Rockstar Games has confirmed that the physical version of Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA VI) will not include a disc. Instead, buyers who purchase a physical copy will find a digital download code inside the box. The move has raised some eyebrows, but industry analysts say it is unlikely to put a dent in the game’s sales.

Chris Dring from The Game Business told VGC that while the decision will upset some players and could be tricky for people who are less comfortable with digital purchases, most buyers will barely notice the difference. He added that the move benefits Rockstar in a few key ways: it gives the studio more time to work on the game right up until launch without needing to prepare discs for manufacturing and shipping. It also cuts off second-hand sales and lowers the chances of the game leaking before its release date.

Dring pointed out that the biggest losers in this situation are physical game retailers, though he noted there are fewer of those around than there used to be. Second-hand platforms like eBay and CEX also miss out since there will be no disc to resell. On the other side, PlayStation and Xbox digital storefronts stand to benefit. “Ultimately, people will accept it,” Dring said. “It’s GTA.”

Circana senior director and video game industry analyst Mat Piscatella echoed that view, and actually suggested the code-in-box approach could be a mild positive for retailers. His reasoning is that it lets physical stores sell the game to players who own digital-only consoles, people who otherwise would have skipped the store entirely and just bought it directly through their console’s digital shop. Piscatella noted that as of the end of May 2026, 52% of Xbox Series consoles and 27% of PlayStation 5 consoles sold in the US did not include a disc drive, based on data from the Circana Retail Tracking Service.

He also pointed out that code-in-box releases are not new. “Grand Theft Auto VI will be far from the first or only code in box on retail shelves,” he said, calling it a common practice that has been around for several years. Both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series have been leaning heavily toward digital distribution for some time, with Xbox Series skewing even more digital than PlayStation 5.

Piscatella acknowledged that there are players who genuinely prefer owning a physical disc, but he does not see that group being large enough to meaningfully affect how well GTA VI performs. At the end of the day, both analysts landed in the same place: the format change may ruffle some feathers, but when it comes to a release as anticipated as Grand Theft Auto VI, it is not expected to change the bigger picture.