Guide
GTA 6 Buying Guide: Best Consoles, Controllers, Headsets & Storage Upgrades
Grand Theft Auto VI comes out on November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Whether you are choosing a console or wondering if your current setup needs anything, this guide covers the consoles, controllers, storage and headsets worth considering — and what you can skip.
Updated · LUDARYN
The short version
Start from where you are. None of the accessories below is required to play.
You already have a PS5 or an Xbox Series X|S
You have what you need. Everything else here is optional. If your console is almost full, start with storage.
You are buying a console for GTA VI
Both consoles are announced platforms. Choose by where your friends play and the controller you prefer — the comparison below shows the practical differences.
You want another controller or easier charging
A second controller is a convenience, not a requirement. On Xbox, rechargeable packs replace the standard controller's AA batteries; the Elite Series 2 Core is a premium option with its own battery.
You play with headphones on
Wireless headsets and earbuds are usually tied to a platform. Match them to your console first.
Where GTA VI is coming out
Rockstar Games has announced Grand Theft Auto VI for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with a release date of November 19, 2026. On Xbox, that means both models: the Series X and the Series S. Our release page follows the official announcements.
No PC version has been announced. PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are not among the announced platforms either — PlayStation's own page says the game will only be playable on PS5 consoles.
This guide doesn't compare how GTA VI runs on each console. We only report performance details that Rockstar Games or the platform holders publish, and we don't guess at them.
PS5 or Xbox Series X?
Both run GTA VI. The differences that matter for a buyer are practical: the model you get, how you add storage and how the controller is powered.
| PlayStation 5 | Xbox Series X | |
|---|---|---|
| Model in this guide | PS5 with disc drive, 1TB (Fortnite bundle) | Series X Digital Edition, 1TB |
| Disc drive | Yes | No — digital games only |
| Built-in storage | 1TB SSD | 1TB SSD |
| Adding storage to play from | An M.2 NVMe SSD with heatsink, inside the console | A Storage Expansion Card in the rear port |
| USB drives | Store PS5 games; can't play them | Store Series X|S games; can't play them |
| Controller in the box | DualSense, built-in rechargeable battery | Xbox Wireless Controller, two AA batteries |
Choose by habit before specs. If your friends play on one platform, that matters more than any row in this table — and the games you already own stay with the platform you bought them on.
The disc drive matters for how you buy games. The Xbox Series X in this guide is the Digital Edition, with no drive; if you buy games on disc, look for the standard Series X. The PS5 version of GTA VI listed below is a download code in a box, not a disc, so it doesn't need a drive.
PlayStation 5 · Fortnite Flowering Chaos bundle
PlayStation 5 (1TB, with disc drive)
The standard PS5 with a 1TB SSD and a disc drive. This listing is a bundle that adds Fortnite in-game items; the console is the regular PS5, not the PS5 Pro.
On Amazon, a listing can be offered by different sellers. Check who sells and ships it before you buy.
Xbox Series X|S
Xbox Series X Digital Edition (1TB)
The Xbox Series X with a 1TB SSD and no disc drive: games are bought and downloaded digitally. If you want to play discs, look for the standard Series X instead.
Controllers and charging
Every console comes with one controller, so a second one is for a friend, a spare or swapping while one charges. What differs is how they are powered: the DualSense has a built-in battery you recharge, while the standard Xbox Wireless Controller runs on AA batteries unless you add rechargeable packs.
The Xbox controller below is not the standard one: it's Microsoft's premium Elite Series 2 Core, with its own rechargeable battery. The two charging accessories are third-party products, not made by Sony or Microsoft — what they are compatible with is what their sellers state.
PlayStation 5
DualSense Wireless Controller
Sony's standard PS5 controller, with a built-in rechargeable battery. Every PS5 comes with one; a second is useful as a spare or for swapping while one charges.
PlayStation 5 · third-party accessory
OIVO PS5 Controller Charging Station
A charging dock made by OIVO, not by Sony. It holds two controllers and plugs into the wall with the AC adapter that comes with it.
