GTA VI Finally Gets Headphones: Commit Felonies, Enjoy Podcasts
GTA VI has six confirmed radio stations: Cocoteo FM, Back Country Radio, AfroBank FM, The Chamber 106.6, Flash FM and Dirty South Classics. Rockstar revealed them on October 8, alongside on-demand podcasts and a welcome addition: players will be able to listen to radio and podcasts through their character's smartphone and headphones while exploring Leonida on foot.
So, after decades of Grand Theft Auto, we can finally get out of the bloody car without sacrificing the music.
GTA has always had brilliant radio stations, but they've suffered from one irritating problem. You find a song you love, arrive at your destination, and suddenly you're sitting in a stolen vehicle waiting for it to finish because getting out would be an act of musical vandalism.
Rockstar has apparently decided we've suffered enough.
Rockstar has finally liberated the radio from the dashboard. But what else has GTA VI actually confirmed? Explore our GTA VI coverage before the internet turns another suspiciously blurry screenshot into seventeen new gameplay features.
All six confirmed GTA VI radio stations
The six stations revealed so far cover quite a range of music:
Cocoteo FM: Latin music, including bachata, merengue, dembow and reggaeton.
Back Country Radio: Country music broadcasting across the Grassrivers and Port Gellhorn, with a roving reporter and swamp meteorologist.
AfroBank FM: African music ranging from older classics to amapiano and 3-step.
The Chamber 106.6: Heavy metal from the 1980s onwards.
Flash FM: The returning Vice City pop station, hosted by Robyn and Alex.
Dirty South Classics: Southern rap and hip-hop classics, featuring Trick and Trina.
AfroBank FM also features Burna and Palmsy, while Flash FM's return should make longtime Vice City players rather happy.
Personally, I'm curious about Back Country Radio. A country station with its own swamp meteorologist is exactly the sort of nonsense I want from GTA. What on earth does this person forecast? Rain? Hurricanes? The likelihood of your garden being occupied by a six-foot reptile with the temperament of a divorced nightclub bouncer?
And what qualifies as breaking news in the Grassrivers? An alligator escaping? An alligator returning? An alligator running for governor?
Actually, given the political climate GTA usually portrays, the alligator might have a respectable chance of winning.
These are the six stations Rockstar has previewed, not necessarily the complete lineup. The total number remains unknown.
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The biggest change happens when you leave your car
GTA's radio has traditionally been attached to vehicles. But think about how much time you spend outside a car, exploring streets, visiting businesses, wandering beaches or contemplating whether that suspiciously expensive sports car belongs to someone who would miss it.
GTA VI changes that by allowing players to listen through headphones or earbuds connected to their character's smartphone.
It's a simple idea, and I'm slightly amazed it has taken this long.
We live in a world where a teenager can listen to a four-hour podcast about ancient Rome while operating a forklift, yet GTA's criminal population has apparently spent decades believing portable audio is technology best left to NASA.
More importantly, players can now continue listening while exploring Leonida, without having to choose between finishing a broadcast and leaving their vehicle.
That becomes particularly interesting with podcasts.
GTA VI is getting on-demand podcasts, and the possibilities are ridiculous
Rockstar has confirmed on-demand podcasts, although the complete catalogue and playback interface remain unknown.
GTA has spent years creating a fictional America populated by advertisers, conspiracy theorists, celebrities and people whose opinions should probably require a licence. Giving those people podcasts feels almost inevitable.
Imagine some millionaire explaining that poverty is a mindset, conveniently forgetting the enormous inheritance he received before his first birthday.
Or a conspiracy theorist spending three hours explaining why birds are government surveillance equipment, interrupted every twelve minutes by advertisements for military-grade protein powder.
Those are hypothetical examples, of course. Rockstar hasn't announced specific programmes like these, but GTA's particular brand of satire seems purpose-built for podcast culture.
Podcasts also make more sense when players can listen outside vehicles. Rather than losing a broadcast whenever you step out of a car, you could potentially spend time exploring Leonida while listening to its most spectacularly unqualified inhabitants.
Whether players can browse episodes, resume playback or manage subscriptions remains unconfirmed.
GTA VI might have podcasts, but GTA Online already has an entire criminal economy dedicated to wasting your Thursday. Check the latest GTA Online Weekly Grind and find out which illegal activities are actually worth your time this week.
What Rockstar still hasn't confirmed
Total radio stations: Six revealed, full lineup unknown.
Podcast catalogue: No complete programme or episode list.
Playback controls: The exact smartphone interface remains unknown.
Additional functionality: Nothing beyond the announced portable listening system has been established.
GTA's radio has always helped make its worlds feel alive, from ridiculous advertisements to presenters who probably shouldn't be allowed near broadcasting equipment.
Letting that entire circus follow you around Leonida makes perfect sense.
And I love that Rockstar has finally addressed one of GTA's oldest inconveniences. We're given enormous open worlds, remarkable freedom and practically unlimited opportunities for criminal behaviour, yet for years we've had to sit in a parked car because Phil Collins hadn't finished singing.
Apparently, even organised crime must respect the chorus.
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