Virgin Media O2 reported two records on GTA VI pre-load day. What do they measure?

On the day Grand Theft Auto VI opened for pre-loading, Virgin Media O2 says it broke two records on its UK fixed broadband network. Peak traffic rose 3.8% above its previous high, while the total data moved over the day rose 4% above its previous daily record. The operator measured traffic on 10 November and published the figures the next day. Neither figure tells you when a download will finish at home. Read the operator’s report.

A peak and a full day answer different questions

Peak traffic is a rate: it describes how much data the network was carrying per unit of time during its busiest period. Virgin Media O2 compares the GTA VI pre-load day with its previous evening high during the Arsenal versus Atlético Madrid Champions League match. Its earlier release dates that peak to 5 May. See the previous peak.

Daily volume adds up data across the whole day. The 4% increase uses a different baseline: the operator’s previous daily record after the 1 November Fortnite Chapter 7 Mini Season release. You can add more data over a day without having the sharpest peak. The percentages cannot tell you how much of the day’s traffic came from the game, whether a particular household slowed down or what happened on another ISP.

Virgin Media O2 reported two separate records on its UK fixed broadband network on 10 November 2026. Each percentage uses its own previous record as the baseline. Original data graphic: PING! Magazine. Figures: Virgin Media O2.

Check the console store before setting aside download time

Rockstar’s support note gives two pre-load clocks for 10 November. PlayStation 5 started at midnight local time. Xbox Series X|S started at 00:00 GMT globally. The publisher lists the console release separately, at midnight local time on 19 November. In the UK those pre-load clocks aligned in November. Readers in African markets should read the Xbox time against their own time zone and check the listing for their account’s store region. The UK traffic report says nothing about local network conditions there. Rockstar’s regional timing note.

Rockstar says the pre-load is available for digital pre-orders. Buyers of the code-in-box version can start once they receive and activate the code. A pre-load lets you download before launch. The console still shows when it can be played. Rockstar’s pre-load announcement.

Make an estimate from your own connection

Read the download size shown on your console, then use a recent speed reading from the connection it will use. As an arithmetic example, moving 60 GB at a constant 100 megabits per second would take about 80 minutes before overhead or installation. That is an example file, not a reported GTA VI file size. A console can give you a better live estimate once the download starts. Its estimate can still move as the rate changes.

If you have time, check your connection more than once. Ofcom recommends testing at different times and trying a cable directly into the router when possible. A wired speed test can help you separate Wi-Fi effects from other limits. Check available storage before starting. If your plan has a data allowance, check what remains. If the line is shared, pick a time when the download will not interrupt someone’s work or call. None of that requires upgrading on the strength of a national headline. Ofcom’s broadband troubleshooting guide.

Read PING! on the difference between network coverage and a usable connection.