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Knowing how to preload Black Ops 6 means you'll be primed and ready for action when the latest Call of Duty instalment arrives on October 25, as large download sizes and server load around launch time can make things difficult if you haven't taken care of this in advance. However, the process isn't straightforward as it coincides with an overhaul of the main game hub from HQ to Call of Duty UI on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, and while Black Ops 6 is included in Game Pass there are only certain tiers that can access it at launch. To help you make sense of it all, here's an explanation of how to get the Black Ops 6 preload.
How to access the Black Ops 6 preload
To access the Black Ops 6 preload, you need to have either pre-ordered the game, or be subscribed to a specific tier of Game Pass, as it is not included in all of them at launch. If you are signed up to Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass then you'll have access, as will existing subscribers to the now closed off Xbox Game Pass for console. However, those signed up to Game Pass Standard will not get immediate access at launch, and Microsoft haven't confirmed when Black Ops 6 is coming to that tier, while it's unlikely that it will ever be added to the Game Pass Core curated catalogue.
If you've got access and you already have Call of Duty installed on PlayStation, Xbox, or PC, then you should receive the Black Ops 6 preload automatically during the update of the main game hub from HQ to the new Call of Duty UI. If you don't have Call of Duty installed, then you can start the download from the relevant storefront for your platform. By starting up the Call of Duty UI you can confirm the status of your preload, and if you open the options menu then select 'Manage Files' you can decide what elements of Black Ops 6, Warzone, and previous Call of Duty games you want to remain installed on your system.
How to preload Black Ops 6 on PlayStation
You can preload Black Ops 6 on PS5 and PS4 by following the process above, but PlayStation players who have not pre-ordered may still end up downloading some Black Ops 6 content as part of the latest Warzone update. Due to the way content delivery works on PS5, all players will download Black Ops 6 Multiplayer and Zombies as part of the Call of Duty install, though these can be uninstalled manually afterwards through the 'Manage Files' process as described previously. PS4 players will also download some shared content between Black Ops 6 and Warzone, for optimizations on that platform.
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