According to Mashable, setting an Xbox to New Zealand time could unlock GTA 6 up to 18 hours early, with no guarantee from Rockstar or Microsoft.
Sources mashable.com
Playing GTA 6 before everyone else by changing the clock: that is the trick making the rounds on Xbox, and Mashable put it back in the spotlight on Sunday. It rests on one launch detail. If the game unlocks at midnight in each time zone, New Zealand, 18 hours ahead of the US East Coast according to the outlet, reaches November 19 well before the rest of the world.
The US site first points out that there is no early access to GTA 6: players have to wait for the release date. It then describes a "not-so-secret" Xbox trick: set the console to a New Zealand time zone, restart it, and the machine believes it is in New Zealand. Mashable says the setting has been used to launch other games early and can be reverted the same way. It relies on PCMag for the steps, which we do not detail here because we cannot verify them ourselves.
The outlet itself warns that Microsoft could close the loophole before launch. More importantly, everything rests on one assumption: an unlock at local midnight. We covered it in our piece on the release time, but Rockstar has not confirmed the exact hour, and the unlock time remains unknown. If the publisher picks a single worldwide time, or checks on its servers, the console's time zone will change nothing.
One more thing to watch: Mashable mentions a possible download from November 10 for the digital version. That does not match what has been announced: preloading is planned for November 12. We stick to the latter.
Read also GTA 6 release time: what time does it unlock on November 19?
For now, nothing: this is a player trick, not an announced feature. There is a real risk for anyone trying it: a console set to another time zone can disturb online saves, dated trophies or purchases, and nothing says Rockstar will tolerate it. The safest route is to wait for the official unlock. Everything useful is gathered on the release page, which we will update as soon as the publisher gives the exact time.
Ten days before launch, the trick says one thing above all: the wait is such that players are ready to tinker with their console to gain a few hours.
Sources mashable.com
Reported Reported by the press, not confirmed by Rockstar
By Daniel Jasner · GTAVIFRANCE newsroom
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