GTA VI arrives as PS5 and Xbox prices climb
Rockstar’s next Grand Theft Auto is set for Nov. 19, but higher console prices may raise the cost of joining in at launch.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
3 min read
Grand Theft Auto VI is scheduled to launch Nov. 19 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S as console prices are rising across both major platforms. The timing could make one of gaming’s biggest releases more expensive for players who have waited to upgrade, The Verge reported.
Rockstar Games opened preorders for Grand Theft Auto VI this week, according to The Verge. The game is priced at $79.99, above the price of many current releases, and The Verge reported that the boxed version does not include a physical disc.
The next Grand Theft Auto is arriving after a long gap between main entries. Grand Theft Auto V first came out in 2013, later reached multiple console generations and PC, and continued selling with support from its online mode, The Verge reported.
The older game has sold 230 million copies, according to The Verge. The Verge also reported in 2013 that Grand Theft Auto V generated $1 billion in three days after release.
Console prices have moved higher
The PlayStation 5 launched at $499.99 for the base model, The Verge reported. After two price increases, that model now costs $649.99, while the PlayStation 5 Pro is listed at $899.99, according to The Verge.
Microsoft has raised prices on its current Xbox consoles three times since 2025, The Verge reported. The lower-priced Xbox Series S now costs $499.99, while the Xbox Series X reaches $799.99 at the top end, according to The Verge.
Those increases mark a shift from the usual pattern in which consoles become cheaper later in their life cycles. The Verge reported that buyers who skipped the early years of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S generation may now face higher prices as GTA VI approaches.
Install bases set the launch ceiling
Sony Interactive Entertainment lists PS5 sales at just over 90 million units. The Verge has estimated that Microsoft has sold about 30 million current-generation Xbox consoles.
Those totals give GTA VI a large launch market, but they sit far below Grand Theft Auto V’s lifetime sales across PC, PlayStation and Xbox platforms. The Verge reported that rising hardware prices could slow growth in the number of eligible players before launch.
Microsoft cited component costs when announcing its latest Xbox price increases. In a statement quoted by The Verge, Microsoft said console storage and memory prices have risen by more than 2.5 times and that it expects another doubling by fall 2027.
The Verge also pointed to higher PC costs, including Valve’s Steam Machine starting at $1,049, as part of the broader expense facing players who do not already own suitable hardware. For now, Rockstar has announced GTA VI for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S at launch.
The result is a high-profile release arriving with a higher barrier to entry than earlier in this console generation. GTA VI is still expected by The Verge to be a major commercial release, but the cost of the required hardware may shape how many people can play it on day one.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.