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Although many players still opt for boxed editions of games, their contents increasingly differ from what the market has been used to for years. A good example is Grand Theft Auto VI, whose physical edition does not include a disc with the game. Instead, buyers receive only a code enabling them to download the title. Rockstar has now revealed an additional restriction relating to one of the versions of the game. In Japan the download code for GTA 6 on PlayStation 5 will only be valid for a limited time. For some collectors and those who buy the game late this could prove to be a significant problem.
Japanese GTA 6 PS5 release will include a code with an expiry date
Rockstar has confirmed on its website that download codes for GTA 6 included with boxed PlayStation 5 editions in Japan will expire 170 days after the game's release. This means players will be able to activate the code only until around 8 May 2027. After that date, any unactivated code will become invalid. In practice, a sealed box bought many months after release may no longer provide access to the game. The publisher emphasises that the restriction stems from regulations in Japan. According to industry reports, this concerns rules covering prepaid digital instruments. Codes valid for more than six months there are subject to additional legal requirements. Setting the validity period at 170 days avoids those requirements. Rockstar also recommends buying the game in the same region as the PlayStation account used to activate the code. The restriction applies only to the Japanese PS5 version of the game. So far no similar rules have been announced for other countries. Xbox console users have not been affected by this measure either.
Physical releases are increasingly just a box with a code
The news has once again reignited the debate about the significance of physical game releases. In the case of GTA 6 the box does not contain a disc with the game, but only a code to download the digital version. Players will be able to start downloading from 12 November, a week before the release scheduled for 19 November 2026. For most people buying the game on launch day the code's expiry will probably not matter much. The situation is different for collectors, people buying the game as a gift, or customers picking up a copy many months after release. In their case an expired code could mean purchasing a product that can no longer be activated. This is another example of the industry's gradual move away from traditional physical media. Increasingly the box serves only as packaging for a digital licence. For some players this means a reduced sense of actually owning the game they bought. At the same time publishers gain greater control over how their titles are distributed. This trend may extend to other big-budget releases in the future.
Rockstar has confirmed that the Japanese boxed edition of GTA 6 for PlayStation 5 will include a code valid for 170 days from release. Although the restriction applies only to Japan, it once again shows how different modern physical game releases are from those of just a few years ago.
source: Digital Trends
