Plan for 105 GB on PC, and Around 90 GB on the New Consoles
There is no separate GTA Online download on most platforms. Online is built into GTA V's single installation, so the size of GTA Online is simply the size of GTA V on your system, and that number depends on which version you run.
On PC, the official requirement is 105 GB of SSD space for the current Enhanced edition and 125 GB for the older Legacy edition. On PlayStation 5 the launch figure was about 86.8 GB, and on Xbox Series X|S reports put it between roughly 88 and 94 GB, with updates adding to all of them since.
Playing the game, by contrast, is light on data: typical measurements put GTA Online at around 50 MB per hour of play, rising towards 100 MB per hour in a full free-roam session. The downloads are the heavy part, never the playing.
Key Takeaways
- GTA Online has no standalone install size on PC, PS4 or Xbox One; it shares GTA V's installation, because both modes ship in the same files.
- PC Enhanced officially requires 105 GB of SSD space. PC Legacy requires 125 GB. Keeping both installed, which the launcher allows, costs both amounts.
- PS5 was measured at about 86.8 GB at its 2022 launch and Xbox Series X|S at roughly 88 to 94 GB; both have grown with updates since, so treat those as floors, not finals.
- Big updates typically add 3 to 6 GB each. December 2025's A Safehouse in the Hills update ranged from about 2.7 GB on Steam to 5.66 GB on Xbox Series X|S.
- An hour of play uses roughly 50 MB of data on average, and around 100 MB in a busy 32-player free-roam session.
1. Why There Is No Single "GTA Online Size"
GTA Online and story mode are one game wearing two hats. The map, vehicles, weapons and audio are shared files, and the mode you pick from the loading screen decides which of them you use. Deleting Online to save space is not an option the install offers.
The exception is the standalone GTA Online release sold on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S since 2022, which skips story mode. As our breakdown of how much GTA Online costs explains, it is a purchase option rather than a different game, and its store listing shows its own current size on each console.
Every figure in this article also moves. A decade of free updates has steadily inflated the install, and it will keep growing for as long as Rockstar keeps adding content, which is why the planning numbers below matter more than any exact current reading.
The only fully retired versions are the oldest ones: the PS3 and Xbox 360 builds no longer connect at all, as our history of GTA Online on PS3 and Xbox 360 records.
2. PC: Enhanced at 105 GB, Legacy at 125 GB
Steam's official requirement pages set the planning figures. GTA V Enhanced, the current PC edition released in March 2025, requires 105 GB of available space and specifically an SSD; the older Legacy edition requires 125 GB.
Enhanced being smaller is real, not a typo. Better compression in the newer build outweighs its extra features, and measured folder sizes reported by players land a little under the official requirements on both editions. Requirements are the numbers to plan around, because updates need working room.
The trap is running both. The launcher happily keeps Enhanced and Legacy installed side by side, since the two editions have separate player pools, which quietly commits over 200 GB to one game. Pick your edition, and uninstall the other; our comparison of GTA Online Legacy vs Enhanced helps you choose.
Leave headroom beyond the requirement, too. Updates download and unpack before they install, so a drive with exactly 105 GB free will still refuse a big patch. A spare 10 to 15 GB is the practical minimum buffer.
3. Consoles: PS5, Xbox Series, PS4 and Xbox One
For the current consoles, the best sourced figures are the launch measurements from 2022: about 86.8 GB on PlayStation 5, and roughly 88 to 94 GB on Xbox Series X|S depending on the model and what was counted. Neither console store publishes a tidy official figure.
Those numbers are floors today. Three more years of updates have landed since they were measured, so check your own console's storage screen for the live reading before planning a download, and expect it to be higher.
The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions run the older build of the game and sit lower than the PC Legacy figure, though they too have grown far past their launch sizes with updates. The same advice applies: the storage management screen on your console is the only figure worth trusting on the day.
Moving a character to a newer console does not move the install. You download the new version fresh, then migrate your progress, which our cross-save and cross-progression explainer walks through.
4. Updates: The Size That Keeps Coming Back
The initial install is only the entry fee. GTA Online's big updates arrive a few times a year with smaller patches between them, and each one needs downloading in full before you can play.
A typical major update runs between about 3 and 6 GB depending on platform and launcher. December 2025's A Safehouse in the Hills update, for example, measured about 2.7 GB on Steam and 3 GB on the Epic Games Store, around 3.2 GB on PS5, 4.04 GB on Xbox One and 5.66 GB on Xbox Series X|S.
