GTA 6 editions explained: Standard vs Ultimate, and which one to buy

Grand Theft Auto VI comes in two editions on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The Standard Edition is $79.99. The Ultimate Edition is $99.99. Both have been available to pre-order since June 25, 2026, and both include the Vintage Vice City Pack as a pre-order bonus.

What the Ultimate Edition adds

Rockstar lists the following as Ultimate-only at launch: six exclusive vehicles (a '67 Vapid Dominator Buggy, a '95 Grotti Cheetah, a Dinka Enduro, a Crest Kayak, a Vapid Ganado and a Shitzu Squalo), four weapon variants, multiple cosmetic packs, six shops (Rideout Customs, Sara's Unisex Salon, Stock 305, Electric Fang Tattoo, One-Eyed Willie's and the PTT Youngin$ Compound), a dedicated garage, and one exclusive side mission that Standard Edition owners cannot play at launch. Rockstar has not said whether any of this will later be sold separately or unlocked for everyone.

What there is not

There is no physical collector's edition. No SteelBook, no cloth map, no figurine bundle. That is a change from GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2, both of which had premium physical sets. If a retailer lists a "Collector's Edition", it is a retailer bundle, not a Rockstar product.

Our recommendation

If you play GTA for the story and the world, buy Standard. The core campaign is identical, the pre-order bonus is identical, and $20 buys a lot of in-game dinner. If you are the kind of player who wants every car in the garage on day one and cannot stand the idea of a mission you cannot play, Ultimate is the only way to get that side mission at launch, and third-party trackers suggest the vast majority of pre-orders have gone that way.

The price debate

This is the first mainline GTA above $70. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has defended the price on the record, calling the game "an incredible bargain" and saying the company "could have made other pricing choices" given demand. Whether or not you agree, the price has not moved and there is no sign it will before launch.