Sony released a new PS5 system update, version 26.07-14.22.00, at the start of this week, and within hours a claim was circulating that GTA 6 will refuse to run without it. MP1st reported the update late on November 1, while Insider Gaming, Game Rant and Push Square date it to November 2. The update is real. The GTA 6 requirement is not confirmed.

The requirement claim comes from a single source: PlayStation Game Size, an account on X that says it reads PlayStation Store backend data. Sony and Rockstar have not published a minimum firmware version for Grand Theft Auto VI, so we are treating this as reported rather than fact.

What's Confirmed

These parts are on the record:

  • Grand Theft Auto VI launches on November 19, 2026, on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
  • Preloading opens at local midnight on November 12, according to Rockstar Support, based on the region of your store account.
  • The physical edition is a box with a download code. Rockstar Support says a disc will not be included, so every buyer goes through the console's store and download system.

On the update itself, Sony's patch notes, as quoted by MP1st and Insider Gaming, are a single line: "We've made some security fixes to the system software." Sony gives no detail on what was fixed and does not mention GTA 6.

What's Being Reported

Insider Gaming and Game Rant put the download at about 1.267GB. Game Rant says the previous update, version 14.20, arrived on October 21. MP1st says the new version does not appear to be mandatory for now.

The GTA 6 link is much thinner than some headlines suggest. In October, PlayStation Game Size posted that the game "requires at least PS5 Update 14.10.00.00". After the new update appeared, the account quoted its own post with a caption reading "14.22.00.00". That caption is the whole basis for the story.

Outlets have read it differently. Push Square reports the higher requirement but stresses, "This is entirely their reporting based on their own findings." Insider Gaming says the post "seemingly" suggests the game may now need the latest update, and Game Rant calls the idea unconfirmed. IGN has also run the firmware story under a headline about Sony's jailbreak fight.

The same account was first with the reported 210GB PS5 download size in October, and Insider Gaming said then that it had corroborated that number. We have not seen anyone say the same about the firmware figure.

Why Outlets Are Linking It to Jailbreaks

The piracy angle is the outlets' reading, not Sony's. Sony has not said this update targets jailbreaks or has anything to do with GTA 6. The context is a run of recent homebrew activity on PS5, including a bypass shown on firmware 14.10 last month. Game Rant notes that this method "did not provide access to the files needed to run any games".

Push Square points out there is precedent for games requiring recent system software in order to boot, naming Marvel's Wolverine as one example. So the claim is plausible. Plausible is not the same as announced.

What PS5 Owners Should Do

Very little changes either way. A security update of roughly 1.3GB is small next to the reported size of the game itself. If you plan to preload, the sensible step is to check for updates before November 12 under System Software in your PS5 settings, so a pending update doesn't get in the way that night.

None of the reports we read make a similar claim about Xbox Series X|S system software.

What to Watch Next

The claim can be settled quickly. A minimum system version could appear on the public store listing or in Rockstar Support's preload guidance, and the preload opening on November 12 will show what consoles actually ask for. Sony may also ship further updates before launch, which would make any single version number out of date. Until Sony or Rockstar says it, 14.22 stays in the reported column here.