The highly anticipated release of “Grand Theft Auto VI” is sure to shatter records and thrill millions of gamers who have awaited the game’s debut for over a decade—but it comes as game consoles are more expensive than ever, and analysts say it’s unlikely even a blockbuster release like this will fix the gaming industry’s AI-driven cost crisis.
Key Facts
After multiple delays, gamers will finally be able to play the long-awaited “Grand Theft Auto VI” on Nov. 19, ending a 13-year drought following the 2013 release of “Grand Theft Auto V.”
The game will undoubtedly be the biggest release of the year, and possibly of all time—but it arrives at a moment of crisis for the gaming industry, as the rise of AI has caused a memory chip shortage that has sent console and game prices surging upward, creating a potential barrier to access for some players.
“Grand Theft Auto VI” sells in two price tiers—$80 for the standard edition, and $100 for the “ultimate” edition with additional in-game features—already making it the most expensive game in the series at launch.
That’s not to mention the cost of the consoles compatible with the game: New PlayStation 5 and Xbox models cost between $599 and $899, much more expensive than they cost at launch, as both Sony and Microsoft have hiked prices amid the AI-fueled memory chip shortage and tariff pressures.
A gamer hoping to play “Grand Theft Auto VI” who hasn’t yet bought one of the newer console models “has to fork out $500 to $900+ for a console plus $80 to $100 for the game,” totaling “$580 to $1,000+ to get through the door, in a cost-of-living-squeezed market, at Christmas,” Rhys Elliot, head of market analysis at gaming market intelligence firm Alinea Analytics, told Forbes.
As console sales have fallen amid price hikes, analysts told Forbes the anticipated release of “Grand Theft Auto VI” could offer a marginal boost, but it won’t be enough for the industry to completely recover from cost pressures perpetrated by AI.
Why Are Game Consoles Getting So Expensive?
Largely because of AI. The surging demand for memory chips by AI data centers has siphoned supply from consumer products, meaning the prices of game consoles—as well as laptops, cell phones, and other electronic devices—have surged.
The price increases have been particularly frustrating for gamers because conventional wisdom says game consoles will get cheaper over time, but the memory squeeze has bucked that trend. Since launch, all of the new-generation consoles, including the Xbox Series X and S, the PlayStation 5 and the Nintendo Switch 2, have become more expensive.
The standard PlayStation 5 now costs $649.99, up from the $499.99 it cost at launch after Sony implemented two price hikes in under one year. The PlayStation 5 Pro cost $699.99 in 2024, but just two years later, it retails for a whopping $899.99.
Microsoft also hiked Xbox prices twice in one year, saying in a June statement that “console storage and memory prices have increased by more than 2.5x and we expect another doubling by the fall of 2027.”
President Donald Trump’s tariffs have also weighed on the cost of gaming consoles, which Sony’s CFO Lin Tao said last year would impact the company’s hardware, gaming and semiconductor production and may force price increases on consumer goods.
How Bad Are Console Sales—And Can ‘Grand Theft Auto VI’ Fix It?
Console sales are down this year, according to data shared with Forbes by Circana. Spending on video game hardware from January through September totaled $2.9 billion, down 9% from the same period in 2025, when spending reached roughly $3.2 billion.
Xbox sales in particular have dropped, with Circana reporting Xbox Series sales have fallen 27% year-over-year as of September. Louise Woolridge, senior research manager at market data firm Ampere Analysis, told Forbes the “Grand Theft Auto VI” release will “definitely give console sales a boost, but I don’t think it will be enough to reverse the year-on-year decline,” saying it is “more likely to soften that decline than drive a return to growth.”
Mat Piscatella, senior director and video game industry advisor at Circana, said he doesn’t think there will be “millions and millions and millions of people trying to find a console for this, especially given these price points,” suggesting new console sales may be driven by “a smaller portion of the more affluent side of the market.”
crucial quote
“This has been a terrible year for hardware, simply put,” Joost van Dreunen, professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business and CEO of gaming consulting firm Aldora, told Forbes. “Will GTA reverse that? Marginally so, but it’s going to be hard to do that with just one game.”
How Big Will The ‘Grand Theft Auto VI’ Release Be?
Despite the gaming industry’s increasingly high costs, the “Grand Theft Auto VI” release is expected to be a generational hit. Van Dreunen likened its level of cultural phenomenon to a World Cup or a Super Bowl, while Piscatella said it will be the “biggest video game launch of all time” and possibly the “biggest entertainment launch of all time.”
The game has already sold $1.18 billion worth of pre-orders from 12 million units sold, according to market research firm Sensor Tower, already ahead of “Grand Theft Auto V,” which sold 7 million units in pre-orders.
Strauss Zelnick, CEO of gaming company Take-Two, the parent company of “Grand Theft Auto” publisher Rockstar Games, said in an earnings presentation earlier this week pre-orders are “tracking far above our initial expectations.”
Another possible boon for “Grand Theft Auto VI” sales, van Dreunen said, is that its “marketing campaign is very clearly targeting people that are not already fans of the franchise.” Rockstar Games partnered with Netflix to offer a first look at the game ahead of its launch, and it will also release a star-studded soundtrack featuring the likes of SZA, Tame Impala, Cardi B and Morgan Wallen.
what to watch for
How the video game industry adapts to the memory chip squeeze. Analysts have suggested it won’t be over anytime soon—Elliot told Forbes he doesn’t think there will be “any relief in the memory crunch until at least 2029.”
Van Dreunen suggested gaming companies might try to win consumers over by pushing into “low-tech” games, pointing to the hugely popular online game Roblox and other browser-based experiences. “I think low-tech is one of the innovations the industry will proceed to as opposed to relying on the greatest, the most expensive, the most capable hardware.”
Piscatella said younger players who play “low-spec PC or lower-cost” games are likely to continue playing those types of games as console prices rise, saying it will be “prohibitive for a lot of younger or less affluent players to get involved in the console space.”
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