The seller lists it for DualSense and DualSense Edge controllers; that is OIVO's claim, not Sony's.
Xbox Series X|S · Xbox One · Windows
Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 — Core (White)
Microsoft's premium controller — not the standard one that comes with the console. It adds adjustable-tension thumbsticks and trigger locks, and has its own rechargeable battery that charges through the included USB-C cable.
The Core version comes with the basic parts only; extra components are sold separately in the Complete Component Pack. If you just want a second controller like the one in the box, the standard Xbox Wireless Controller is the simpler choice.
Xbox Series X|S · third-party accessory
NinjajoyOX rechargeable battery packs with charging dock (4 packs)
Four rechargeable packs from NinjajoyOX, a third-party brand, with a charging dock and a USB-C cable. They go where the standard Xbox controller takes AA batteries.
Not a Microsoft product: compatibility and battery life are the seller's claims. The listing says the packs must be charged with the dock and cable they come with.
Storage: when the SSD fills up
Both consoles have a 1TB SSD, and part of it is taken by the system software. Open-world games are big downloads, so check how much free space you have and the download size on your console's store page as the release gets closer. Deleting games you no longer play costs nothing; storage does.
PlayStation 5: an M.2 SSD inside the console
The PS5 has a slot for a second internal SSD. Sony's requirements are specific: a PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 NVMe SSD of 250GB to 8TB, in sizes 2230 to 22110, with a cooling structure such as a heatsink. Sony recommends a sequential read speed of 5,500MB/s or faster. You install it yourself, following Sony's guide (opens in a new tab).
PlayStation 5 (M.2 slot) · heatsink needed
Samsung 990 PRO 2TB (without heatsink)
A PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD in the 2280 size. The listing gives read speeds of up to 7,450MB/s, above the 5,500MB/s Sony recommends. This is the version without a heatsink.
Sony requires a cooling structure on any SSD installed in the PS5. With this version, add a heatsink that fits Sony's size limits — or choose the 990 PRO with heatsink, which is a different listing.
Xbox Series X|S: a Storage Expansion Card
Xbox uses a Storage Expansion Card that plugs into the port on the back of the console and is designed to match the internal SSD. Games made for Xbox Series X|S — GTA VI is announced only for Series X|S — have to be played from the internal SSD or an expansion card.
Xbox Series X|S
WD_BLACK C50 Storage Expansion Card (2TB)
An expansion card officially licensed for Xbox. It plugs into the port on the back of the console, and Series X|S games play from it as they do from the internal SSD.
This listing is the 2TB card. The C50 also comes in smaller capacities.
On both consoles, a USB drive is an inexpensive place to keep games you're not playing. It is not a place to play GTA VI from: PS5 games and Series X|S games have to be moved back to internal or expansion storage first.
Headsets: check the platform first
A wireless headset made for PlayStation won't necessarily connect wirelessly to an Xbox, and the other way around. Check the platform on each card before you buy — the two SteelSeries headsets below are the same model in a PlayStation and an Xbox version. If you'd rather not wear a headset, Sony's PULSE Explore are in-ear earbuds.
PlayStation 5 · PC · Switch · mobile
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5P Wireless
A wireless headset made for PlayStation that also works with PC, Nintendo Switch and phones, through its USB-C 2.4GHz dongle or Bluetooth. The listing is the white version.
It doesn't work on Xbox. For Xbox, SteelSeries makes the Arctis Nova 5X, below.
Xbox Series X|S · PC · PlayStation · Switch · mobile
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X Wireless (Black)
The Xbox version of the Arctis Nova 5 — a SteelSeries headset, not Microsoft's Xbox Wireless Headset. Its USB-C 2.4GHz dongle has a mode for Xbox and also works with PC, PlayStation and Switch; Bluetooth covers phones.
SteelSeries says it is the only Arctis Nova 5 model that works on Xbox.
