GTA 6 Branded A 'Rip Off' As Inflated Prices Plague Gamers Outside Of The US

Grand Theft Auto VI is finally available to pre-order, but it’s being branded a “rip-off” within the UK.

On 24 June, ahead of pre-orders opening, Rockstar Games confirmed that GTA VI would launch via two editions, the Standard Edition and the Ultimate Edition.

The Standard Edition was confirmed in the US as retailing for $79.99, while the Ultimate Edition was announced to set gamers back $99.99.

This applies to both the physical and digital editions, with all copies ordered before 20 November coming with bonus DLC cosmetics.

GTA VI pre-orders have since gone live across the globe, but certain fans aren’t all that happy about how the game’s pricing has been converted.

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UK Gamers Appear To Be Paying More But There’s A Very Valid Explanation

Here in the UK, for example, the Standard Edition of GTA VI will set you back £69.99, which is in line with standard industry pricing here for major releases.

The Ultimate Edition is available to pre-order for £89.99, but some have pointed out that these aren’t really fair conversions upon first glance.

“It feels like a little bit of a rip off that in the UK, they are charging us £89.99 when $99.99 is the equivalent of £75.96 in a direct currency exchange,” remarked Twitter/X user Welsh_Turkey.

“I agree but tbf £70 for the standard edition is already the norm for AAA games in the UK,” replied zach_wheelhouse.

“We’ve been getting f**ked over for a min now,” added infinitysolaris.

Don’t miss our guide to pre-ordering GTA VI:

• GTA 6 Pre-Orders: Editions, Price, And Where To Buy On PS5 And Xbox

There is actually a very good reason for this not-so-equal conversion. US pricing doesn’t automatically include tax, whereas all UK pricing does. This is why the UK version appears slightly inflated.

Rockstar Games

In fact, there are far more gamers who are actually relieved to see the UK’s confirmed pricing.

Many suspected that it might be like-for-like, with the Standard Edition’s price tag of $79.99 converted to £79.99 in the UK.

That definitely would have been inflated.

Digital Codes And Paywalled Content Have Dominated Chatter About GTA VI’s Pre-Orders

There are a number of controversies surrounding pre-orders for GTA VI, namely concerning the fact that physical versions don’t include a disc.

Instead, Rockstar Games has opted for a code-in-a-box approach, which renders physical copies obsolete beyond having something to place on your shelf.

READ MORE: 6 AAA Games That Could Beat GTA 6 Come Award Season

Digital ownership is bad news for game preservation as you don’t technically own the game in most instances at all; you’re more often than not purchasing temporary usage.

One insider claims that this only applies to GTA VI’s first production run to prevent spoilers from leaking, as digital versions of the game cannot be locked, but this is yet to be proven correct.

GTA VI’s Ultimate Edition is also hiding story content and exclusive stores behind its more premium price point, locking Standard Edition users from experiencing certain missions.

Typically, it’s the norm for deluxe versions to include exclusive cosmetics, but the inclusion of story content has really put the cat amongst the pigeons.

GTA VI will launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on 19 November, with those who pre-order able to pre-load the game from 12 November.