Grand Theft Auto VI launches November 19th for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, and the hype is unlike anything we’ve seen in gaming. Other publishers are literally moving their release dates to avoid getting buried. But there’s a problem: the hardware you need to play it has gotten dramatically more expensive.
When Rockstar confirmed GTA VI development back in 2022, the PS5 was $499.99. After two price hikes, it’s now $649.99. Or $899.99 if you want the PS5 Pro that a resource-intensive game like GTA VI will probably benefit from. Microsoft has raised Xbox prices three times since 2025. The Series S is now $499.99 and the Series X tops out at $799.99.
That’s hundreds of dollars more than launch prices, and it goes against the usual wisdom that consoles get cheaper over time. For a game expected to be a system seller, the timing is rough. A lot of people who’ve been waiting to upgrade specifically for GTA VI are now staring at $600-plus price tags just to play one game.
To put it in perspective: GTA V has sold 230 million copies across multiple console generations and PC. The PS5 install base is just over 90 million, and Microsoft has sold around 30 million current-gen Xbox consoles. Even if every single one of those owners buys GTA VI, it won’t come close to GTA V’s numbers. The install base simply isn’t as big as it used to be relative to the hype.
Rockstar opened preorders this week, and the game itself costs $79.99. The physical version doesn’t even include a disc, it’s a code in a box. But those are minor complaints compared to the hardware cost barrier. Whether GTA VI can overcome rising console prices is the real question heading into launch.
