If driving with music is the point, start with Forza Horizon 5. Its festival-sized open world, constant vehicle access and station switching make it the cleanest drive-and-listen substitute for waiting on GTA 6. Choose Cyberpunk 2077 if you want radio that can follow you outside the car, Watch Dogs 2 for contemporary city exploration, or The Crew 2 for another driving-first game. Grand Theft Auto V is the closest existing match for Rockstar’s crime-sandbox structure, while Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is the classic option.
Rockstar currently announces GTA VI for November 19, 2026, although an announced date can still change. The games below are alternatives, not claims that their stations contain the same songs or reproduce GTA’s exact formula. “Licensed radio” is also an imperfect label: a game may combine licensed third-party recordings, commissioned originals and fictional in-world performances.
At a glance
| Name | Best for | Key spec | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forza Horizon 5 | Driving and changing stations | Open-world festival racing with curated in-car radio | Nov 2026 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | Keeping music on beyond the car | Vehicle radio plus the on-foot Radioport feature; CD PROJEKT RED announced more than 150 original tracks in 2020 | Nov 2026 |
| Watch Dogs 2 | Contemporary-city exploration | Ubisoft identifies its in-game radio as playing licensed songs | Nov 2026 |
| The Crew 2 | Another driving-first option | Ubisoft identifies its in-game radio as playing licensed songs | Nov 2026 |
| Grand Theft Auto V | The closest existing GTA structure | Crime-sandbox missions with Rockstar radio; historical track availability can vary | Nov 2026 |
| Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | A classic GTA radio experience | Edition-specific radio controls are documented in Rockstar’s PS3 manual | Nov 2026 |
What does “licensed radio soundtrack” mean in these games?
It means the game presents music as something you hear while moving through its world, but it does not guarantee that every song is a commercial recording licensed from a real-world artist. The most useful distinction is between three kinds of audio:
- Licensed third-party recordings: existing songs whose rights holder has authorized their use in the game. Ubisoft explicitly describes the radio in Watch Dogs 2 and The Crew 2 this way.
- Commissioned or original music: tracks made for the game, sometimes by real artists working under fictional names. CD PROJEKT RED said in 2020 that Cyberpunk 2077 had more than 150 original tracks. That figure is not a count of separately licensed chart hits.
- In-world performances: music presented as part of the setting, such as a fictional station, band or broadcast. It can sound like a real radio format without being a playlist of recognizable commercial singles.
This matters when you choose a game for a particular song. Publisher descriptions establish the presence and role of radio, but they do not prove that every historical track remains in every edition, region or current release. Treat a station as a design feature first and a permanent music library second.
Which game is best for driving around with the radio on?
Forza Horizon 5 is the strongest match for the specific “drive, change stations and get lost” request. It is a racing-and-festival game rather than a crime sandbox, so its activities, progression and atmosphere differ from GTA’s missions, but driving is its central verb instead of a way to travel between objectives.
1. Forza Horizon 5 — best for driving and changing stations
Forza Horizon 5 builds its open world around continuous vehicle play. You can treat the map as a route-planning playground, a place to discover roads and scenery, or a sequence of races and festival events. The radio is therefore part of the journey rather than an occasional menu of songs between story scenes.
Its main advantage for a GTA-waiting player is control over the listening rhythm. You can drive for a few minutes, switch stations when the mood changes, and continue exploring without needing a mission to justify the trip. Official Forza music coverage supports the radio premise and frames the soundtrack as part of the festival presentation.
The trade-off is equally important: this is not a substitute for GTA’s crime stories, pedestrian sandbox or mission structure. There is no reason to expect the same blend of driving, shooting, character drama and satire. Pick Forza when the car-and-radio loop is your priority, not when you specifically want Rockstar-style criminal escalation.
Official publisher coverage also discusses physical retail discs. A disc is a format choice, not proof that every music right is permanently preserved; check the exact edition and current platform listing before buying, especially if a particular station is the reason for your choice.
2. Cyberpunk 2077 — best when the music should follow you on foot
Cyberpunk 2077 has the most distinctive listening feature in this group: vehicle radio is complemented by Radioport, which lets the player keep radio-style audio available outside the car. That makes it the best option when you want music during urban walking, exploration and role-playing rather than only while driving.
The setting is a dense futuristic city, and the game is an action role-playing experience. Its streets, side activities and character quests ask you to inhabit a specific world, not simply tour a racing map. Choose it when the atmosphere of a living city and the ability to carry music between vehicles and foot travel matter more than reproducing GTA’s contemporary crime fiction.
Be precise about the soundtrack. CD PROJEKT RED announced more than 150 original tracks in 2020, but that number describes music created for Cyberpunk 2077; it does not mean the game contains more than 150 separately licensed real-world hits. The world also uses fictional artists and in-universe broadcasts, so “radio soundtrack” here covers a broader blend than a conventional licensed-song playlist.
