Why GTA VI pre-load won't save 870k UK gamers

Gamers eagerly counting down to the launch of Grand Theft Auto VI are being warned that official pre-load windows will not be enough to get thousands of players ready for launch day.

New research and analysis from UK broadband comparison site Broadband Genie has revealed that 870,000 households are stuck on connections slower than 2.8Mb. At these speeds, downloading the hefty 212 GB game file will take over a week (168+ hours) of non-stop downloading.

”The pre-load window is meant to guarantee day-one access, but it simply won’t save everyone,” warns Alex Tofts, Broadband Strategist at Broadband Genie.

Some areas worse than others
Newport ranks as the worst-hit city, where over a third (35%) of speed tests dropped below 2.8Mb. This means a wait of more than a week. Almost half (41%) of Newport tests recorded below the 9.8Mb download speed threshold, required to download the game in under two days.

In Bangor and Torquay, nearly one in ten tests (9%) fell below a download speed of 2.8Mb, trapping players in multi-day download queues.

Significant delays also plague cities like Ely (24%), Hereford (17%), and Bath (16%), where large numbers of users will need more than two full days (48+ hours) to complete the installation.

Alex Tofts, strategist at Broadband Genie: ”Nobody should have to put up with sluggish broadband, and this bottleneck couldn’t come at a worse time. After years of anticipation following the first GTA VI reveal, no one wants to find themselves stranded a full week behind other players. Slow download speeds can come from various factors, many outside your provider's control. There are practical steps players can take right now to avoid being locked out on launch day.”

5 Ways Gamers Can Speed Up Their GTA VI Download
To help gamers get a swift download of GTA, Strategist Alex Tofts from Broadband Genie has shared his tips.

1. Start your download today
“Don’t wait for launch day. Consoles storefronts allow digital pre-loading in advance. Turn on auto-downloads and start the moment pre-loading unlocks. If your broadband is sluggish, every single hour counts.”

2. Plug in an Ethernet cable or switch to 5 GHz
“There are plenty of easy ways to get the most out of your internet connection. One way is to log into your router, the details are usually printed on the side. From here, you can enable the faster 5 GHz frequency.

“If you have the option, connect your console directly to your router with Ethernet cables.”

3. Free up bandwidth
“When you’re logged into your router, use this as an opportunity to check what devices are connected to it. If there is anything that you don’t recognise, you can remove it.

“Before or during the download, switch off or disconnect any idle devices such as phones, smart TVs, laptops and tablets around your home. This will ensure all available bandwidth routes to your console.”

4. Change your console settings
“If your download is slow, your broadband provider’s default DNS server may be congested. You can change your console’s network Domain Name System (DNS) settings to a fast public server such as Google Public DNS.”

5. Use standby mode
“Both PlayStation and Xbox have rest or standby modes. Leaving your console to download in rest or sleep mode frees up memory and background processing which will help speed up large file downloads.”

-ENDS-

Methodology

Broadband Genie recorded the download speed of 17,135 broadband users between 11 September 2026 to 14 October 2026. Results were categorised by closest city.

[1] Download Time Calculations: Calculated using the Broadband Genie Download Speed Calculator based on an official 212 GB file size:

Below 2.8 Mb download speed: 168 hours, 15 minutes (7+ days).

Below 9.8 Mb download speed: 48 hours, 4 minutes (2+ days).

212 GB GTA VI file size - https://www.rockstargames.com/newswire/article/k4ak9okk48571...

[2] 870,000 homes affected by slow download speed. 3% of 29 million homes = 870,000 homes. 29 million homes in the UK - https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsde...

Helpful guides:

Guide to free public DNS servers for 2026 - https://www.broadband.co.uk/broadband/help/best-free-public-...

For more information, please contact: Alex Tofts on [email protected] or 07405215553

About Broadband Genie: We are Broadband Genie - the most trusted broadband comparison site. We work closely with the UK’s broadband providers and have been since 2004. Each month, we welcome over 200,000 visitors to compare deals, share knowledge and make better broadband decisions. We’re independent, unbiased, transparent, and committed to make broadband better for all.