modest. The bill hasn't even been formally introduced, has no confirmed cosponsors and, per Kotaku (citing USAFacts), around 87% of bills in Congress never get a full vote. The outlet also expects publishers to lobby against it.
What this means if you're buying
Even if it moves, the bill would only apply in the US. For players today, the picture looks like this (Brazilian prices shown, since that's where most of our readers are):
| Code in a box | Straight digital | |
|---|---|---|
| Disc | None | — |
| Official price (Standard / Ultimate) | Up to the retailer | $79.99 / $99.99 (Brazil: R$ 449.90 / R$ 549.90) |
| When you can download | After redeeming the code | From Nov 12, if pre-ordered |
| Internet needed | Yes, for the full download | Yes |
The Brazilian digital prices are the official Sony and Microsoft store prices since pre-orders opened, according to Critical Hits; we didn't find a suggested retail price for the box in the sources we read.
In our view, the box only makes sense if you want something on the shelf, are buying a gift, or find a retailer discount. It doesn't protect the game against a future end of support, and it doesn't spare you the download. If you're on a data cap or a slow connection, a game this size takes planning, which is one more reason to use the pre-load week.
As for the Chinese replicas, GTA BOOM itself lists the risks: uneven quality, uncertain international shipping and an intellectual-property gray area that could make the listings vanish at any moment. If you want an official collector's item, there's the Vice City Collection at about $400, which, to complete the irony, doesn't include the game either.