How to Play GTA 6 Early: The New Zealand PS5 Trick

Yes, there's a way to play GTA 6 before November 19 in your country. The game unlocks at midnight local time in each PlayStation Store region, and New Zealand goes first. So players are creating New Zealand PSN accounts to start up to 18 hours earlyReported1. pcguide.com — PSN trick will let you play GTA 6 up to 18 hours early on the PS52. Yahoo Tech / T3 — You'll be able to play GTA 6 early with a neat PS5 trick – here's how to get it working3. sportskeeda.com — How to play GTA 6 early before its official release in your country10. Mr Lawrence — How To Play GTA 6 EARLY! (New Zealand Trick PS5 and Xbox Series XS). Here's how the trick works, what it costs, and the risks before you try it.

How To Play GTA 6 EARLY! (New Zealand Trick PS5 and Xbox Series XS)Plays from YouTube when you press play

Why New Zealand gets GTA 6 first

GTA 6 launches on November 19 on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, and digital preloading opens on November 12. According to PlayStation Store data, the release rolls out region by region, starting in New Zealand at 11:00 UTC on November 18 and reaching the US at midnight EasternReported4. vice.com — GTA 6 PS5 Release Times Revealed – New Zealand Gets It 18 Hours Early5. notebookcheck.net — GTA 6 release date unlock times for PS5 revealed, but Xbox pre-orders may have advantage. That's the 18-hour gap.

In New Zealand time, that's:

Rockstar hasn't confirmed these unlock times itself, and outlets warn they could changeReported4. vice.com — GTA 6 PS5 Release Times Revealed – New Zealand Gets It 18 Hours Early6. insider-gaming.com — GTA 6's Alleged Regional Launch Means You Could Play Nearly 24 Hours Early. For the normal unlock time in every region, see our GTA 6 release time guide.

How to play GTA 6 early on PS5

The method was shared on X by creator SynthPotatoReported1. pcguide.com — PSN trick will let you play GTA 6 up to 18 hours early on the PS5. These are the reported stepsReported1. pcguide.com — PSN trick will let you play GTA 6 up to 18 hours early on the PS5:

1. Create a new PSN account with New Zealand as the country. You can't change the region of an existing PlayStation account, so you need a fresh oneReported4. vice.com — GTA 6 PS5 Release Times Revealed – New Zealand Gets It 18 Hours Early, ideally with an email that isn't linked to another PSN account.
2. Sign in to the new account on your PS5 and turn on Console Sharing and Offline Play (Settings > Users and Accounts > Other). This makes your PS5 that account's primary console.
3. Buy a New Zealand PSN gift card online to add funds, since your usual card won't work on a New Zealand storeReported1. pcguide.com — PSN trick will let you play GTA 6 up to 18 hours early on the PS57. bgr.com — Xbox Series X Players Can Get Early Access To GTA 6 Through This Trick.
4. Buy or pre-order GTA 6 on the New Zealand PlayStation Store with that balance.
5. Preload it from November 12 so it's ready to go.
6. Switch back to your main account and play once the game unlocks in New Zealand.

Is it worth it? The catches

• You pay twice if you've already pre-ordered. The trick only really makes sense if you haven't bought GTA 6 yet, or you're willing to cancel your local pre-order and buy it againReported2. Yahoo Tech / T3 — You'll be able to play GTA 6 early with a neat PS5 trick – here's how to get it working7. bgr.com — Xbox Series X Players Can Get Early Access To GTA 6 Through This Trick.
• It breaks Sony's rules. PlayStation Network terms don't allow giving false country information when you create an accountReported1. pcguide.com — PSN trick will let you play GTA 6 up to 18 hours early on the PS5. Sony hasn't said whether it will act on it, but you're taking a risk with the new account.
• GTA Online is a question mark. It's unclear how playing a New Zealand copy might affect GTA OnlineReported2. Yahoo Tech / T3 — You'll be able to play GTA 6 early with a neat PS5 trick – here's how to get it working.
• Saves and trophies aren't confirmed. On paper, Console Sharing lets you play the New Zealand copy on your main account, but no one has confirmed how saves and trophies behave for GTA 6.
• Times could change. Rockstar hasn't locked in the rolling regional launchReported4. vice.com — GTA 6 PS5 Release Times Revealed – New Zealand Gets It 18 Hours Early6. insider-gaming.com — GTA 6's Alleged Regional Launch Means You Could Play Nearly 24 Hours Early. If it switched to a single worldwide unlock, the trick would stop working.

Neither Sony nor Rockstar has commented on the trick.

Can you play GTA 6 early on Xbox?

Reportedly yes, and the method is simpler: change your console's location to New Zealand in Settings > System > Language & location, then restartReported3. sportskeeda.com — How to play GTA 6 early before its official release in your country5. notebookcheck.net — GTA 6 release date unlock times for PS5 revealed, but Xbox pre-orders may have advantage8. dexerto.com — How to play GTA 6 early. Two warnings:

• Microsoft only lets you change region once every three months, so you might be stuck with New Zealand for a while, and some sources warn of a possible account suspensionReported7. bgr.com — Xbox Series X Players Can Get Early Access To GTA 6 Through This Trick.
• It could fail entirely if Rockstar or Microsoft applies regional restrictionsReported3. sportskeeda.com — How to play GTA 6 early before its official release in your country.

Our take

If you've already pre-ordered, the safest choice is to wait. For most of Europe, the normal unlock comes about 12 hours after New Zealand's, at midnight on the night of November 18. If you haven't bought GTA 6 yet and can't wait, the New Zealand trick works on paper. Just know you're bending PlayStation's rules.

Getting ready for launch? Check how much storage GTA 6 needs, the preload date and download size, and our launch guide.