Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6) pre-download starts on Tuesday, November 10, with a massive 212 GB storage size. However, most US retailers are sold out of the PS5 Pro console, even at a record $899 price.
Former executive at X (Twitter), Nikita Bier, says he searched for the console for two weeks without success.
Sony has raised the price of PS5 Pro by $200 since April. Even most resellers are now selling the console at a higher price. SONY stock price has benefited from this demand and hype, rallying 7% this week.
Why Is the PS5 Pro So Hard to Buy?
Major US retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, Target, GameStop, and PlayStation Direct, list the PS5 Pro as sold out at its retail price. A brief Best Buy restock in late October sold out quickly.
Meanwhile, resellers ask far more. Refurbished and third-party units have appeared for $1,399 to more than $1,600.
Sony raised its console prices on April 2 and blamed pressure in the global economy. Microsoft followed with its own Xbox price hike in August as AI demand drove up memory chip costs.
In Japan, scalpers forced Sony to go further. The company introduced a 60-hour play rule for Japanese PS5 Pro buyers.
Can Sony and Take-Two Shareholders Cash In?
GTA 6 launches on Nov. 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, with pre-downloads opening on Nov. 10. PlayStation also said players need at least 212GB of free storage on their PS5.
Meanwhile, Sony lifted its net profit forecast for the year ending March 2027 to a record 1.33 trillion yen. Investors stayed cautious, though, and the shares gave back part of their earlier gains on Friday.
Take-Two Interactive (TTWO), the parent company of GTA 6 developer Rockstar, faces a similar test. Take-Two’s stock slide this year leaves the company heavily dependent on the launch.
For now, demand for the PS5 Pro outruns supply. Whether that translates into earnings for Sony and Take-Two will become clearer once GTA 6 sales figures arrive.
