Excitement around Rockstar Games' next big release is spilling over into the console market in a way few expected.
Following the newest look at the upcoming game, buyers scrambling for the right hardware are running into shortages and steep markups just weeks after the footage went live.
'GTA VI' Extended Look Causes Global Console Price Hike
Following the "GTA VI" Extended Look presentation on Netflix, PlayStation 5 Pro consoles nearly disappeared from major retail shelves across the United States. The intense anticipation surrounding Rockstar Games' upcoming open-world title created an immediate hardware shortage, pushing desperate buyers toward third-party sellers instead of waiting around for restocks.
While PlayStation Direct still carried limited stock at its standard list price at the time, retailers like Best Buy and Target showed zero units available across their online and in-store listings.
The shortage was not limited to the United States either. Reports out of Germany pointed to a similarly unusual pricing spread between the official suggested price and what retailers were actually charging at the time, even though a direct link to the "GTA VI" reveal there was harder to confirm outright.
A price comparison service in the country listed offers for the PS5 Pro ranging from just under €900 all the way up to more than €1,400, with delivery windows on some listings stretching out several months before a unit would even ship.
How Much Did Consoles Markup Due to 'GTA VI'?
According to GameRant, third-party sellers on platforms including Amazon, Walmart, and eBay began charging steep markups once official stock dried up following the reveal. Secondary market listings showed the PS5 Pro selling for as much as $1,299, compared to its official retail price of $899 set by Sony.
That price gap represents a jump of roughly $400 over list price on the secondary market alone, a markup of nearly 45 percent above what the console normally costs at retail.
Console Prices Surge, Stock Goes Down
Sony has said it will likely replenish inventory before "GTA VI" actually launches, though current buying behavior shows just how badly players want optimal hardware ready in time for the game. Rockstar Games has confirmed the title will include specific enhancements for PS5 Pro hardware, though the studio has not detailed exactly what those visual or performance improvements will look like once the game is actually in players' hands.
Some tech analysts have suggested the game may still fall short of a consistent 60 frames per second even on the upgraded console, but that has not slowed demand for the hardware in the slightest, with buyers seemingly more concerned with simply owning the most powerful available option than with confirmed performance numbers.
Is This Another Console Stock Fiasco?
The current shortage echoes a period between 2020 and 2022, when console buyers faced limited availability tied to a global GPU shortage that made new hardware difficult to find anywhere near retail price.
This time around, the culprit appears different, with rising memory chip costs driven largely by demand from AI development now pushing prices up across the wider tech industry as a whole.
Consoles have not been spared from that pressure, with reports pointing to rising component costs and broader economic instability as factors already pushing PS5 and PS5 Pro prices higher well before "GTA VI" even launches this November.