Radioport is the deciding feature for many listeners. If you routinely abandon the car to investigate a building, follow a quest or wander a market, Cyberpunk 2077 avoids the vehicle-only limitation found in many open-world games. If you mainly want long highway drives and frequent station changes, Forza Horizon 5 remains the more focused choice.
3. Watch Dogs 2 — best contemporary-city alternative
Watch Dogs 2 is the strongest pick for a present-day urban setting that is not GTA. Its Bay Area environment supports exploration on foot and by vehicle, with a tone and technology-driven approach that differ from Rockstar’s criminal sandbox.
Ubisoft expressly identifies the in-game radio as playing licensed songs. That makes Watch Dogs 2 a clearer fit than a game whose soundtrack is entirely original or fictional, while still leaving room for edition and regional differences in what a current player hears.
The game is valuable as an alternative because its city is not merely a backdrop for races. You can move between streets, vehicles and hacking-focused situations, so the soundtrack accompanies a broader urban tour. The radio complements contemporary exploration rather than defining a racing festival.
Do not buy it for one promised song without checking the edition you will play. Publisher statements establish licensed radio, but they do not establish a universal, unchanged track list across every release and territory.
4. The Crew 2 — another driving-first option
The Crew 2 belongs near Forza Horizon 5 for readers who want the vehicle to remain the center of the experience. Its open-world design is organized around driving and other vehicle activities, so radio works as accompaniment to extended travel and event-hopping.
Ubisoft explicitly says its radio plays licensed songs. That gives it a stronger factual basis for a licensed-radio recommendation than a game described only as having “music.” Still, licensed songs do not make it a GTA replacement: the emphasis is on vehicles and events, not crime missions, character drama or a Rockstar-style city narrative.
Choose The Crew 2 when you want another driving-led world to rotate into your schedule, especially if variety in vehicle activities matters more than a tightly authored urban story. Choose Forza Horizon 5 when the festival setting, open-road wandering and station switching are the exact experience you are chasing.
5. Grand Theft Auto V — closest existing GTA alternative
Grand Theft Auto V is the obvious choice if the part you miss is not merely radio but the complete GTA structure: a crime sandbox, mission chains, character-driven action and a world designed for aimless driving between set pieces. Rockstar’s radio presentation is familiar territory for anyone waiting for GTA VI.
It is also the recommendation with the least conceptual adjustment. You do not have to translate a racing game into a crime game or a futuristic role-playing city into a contemporary one; the basic relationship between vehicle, city and radio is already the one GTA players understand.
Keep expectations edition-specific. An older description of GTA V’s stations is not a guarantee that every historical track is available in every current release and region. Music rights can change, so verify the edition you are considering and avoid treating a remembered playlist as a permanent specification.
GTA V is therefore the best answer to “What feels most like GTA while I wait?” It is not automatically the best answer to “What gives me the most freedom to drive with constantly changing music?” For that narrower listening goal, Forza Horizon 5 puts the vehicle loop first.
6. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas — the classic pick
San Andreas remains the choice for players who want the older, more stylized version of Rockstar’s radio-led open world. Its stations are woven into a large-scale journey through neighborhoods and countryside, and the radio helps establish period, character and place while you travel.
Rockstar’s PS3 manual documents radio controls for that edition. The manual is useful evidence that station interaction is part of the game, but it does not prove one universal song list for the original release, later rereleases and every region. Identify the edition before treating any list of songs as current.
The game’s age is part of the appeal and part of the limitation. Its structure and presentation are classic rather than contemporary, and its technical behavior can differ from newer open-world games. Pick it for the historical GTA atmosphere and radio identity, not because a manual for one edition guarantees identical music everywhere.
How do the six picks compare on the things that matter?
The table separates the listening experience from the broader game loop. No single option wins every category.
| Game | Driving focus | Setting | Radio away from the car | Primary gameplay emphasis | Music qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forza Horizon 5 | Highest | Festival and open-road racing world | Not the defining feature | Races, driving events and exploration | Curated radio; official coverage supports the music feature, but no exhaustive current list is established here |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | High, but not exclusive | Futuristic city | Yes, through Radioport | Action role-playing, quests and city exploration | Mix of vehicle radio, fictional artists and more than 150 announced original tracks; not all are separately licensed hits |
| Watch Dogs 2 | Medium | Contemporary Bay Area | Not identified as a defining feature | Urban exploration and technology-driven missions | Ubisoft identifies the radio as playing licensed songs; exact availability can vary |
| The Crew 2 | Highest | Large vehicle-focused world | Not identified as a defining feature | Vehicle activities and events | Ubisoft identifies the radio as playing licensed songs |
| Grand Theft Auto V | High within a crime sandbox | Contemporary GTA world | Not identified as a separate feature | Crime missions, driving, shooting and free roaming | Rockstar radio; historical track availability is not guaranteed across editions and regions |
| Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | High within a classic GTA structure | Classic-era GTA world | Not identified as a separate feature | Crime missions and open-world travel | Radio controls documented for the PS3 manual’s edition; track lists require edition-specific checking |
Which game should you choose for your particular kind of waiting?