PlayStation 5 · PlayStation Portal · PC · Mac · mobile
PULSE Explore Wireless Earbuds
Sony's in-ear wireless earbuds, with a charging case — not the PULSE Elite headset. They connect to the PS5 and the PlayStation Portal through PlayStation Link, using the USB adapter in the box, which also works on a PC or Mac. Bluetooth covers phones.
Sony doesn't list Xbox among the devices they work with.
Grand Theft Auto VI on Amazon
The listing in this guide is the PlayStation 5 version, sold as a download code in a box. Read the listing before ordering: it states which accounts the code works with, when it ships and what comes with it. For Xbox Series X|S, buy the Xbox version from the store you prefer — this guide doesn't list one.
PlayStation 5 · download code in a box
Grand Theft Auto VI — PlayStation 5
Amazon's listing for the PS5 version ships a download code inside a box — there is no disc, so a disc drive isn't needed.
According to the listing, the code only works with PlayStation accounts registered in the United States or Canada.
Picks by budget and profile
No prices here — they change too often. These are the upgrades in the order that makes sense for each situation.
- Spend nothing
- If you already own a PS5 or an Xbox Series X|S, you're set. Free up space before launch and use the controller and headset you have.
- A small upgrade
- A charging solution: a dock for two DualSense controllers on PS5, rechargeable packs for the standard Xbox controller. It's the change you notice in long sessions.
- A bigger upgrade
- If space is tight, storage is the most practical upgrade: an M.2 SSD for PS5 — with a heatsink, built in or added — or an expansion card for Xbox.
- Starting from zero
- A console and the game. Everything else can wait until you know what you miss.
- Audio first
- A wireless headset made for your platform — check its compatibility before anything else.
Questions
Do I need a new console to play GTA VI?
Only if you don't have a PS5 or an Xbox Series X|S. Those are the platforms Rockstar Games has announced; PS4 and Xbox One are not among them.
Is GTA VI coming to PC?
No PC version has been announced. If Rockstar Games announces one, we'll report it.
Does GTA VI run on Xbox Series S?
Xbox Series X|S is the announced platform, and that includes the Series S. Rockstar Games hasn't published how the game runs on each model.
Do I need a PS5 Pro?
No. PlayStation lists the game for PS5 and as "PS5 Pro Enhanced", but GTA VI is a PS5 game and the standard PS5 is an announced platform. We don't speculate about the Pro-specific improvements.
Do I need more storage?
Not necessarily. It depends on how much free space your console has when the game comes out and on the download size shown on the store page.
Can I play GTA VI from a USB drive?
No. On both consoles, a USB drive can store PS5 or Xbox Series X|S games, but they have to be on the internal SSD (or, on PS5, a compatible M.2 SSD; on Xbox, an expansion card) to play.
Are all these accessories made by Sony or Microsoft?
No. The OIVO charging station and the NinjajoyOX battery packs are third-party products, and the headsets on the Xbox side are made by SteelSeries. Each card says who makes the product, and third-party compatibility is the seller's claim, not the platform holder's.
Did LUDARYN test these products?
No. The guide is based on manufacturer specifications and official compatibility information. When that information changes, the guide changes.
Why are there no prices?
Prices and availability change constantly and vary by seller. The store page is the only reliable place to see them.
Keep reading
Sources
The official pages behind the facts in this guide.
- Rockstar Games — Grand Theft Auto VI (opens in a new tab)
- PlayStation — Grand Theft Auto VI (opens in a new tab)
- PlayStation — Installing an M.2 SSD in a PS5 console (opens in a new tab)
- PlayStation — USB extended storage on PS5 (opens in a new tab)
- PlayStation — Connecting PULSE Explore to other devices (opens in a new tab)
- Xbox Wire — Storage options for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S (opens in a new tab)
- SteelSeries — Arctis Nova 5 Wireless (5P and 5X) (opens in a new tab)
How we choose and identify recommendations: Affiliate Disclosure · Editorial Policy.