GTA 6 parents' guide: the age rating, what's in the game and how to set limits on PS5 and Xbox

Grand Theft Auto VI is made for adults. In the US the ESRB rates it M for Mature 17+, and everywhere else we track it is rated 18, or 19 in South Korea. It comes out on Nov. 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

If you're deciding whether it belongs in your home, here is what the rating boards say is in it, what Rockstar has shown, and how to block it or limit it on each console.

The age ratings

The last two pending ratings, Germany's and Japan's, appeared this month; our ratings story has where each one shows.

What the ratings say is in it

The ESRB lists seven content descriptors: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, and Use of Drugs and Alcohol. It also notes In-Game Purchases.

The other boards describe the same game from different angles:

• PEGI 18 (UK PlayStation Store): extreme violence, sexual content, nudity and drugs.
• R 18+ (Australia): high impact violence, sex scenes and drug use.
• USK 18 (Germany): explicit violence, drugs and problematic role models.
• CERO Z (Japan): crime and violence. Sony's Japanese store says it isn't sold to anyone under 18.

What Rockstar has shown

GTA 6 follows two criminals, Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos, through a criminal conspiracy in the fictional state of Leonida. The game lets players commit robberies, steal cars and outrun the police: our wanted level guide explains how the police respond. Rockstar's own profile of Boobie Ike says his businesses include a strip club, and strip clubs are among the activities in the game.

There's a gentler side too, from fishing and kayaking to mini golf and the gym. Our activities guide lists everything confirmed so far.

Online play and chat

Rockstar calls GTA 6 a single-player game and hasn't announced an online mode. PlayStation's page for it lists one player and offline play. The ESRB entry has no "Users Interact" notice, the ESRB's label for games where players may run into unfiltered messages and content from other users.

That doesn't switch off the console's own social features. On both PS5 and Xbox, players can message friends, voice chat and stream their games, and parents can limit those in the settings below.

Spending

Every rating notes in-game purchases, and Rockstar hasn't said what they cover in GTA 6. Two things are worth knowing now:

• GTA+: digital pre-orders on the PlayStation Store and Microsoft Store come with a free month of GTA+, Rockstar's subscription, which PlayStation's page says renews automatically after that month.
• Your card on file: both consoles let you stop a child account from spending your money, below.

How to set limits on PS5

You first set up a family, with you as the family manager and your child as a family member, on the console or in the PlayStation Family app. Then, according to PlayStation Support:

• Age level for games: set it below the game's rating and GTA 6 won't start. Your child sees a screen where they can ask you for an exception, and you get a notification and an email, then decide whether to allow it.
• Spending: purchases on a child account come out of the family manager's wallet, and the monthly spending limit starts at zero. Leave it there if your child shouldn't buy anything.
• Communication: you can stop your child sending text messages and voice chatting with other players, and block other players' user-generated content.
• Playtime: you can set playtime limits for your child.

How to set limits on Xbox

Xbox uses a Microsoft family group, managed in the Xbox Family Settings app or at account.microsoft.com/family. According to Xbox:

• Content filters: allow games by age. Your child can ask for access to something above that age, and you approve or decline.
• Purchases: with Ask a Parent you get an email when your child wants to buy something, or you can add a set amount of money to their account.
• Screen time: schedule how long and when the console can be used, and set time limits for specific games.
• Social settings: allow or block multiplayer, clubs, broadcasting, friend requests and chat.

Age checks for adults

Rockstar hasn't announced an ID check for GTA 6. In the UK and Ireland, PlayStation and Xbox now ask adult accounts to verify their age to keep chat features. Our guide to ID, internet and PS Plus explains what that means for GTA 6.

What isn't known yet

• What the in-game purchases are. Rockstar hasn't said.
• Whether GTA 6 has its own content options, such as settings to tone anything down. Rockstar hasn't published the game's options menu.

The launch calendar has every date around Nov. 19, including the Nov. 12 pre-load.