Discussion: Are You Pre-Saving the Official Soundtrack or Waiting for the Radio?
My brother and I have been counting down to November 19, and the one thing we can't agree on is the music. Rockstar has Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album up for pre-save on streaming, plus vinyl and CD pre-orders. After that Launch Trailer with the original track "Flower in a Hurricane" by Justice, Tame Impala, SZA, and King Gizzard, I'm tempted to just hit play and soak it all in early.
But here's the thing: I still remember cruising into Vice City for the first time in the old games, flicking through stations and landing on Flash FM by accident. That moment of discovery is pure magic. With Flash FM confirmed to return, I want to save that surprise for when I'm actually behind the wheel, neon lights reflecting off the hood, no idea what song comes next. My partner says I'm being precious—she's already pre-saved the album and is making a road trip playlist for launch day.
So where do you land? Are you pre-saving the official soundtrack and blasting it now, or holding out to let the in-game radio stations curate your first listen? And do you have a favorite GTA radio station from past games you're hoping makes a comeback? I'll be over here, still chasing that Emotion 98.3 vibe.
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Replies (4)
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Count me firmly in the waiting camp. Stealing your first ride in original Vice City and hearing the radio fade in through staticky speakers is a core memory you only get once. Blasting the tracks beforehand completely strips away the context. The fake DJ chatter, satirical ads, and surprise transitions are half the experience. Keep the streaming apps closed until you have rolled credits.
You hit on what really matters here: context. GTA radios are not just shuffled playlists; they are diegetic worldbuilding. The tracks hit different when they are interrupted by unhinged talk radio hosts or commercial breaks poking fun at in-game corporations. Pulling the songs out into a vacuum turns atmosphere into mere background noise. Holding out for that first cruise down the strip is the way to go.
Streaming it on an existing sub is one thing, but buying vinyl and collector CDs before knowing if you even like half the tracklist is wild impulse spending. The radio stations come bundled with the base game anyway, so why pay extra to curate a playlist early? Let the game serve up the soundtrack you already paid for.
Spot on about double dipping. Besides, half the fun on PC will be seeing if running an external music app in the background eats into frame times while the game is already melting hardware. I would rather let the in-game audio mixer handle it natively so ambient city noise and tire squeals blend properly with the radio without weird volume clipping.