Is the GTA 6 Ultimate Edition worth it? What the extra $20 buys, and why you can decide later
The GTA 6 Ultimate Edition costs $20 more than the Standard Edition in the US and adds 16 items that arrive through the story, five of them shops you can't get otherwise. What you get, what you don't, and when to decide.
The Grand Theft Auto VI Ultimate Edition costs $99.99 in the US, $20 more than the $79.99 Standard Edition, and adds 16 items that Rockstar Games spreads through Jason and Lucia's story. Five of them are shops you can't use without it. Whether that's worth $20 depends on how much you want extra cars, weapons, clothes and those shops, and on Xbox you don't have to decide before launch at all.
Here's what the extra money buys, what it doesn't, and how to keep the choice open.
What the extra $20 buys
Rockstar describes the Ultimate Edition as a collection of items threaded through the whole story. It says new ones turn up with each chapter, so they arrive as you play rather than all on day one. Grouped by type, the 16 are:
| Type | Ultimate Edition items |
|---|---|
| Shops only Ultimate players get | Rideout Customs and One-Eyed Willie's mod shops, Sara's Unisex Salon, the Stock 305 clothing store and the Electric Fang tattoo parlor |
| Vehicles | The '95 Grotti Cheetah, the '67 Vapid Dominator Buggy, the Shitzu Squalo boat, a motorcycle or kayak at Jason's safehouse, retro mods for Jason's Ganado pickup, and the Classic Car Collection, a job restoring abandoned project cars |
| Weapons | The Hawk and Little Morgan revolvers, and engraved versions of Jason's and Lucia's pistols |
| Clothes | Vice City Style outfits and tattoos, and Goodtime Gear, apparel based on the TV character Macca the Gator |
| A raid | A Southside Vice City gang compound with special items to take |
The shops are the clearest difference, because Standard Edition players can't use them at all. Rideout Customs does donk-style builds on big wheels, One-Eyed Willie's does off-road mods, and Electric Fang has more than 50 tattoos designed by the artist collective FAILE. Our price and editions guide lists all 16 in Rockstar's own words.
What it doesn't change
- The game. Both editions have the same story, map and characters.
- The pre-order bonus. Anything bought before Nov. 20 gets the Vintage Vice City Pack, in either edition, and digital pre-orders of either one get a free month of GTA+. Our pre-order guide covers the deadline.
- Online. There's no online money or online content in it. GTA 6 launches as a single-player game, and Rockstar hasn't announced an online mode; our guide to whether GTA 6 has online has more.
- The box. The Ultimate Edition is digital only. The boxed version is the Standard Edition with a download code inside.
You can decide later, mostly
On Xbox, waiting costs nothing. The US Xbox Store sells a Grand Theft Auto VI: Ultimate Edition Upgrade for $20, the same as the gap between the two editions, so buying the Standard Edition now and upgrading later works out at the same price.
On PlayStation, it's less clear. The PlayStation Store lists the same upgrade, but it showed as unavailable when we checked on Nov. 8, with no price or date. Rockstar's support site says owners of the boxed Standard Edition can buy the upgrade from the PlayStation Store or the Microsoft Store once they've redeemed their code, GameRant reported, so it should open up. Until it does, a PS5 player who wants everything on day one has to buy the Ultimate Edition outright.
Outside the US, the gap is £20 in the UK, €20 in Germany and France, C$30 in Canada and A$30 in Australia. Our boxed copies story covers upgrading a box.
Which to buy
Our read, based on what Rockstar has listed:
- The Ultimate Edition if you already know you'll want the extra shops, especially Rideout Customs and the FAILE tattoos, or if you play on PS5 and want everything from the start while the upgrade isn't on sale.
- The Standard Edition if you're buying the box, if $20 matters to you, or if you'd rather see what the extras are like first. On Xbox you lose nothing by waiting.
What we can't tell you yet is how much the extras change the game: how early they appear, and whether the Standard Edition has shops that do the same things. We'll update this guide once the game is out on Nov. 19 and we've seen them ourselves.
Questions readers ask
- How much more is the GTA 6 Ultimate Edition?
- $20 in the US, where it costs $99.99 and the Standard Edition $79.99. It's £20 more in the UK, €20 more in Germany and France, and C$30 more in Canada.
- Can you upgrade GTA 6 to the Ultimate Edition later?
- Yes on Xbox, where the US store sells the Ultimate Edition Upgrade for $20, the same as the gap between the editions. The PlayStation Store lists the upgrade but showed it as unavailable on Nov. 8. Owners of the boxed game can buy it once they've redeemed their code, Rockstar's support site says.
- Does the Ultimate Edition get the pre-order bonus?
- Yes, and so does the Standard Edition. Anything bought before Nov. 20 comes with the Vintage Vice City Pack, whichever edition it is, and digital pre-orders of either edition get a free month of GTA+.
- Is there a physical GTA 6 Ultimate Edition?
- No. The Ultimate Edition is digital only. The boxed version is the Standard Edition with a download code, and box owners can buy the upgrade after redeeming it.
- Does the GTA 6 Ultimate Edition come with online money?
- No. Rockstar lists 16 items for the story and nothing for an online mode. GTA 6 launches as a single-player game, and Rockstar hasn't announced an online mode for it.
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