GTA 6 installed but locked: launch and licence checks

Has the game unlocked for your purchase?

First compare the release-time table with the countdown for your own purchase. Rockstar’s general wording and the Canadian and US PlayStation Store timestamps differ. A finished preload does not itself unlock the game.

If the countdown is still running, restarting or reinstalling does not bring the announced release forward. A retail delivery date is also different from the time you can play.

PS5: check the account and license

1. Use the account that purchased the game or redeemed the box code. Verify that the correct game appears in its library.
2. If another account on your PS5 owns the game, PlayStation directs you to that account’s Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play. Check whether sharing is enabled for this console.
3. To refresh the game entitlement, go to Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Restore Licenses and select the relevant license. PlayStation also offers Restore License from the game’s Options menu.

Match the next step to the symptom

If the download or update has not completed, use the installation checks first. A downloaded base game and a completed, ready installation are not necessarily the same state.

For Xbox, check the release countdown and purchase account, then use the platform’s official help for the exact error shown. The PS5 license menu above does not exist under those same names on Xbox.

Keep the error code, console model and steps already tried. Tell support whether the game stays locked, closes after opening or fails before reaching its menu. This guide does not diagnose a particular crash without that evidence.

Missing bonuses are a separate question

PlayStation says Ultimate bonuses appear as the story progresses. Their absence at the beginning does not by itself prove a failed purchase. Compare your edition and eligible bonuses before reinstalling; specific mission unlocks have not been tested here.