Can you play GTA 6 from an external hard drive?
Not from a USB drive. On PS5 and Xbox Series X|S the game has to run from the console's internal storage or its expansion slot. A USB drive can only store it.
This is the platform rule for every current-generation game, not something special to GTA 6. Sony says: "PlayStation 5 games can't be played directly from USB extended storage." Microsoft's storage table says a USB drive does not play games optimised for Xbox Series X|S, and the Xbox Store marks GTA 6 as one of those.
| Storage | Play GTA 6 from it? | Store GTA 6 on it? |
|---|---|---|
| PS5 internal SSD | Yes | Yes |
| PS5 M.2 SSD in the expansion slot | Yes | Yes |
| USB drive on PS5 | No | Yes, then copy it back to play |
| Xbox Series X|S internal SSD | Yes | Yes |
| Xbox Storage Expansion Card | Yes | Yes |
| USB drive on Xbox Series X|S | No | Yes, then move it back to play |
What a USB drive is still good for
Freeing space. Move other games to the USB drive, keep GTA 6 on the fast storage, and copy the others back when you want them. Copying a game back is usually quicker than downloading it again.
USB drive requirements
| Console | Requirement |
|---|---|
| PS5 | SuperSpeed USB 5 Gbps or later; 250 GB minimum, 8 TB maximum; plugged in directly, not through a hub |
| Xbox Series X|S | Microsoft lists "Support for USB 3.1 external HDD" |
The storage that does run the game
- PS5: an M.2 SSD that meets Sony's specification. See Does GTA 6 work on a PS5 M.2 SSD?
- Xbox: a Storage Expansion Card. The Seagate card is listed on Xbox's site in 1 TB, 2 TB and 4 TB; Xbox also lists the WD_BLACK C50 at up to 2 TB. See GTA 6 on Xbox Series S.
Sources
- PlayStation Support: USB extended storage on PS5 — PS5 games cannot be played from USB storage; USB drive requirements (read 14 November 2026)
- Xbox Wire: Xbox Series X and Series S storage primer — USB drives store but do not play Series X|S optimised games; the Storage Expansion Card does (24 September 2020)
- Xbox Store: Grand Theft Auto VI — the game is tagged Optimized for Xbox Series X|S (read 14 November 2026)
- Xbox: Xbox Series S — USB 3.1 external drive support (read 14 November 2026)
- Xbox: Seagate Storage Expansion Card — card capacities of 1 TB, 2 TB and 4 TB (read 14 November 2026)
- Xbox Wire: Designed for Xbox gift guide — WD_BLACK C50 expansion card up to 2 TB (3 December 2024)
Day-one facts, by email
Unlock alert, then one email a week: what changed in GTA 6, with sources.
Related answers
- Official
Does GTA 6 work on a PS5 M.2 SSD?
Yes. Sony states that "PS5 games are playable on M.2 SSD storage", so GTA 6 can be installed on one and played from it. The drive has to meet Sony's requirements.
- Reported
How much space does GTA 6 take on an Xbox Series S?
About 58% of a 512 GB Series S. The console has roughly 364 GB of usable space and GTA 6 takes about 210 GB of it, leaving around 154 GB.
- Official
How many GB is GTA 6?
GTA 6 is about 212 GB. Sony tells PS5 owners to clear "a minimum of 212GB of storage space" before pre-loading.