With news of Xbox's latest price hike landing in the same week as GTA 6 pre-orders, we seem to be in a perfect storm of hype and shortage. Component prices have been soaring in 2026, to the extent that Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo have all upped (or announced plans to up) their console prices in the last few months, leaving GTA fans spending a minimum of $499.99 (Xbox Series S) to play the new game.
There's another problem on the horizon, though. Originally reported via The Game Business, it looks like retailers are going to struggle to keep consoles on the shelves come GTA 6's November release date. An unnamed retailer told the site they "won't be getting the units [they] want ahead of GTA... demand will likely outstrip supply during the year end period."
RAM shortages and rising SSD prices have consumer-facing MSRPs in a tailspin in the last year. While we'd normally expect the PS5 and Xbox Series X to be winding down to their heavier discounts at this point in their life cycle, they're more expensive than ever. With GTA 6's additional demand sitting on top of the traditionally busier November time frame, things could be squeaky later this year.
So what does it mean for you?
If you've been waiting for GTA 6 before upgrading your console, you might want to get in there before this November rush begins. That said, I wouldn't recommend buying a brand new device right now.
Those prices are far higher than they should be, and there are alternative routes available. PS Direct has its own stock of certified refurbished PS5 consoles that hold their previous MSRPs (if you're really lucky, you'll find OG stock for $399.99). This stock comes with everything you need to get started from day one, a 12-month warranty, and free delivery.
A PS5 Slim Digital Edition, the cheapest way to play GTA 6 on Sony's console, costs $499 through this program. It'll cost you $599 brand new these days and originally launched at $399.99 (though I haven't seen prices near that rate for some time now). If you're going for the disc version, you're looking at a $650 purchase, whereas a refurbished model is available for $549.
Xbox is a little trickier. There's a wider array of consoles to choose from and I often see Microsoft selling out of its refurbished stock a little quicker. That's where we find ourselves right now, while the Series S is still cheaper than a PS5 at $329, the full-fat Series X is nowhere to be seen. Instead, the cheapest 4K option in your arsenal is the 1TB Digital Edition, at $499.99.
Here's the bottom line. There's a lot of doom and gloom around console pricing right now, but you don't need to spend $900+ on a PS5 Pro for GTA 6. Refurbished consoles should be cheaper than they are right now, but there is still a way to get ahead of potential shortages later in the year and only spend a little over $300 while getting GTA-ready.
For more offers, check out the latest PS5 bundle deals or take a look at the Nintendo Switch deals before Ninty's own price increases launch in September.