Use the following decision path instead of treating “licensed radio” as a single feature.
- Put driving first: choose Forza Horizon 5. It makes the car, open-road movement and station changes the core loop.
- Want music while walking through a futuristic city: choose Cyberpunk 2077 for Radioport and its role-playing setting.
- Want a modern city without a futuristic setting: choose Watch Dogs 2 and its Ubisoft-described licensed radio.
- Want vehicles and events rather than crime missions: choose The Crew 2 as the other driving-first option.
- Want GTA’s actual mission structure: choose Grand Theft Auto V. It is the closest existing series-shaped substitute.
- Want the classic Rockstar radio atmosphere: choose Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, after checking the specific edition’s music availability.
What should you check before buying or reinstalling?
Music rights and editions are the main sources of disappointment. A short verification routine prevents a remembered playlist from becoming a false purchase promise.
- Edition: identify the exact release, remaster or platform version. San Andreas’ PS3 manual, for example, documents controls for that edition rather than every version ever sold.
- Region: do not assume a station’s songs are identical worldwide. Publisher descriptions here do not establish universal regional availability.
- Current listing: check the present store or physical listing for the edition you intend to play. Availability and rights can change independently of the game’s original marketing.
- Gameplay priority: decide whether you want a racing/festival game, a futuristic role-playing city, a contemporary urban sandbox or a GTA crime structure.
- Radio behavior: confirm whether you need music only in vehicles or want a feature such as Cyberpunk 2077’s Radioport that extends listening beyond the car.
- Song certainty: if one artist or track is essential, seek an edition-specific, region-specific source rather than relying on a general station description.
When is GTA VI scheduled to release?
Rockstar Games states that Grand Theft Auto VI will release on Thursday, November 19, 2026. That is the publisher’s announced date, not a guarantee that no further change is possible, so check Rockstar’s current announcement before planning around it.
Until then, the best substitute depends on which part of the wait you want to solve. Forza Horizon 5 answers the pure drive-and-radio request; Cyberpunk 2077 answers the need for music that can continue on foot; Watch Dogs 2 and The Crew 2 cover licensed-radio alternatives in different world designs; and GTA V or San Andreas preserve Rockstar’s own structure.
Are there soundtrack products connected with GTA VI?
Rockstar has announced GTA VI soundtrack CD and vinyl formats. An announcement of formats does not establish that they are currently purchasable, stocked everywhere or a substitute for the in-game radio, so treat them as a separate future soundtrack release rather than a buying recommendation today.
FAQ
Does Cyberpunk 2077’s “more than 150 tracks” mean 150 licensed hits?
No. CD PROJEKT RED’s 2020 figure refers to more than 150 original tracks created for Cyberpunk 2077. The number should not be read as a count of separately licensed commercial recordings.
Can a San Andreas radio manual confirm the songs in my current version?
No. Rockstar’s PS3 manual documents radio controls for that edition, but it does not establish one track list for the original release, later rereleases and every region. Check the edition you actually plan to play.
Why can a song disappear from an older game’s radio?
Music rights are tied to agreements that can differ by release, territory and time. A remembered station or an old playlist description is therefore not proof that the same recording remains in every current edition.
Is a physical game disc a permanent backup of its licensed soundtrack?
Not necessarily. Publisher coverage may discuss retail discs, but the existence of a disc does not prove that every licensed recording is permanently available in all editions or regions. Verify the specific release and its current music situation.
Will GTA VI’s announced date definitely hold?
November 19, 2026 is Rockstar’s announced date. Because release schedules can move, recheck the publisher’s latest announcement before treating that date as fixed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Cyberpunk 2077’s “more than 150 tracks” mean 150 licensed hits?
No. CD PROJEKT RED’s 2020 figure refers to more than 150 original tracks created for Cyberpunk 2077, not a count of separately licensed commercial recordings.
Can a San Andreas radio manual confirm the songs in my current version?
No. Rockstar’s PS3 manual documents radio controls for that edition, but it does not establish one track list for every rerelease and region. Check the edition you plan to play.
Why can a song disappear from an older game’s radio?
Music rights can differ by release, territory and time. An old playlist description is not proof that the same recording remains in every current edition.
Is a physical game disc a permanent backup of its licensed soundtrack?
Not necessarily. A disc does not prove that every licensed recording remains available in all editions or regions, so verify the specific release.
Will GTA VI’s announced date definitely hold?
November 19, 2026 is Rockstar’s announced date, but release schedules can move. Recheck the publisher’s latest announcement before treating it as fixed.