Unconfirmed report: the discovery or claim is attributed to its original source, not an official Rockstar confirmation.
Unconfirmed claims and evidence

How the New Zealand region swap works

According to Gamerant, Xbox Series X|S users can simply change their console’s system location to New Zealand in the Settings menu. After restarting the system, the console checks against Microsoft’s New Zealand storefront, and the pre‑installed GTA 6 unlocks the moment NZ crosses midnight (GMT+13). PlayStation 5 owners must create a secondary PSN account registered to a New Zealand address and download the game from the NZ PlayStation Store. While this violates Sony’s Terms of Service, actual bans for regional account sharing are exceptionally rare. Once the account is active, the game launches early on PS5 as well. Both platforms require the game to be pre‑loaded before the swap to avoid missing the early unlock window.

Context and analysis

What to watch out for

Gamerant warns that activation codes tied to specific regions may not work after the swap, and any pre‑order bonuses or account‑bound perks usually remain locked to the original New Zealand purchase account. Players should also ensure they have at least 212 GB of free space for the massive install. The method does not involve any official early‑access program from Rockstar Games, so there is no guarantee against future policy changes. While the trick is currently unofficially supported by the community, users should be aware of potential Terms of Service violations on PS5 and monitor for any updates from Sony or Rockstar regarding regional account usage.

GTA 6 early access region trick on PS5 and Xbox via New Zealand swap
Image accompanying the source report

Sources and notes

Claims, reports, leaks and rumors are attributed to their original sources. Unconfirmed information is labeled clearly and should not be read as established fact.