That spread is normal. The same content is packaged differently for every platform, so a friend on another system reporting a different download size is not a sign that either of you got the wrong update.
If an update ever seems stuck or broken rather than merely large, the fixes in our GTA Online error fixes guide cover the common download and install failures on each platform.
5. Data Use While Playing
Once installed, GTA Online is gentle on a data cap. Independent measurements of the game in play cluster around 50 MB per hour, with a small job using less and a full 32-player free-roam session pushing towards 100 MB per hour as the game syncs every player's position and actions.
Voice chat adds a little on top, and playing through a cloud streaming service is a completely different category, since the whole game arrives as video. Streamed play can use gigabytes per hour, which is the streaming service's footprint, not the game's.
For hotspot and capped connections, the maths is kind: twenty hours of play a month is roughly 1 to 2 GB, less than a single mid-sized update. Download the game and its patches on an uncapped connection, and play wherever you like.
What actually eats allowances is the reverse pattern many players fall into: deleting the game to make room, then reinstalling 100 GB later. Keeping the install parked on an external or secondary drive is cheaper than re-downloading it.
6. Making Room Without Regret
On PC, choose one edition. Enhanced is the current, smaller and better-supported version, and Legacy only earns its 125 GB if your hardware cannot run the newer build or your whole crew plays there.
On PS5, an internal expansion SSD holds the game happily, and on Xbox Series X|S the native version needs internal storage or the official expansion cards. On both consoles, moving the game beats deleting it when a new release needs temporary room.
Keep a standing buffer of free space, around 10 to 15 GB beyond the install, so weekly patches and the next big update land without a storage emergency on update day.
Finally, remember that your save data is not in the game files. Characters and progress live on Rockstar's servers tied to your account, so uninstalling never endangers your character; it only costs you the download time when you return.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many GB is GTA Online on PC?
It shares GTA V's install. The current Enhanced edition officially requires 105 GB of SSD space, and the Legacy edition requires 125 GB. If you keep both editions installed at once, plan for the two requirements added together, which is over 200 GB.
How big is GTA Online on PS5?
About 86.8 GB was the measured size when the PS5 version launched in 2022, and updates have added to it since. Your console's storage screen shows the exact current figure, which is the one to trust when planning space.
Is GTA Online a separate download from GTA V?
Usually no. On PC, PS4 and Xbox One it is part of the single GTA V installation. The exception is the standalone GTA Online edition sold for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, which leaves out story mode and carries its own store listing and size.
Why is my GTA Online update so big?
Major updates add new content files rather than only changing settings, and they typically run from about 3 to 6 GB depending on platform and launcher. The December 2025 update, for instance, ranged from roughly 2.7 GB on Steam to 5.66 GB on Xbox Series X|S.
How much data does playing GTA Online use per hour?
Around 50 MB per hour on average, based on independent measurements, and up to roughly 100 MB per hour in a full free-roam session. That is far less than most players expect; the downloads and updates use vastly more data than playing does.
Can I play GTA Online from an external hard drive?
On PC, the Enhanced edition requires an SSD, and it should be a fast internal or properly connected drive for loading. On consoles, the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions need internal storage or their official expansion options; older PS4 and Xbox One versions can run from external drives.
Does uninstalling GTA Online delete my character?
No. Your characters, money and progress are stored on Rockstar's servers against your account, not inside the game files. Uninstalling only removes the local game; reinstall and sign in, and everything is where you left it.
Why does GTA V take up so much space?
A full open-world map with high-resolution textures, thousands of vehicles and items, all the story and Online audio, and more than a decade of free update content share one installation. Each major update adds content without removing the old, so the total only ever grows.
How much free space should I leave for updates?
Around 10 to 15 GB beyond the installed size is a sensible buffer. Updates download and unpack before installing, so a drive that is exactly full to the game's size will often refuse a patch until you free space.
Is the download size the same as the installed size?
Not quite. Downloads are compressed, then unpacked during installation, so the installed game ends up larger than the file you downloaded, and the installer needs temporary room while it works. The official requirement figures describe the space to have available, which is the number to plan around.
Summary
Budget 105 GB for the game on PC, around 90 GB or more on the current consoles, and a permanent buffer for updates that never stop arriving. The playing itself is the cheap part: at roughly 50 MB an hour, your data cap fears belong to the download screen, not the session.
