GTA 6 launch could strain PS5 and Xbox holiday supply
A retailer warning says GTA 6 could make PS5 and Xbox Series X|S harder to find for holiday shoppers, with demand expected to outrun supply.
| A retailer warning is already putting GTA 6 in the same conversation as holiday console shortages. One anonymous senior buyer at a major retailer said component supply issues could keep stores from getting the number of PS5 and Xbox Series X | S systems they want ahead of launch, and put it bluntly: “demand will likely outstrip supply during the year-end period.” |
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| Rockstar has Grand Theft Auto VI scheduled for November 19, 2026, on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X | S, with pre-orders opening June 25 at midnight local time. Take-Two says the standard edition will cost $79.99 and the Ultimate Edition $99.99, and the launch plan is current-gen only. That matters because every player who has waited on an upgrade to play at launch is now shopping in the same window as the holiday rush. |
The scale is why retailers are paying attention months ahead. Take-Two says the Grand Theft Auto franchise has sold nearly 465 million units, while Grand Theft Auto V has sold nearly 230 million units to date. The company has also said GTA V generated $815.7 million in first-day revenue, a benchmark that still hangs over every new release. In May, Take-Two said fiscal 2027 would be a breakout year led by GTA VI, with net bookings forecast at $8.0 billion to $8.2 billion.
That kind of pressure does not just hit warehouse allocations. It also opens the door to scalpers, who can take advantage of a supply crunch and resell consoles at inflated prices. Xbox has already said U.S. console prices will rise on August 1 by $100 for 512 GB models and $150 for 1 TB models, while PlayStation raised U.S. PS5 prices on April 2 to $649.99 for the standard PS5, $599.99 for the Digital Edition and $899.99 for the PS5 Pro.
For anyone planning to buy hardware for GTA 6, the warning is straightforward: waiting until the holiday window could mean paying more, fighting thinner stock, and ending up one step behind the launch rush.
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