‘People will accept it’: Industry analysts say GTA VI having no disc version ‘won’t make much difference’

Industry analysts have told VGC that the decision to release Grand Theft Auto VI without a disc is unlikely to have a significant impact on the game’s sales.

Rockstar confirmed today that the physical version of GTA VI will ship with a digital download code inside the box, instead of a disc.

The Game Business’s Chris Dring told VGC that, in his opinion, the decision is one that entirely benefits Rockstar and will see the game selling in large numbers regardless, despite the negative impact it will have on retailers.

“The decision will understandably upset some players, and potentially impact less digital-savvy consumers,” he said. “But in truth, for the majority of people, it won’t make much of a difference.

“It will make it easier for Rockstar to keep working on the game right up until launch, without the need to have something ready for duplication and distribution. It will also prevent pre-owned and second-hand sales, and reduce the likelihood of the game leaking ahead of release.

“The big losers are games retailers, although there are not many of those these days. Plus second-hand outlets like eBay and CEX. They’ll need to focus on the secondary opportunities, like add-on items and hardware). The winners are the PlayStation and Xbox stores.

“Ultimately, people will accept it. It’s GTA.”

Circana senior director and video game industry analyst Mat Piscatella agrees the decision won’t affect sales much, but suggests the impact on retailers could be considered a positive, as it could cater to players without disc drives who would otherwise have bought the digital version directly through their console’s store.

“Grand Theft Auto VI will be far from the first or only code in box on retail shelves,” Piscatella told us. “It’s been a pretty common practice for several years now.

“In one respect, this could be considered a good thing for retailers (well, those retailers that don’t like to sell used games at least). In the US, as of the end of May 2026, 52% of Xbox Series and 27% of PlayStation 5 consoles sold do not include a disc drive (although there is the PS5 add-on disc drive accessory – Source: Circana Retail Tracking Service).

“Digital-only PlayStation and Xbox consoles have grown in popularity over time as well. So, code in box does allow retailers to have a bigger addressable market than if the game only included a disc.

“But ultimately, I don’t think it matters all that much either way. Both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series are heavily weighted towards digital distribution at this point (Xbox Series more so than PlayStation 5), with that shift towards digital continuing to grow over time. I see this as just another step in a trend that has been ongoing since the early 2010s.

“There is clearly a group of players that would prefer owning physical media with the game being included on disc. However, I don’t see this distribution choice having a meaningful impact on sales potential at the end of the day. It’s Grand Theft Auto VI, after all.”