I still get why people buy the box. It looks like GTA on a shelf. Just go in with your eyes open: you are paying for packaging and a code, then downloading the same game as everyone else.
What is actually in the box
A case, art, and a code. After you redeem it on the matching account, the console pulls the game down. There is no install-from-disc shortcut, no offline silver disc sitting in a drawer.
Rockstar timed the box for November 12, a week before launch, which is the same idea as digital preload. If your internet is slow, that week matters more than the plastic.
Why fans are mad, and why the studio probably does not care
Collectors wanted a real disc. Leak-averse Rockstar wanted fewer review copies falling off trucks. Retailers still get something to put on a peg. Those three facts can all be true at once.
I am not going to pretend a code is 'physical gaming'. It is a store SKU with a cardboard souvenir. If that souvenir makes you happy, buy it. If you only care about playing, digital is the same file.
The PlayStation trap
Cheap imported boxes are how people get burned. Rockstar lists PlayStation country groups. Your account country has to match the code. Xbox is described as looser.
If a listing looks too cheap and ships from another region, read the fine print twice. A bonus car does not help if the code will not redeem.