GTA 6 may require PS5 firmware 14.22, Push Square reports

Sony pushed out another PlayStation 5 firmware update on November 2, and according to Insider Gaming, it strengthens the console's security ahead of GTA 6's November 19 launch. Push Square now goes further: it reports that the new firmware will reportedly be needed to play GTA 6 on PS5, and frames the move as Sony fighting piracy in the run-up to release.

The requirement first surfaced the same day through PlayStation Game Size, an account that monitors changes in PlayStation Store databases. It posted that GTA 6 is linked to system software version 14.22.00.00, which Brazilian outlet Critical Hits read as a sign the game may refuse to run on anything older.

Neither Sony nor Rockstar Games has said the update and the game are connected, and neither has listed 14.22.00.00 as an official minimum requirement for GTA 6.

A month of PS5 jailbreak cracks

Push Square adds context on why Sony might be moving fast. The outlet says that since early October, hackers have been breaking PS5 firmware from version 7.00 through 13.60 with the help of AI tools, and that Sony has answered with a series of firmware updates since then.

The sources don't quite agree on where the line sits today. Critical Hits says public jailbreak methods reach consoles on firmware up to 14.00, while Push Square's figure tops out at 13.60. Either way, both put 14.22 beyond what current public exploits can handle.

Why a firmware floor would hurt pirates

If GTA 6 does demand 14.22, a jailbroken PS5 would have to update, and lose its exploit, before it could boot the game. That matters because a hacked console can run unauthorized software and makes it easier to pull files out of a game. Critical Hits suggests a newer firmware requirement could help Rockstar and Sony limit the risk of GTA 6's files being extracted and passed around before launch.

That remains the outlets' interpretation. Push Square's piracy framing and Critical Hits' theory both line up with the timing, but Critical Hits itself notes that neither company has confirmed the motive. Rockstar has reason to be cautious: GTA 6 has already been hit by leaks during its long development, and PS5 piracy worries have grown as launch nears. Background on the earlier PS5 hypervisor fix is in our piracy explainer.

The 14.22 requirement is still unofficial

Push Square's report adds a second major outlet to the claim, but the core detail still traces back to store database data spotted by a tracker. There is no Rockstar announcement, no updated PlayStation Store requirement listing and no on-record statement from Sony tying the patch to GTA 6. Insider Gaming's report describes the update as a security improvement timed ahead of the game, without quoting Sony on the link.

If the requirement holds, most players won't notice it. Anyone whose PS5 installs system updates as normal would just need to be on the latest firmware before starting the game, which is how Critical Hits describes the mechanism working. The people it would actually affect are those keeping consoles on older firmware to preserve a jailbreak.

GTA 6 launches on November 19, 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. For PS5 Pro owners, Rockstar's Enhanced badge is the other console-specific detail confirmed so far, and the rest of what is known about the game is in our GTA 6 guide.