Will There Be a Console Shortage in the Holiday Season Due to Grand Theft Auto VI?

Hot news News PlayStation PlayStation News Xbox Xbox News 06/28/2026

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The console shortages seen at the beginning of this generation may return, but for a different reason this time.

A major retail chain warned that the release of Grand Theft Auto VI at the end of the year could lead to a shortage of consoles. A senior gaming buyer from a retail chain that was not named told The Game Business that, due to component shortages and price increases, the supply of consoles is tighter than usual. While there may still be stock available during this relatively quiet period, the release of Grand Theft Auto VI will likely result in consoles selling out.

“We’ve been informed that, due to ongoing issues with hardware component availability, we won’t receive the desired number of units ahead of Grand Theft Auto VI. Demand will likely outstrip supply during the year-end period,” the senior games buyer told the publication, speaking without his employer’s permission.

The Game Business reached out to Sony and Microsoft for comment on these claims but notes that Xbox’s strategic director, Matthew Ball, told the publication earlier this month that inventory levels are currently an issue. “I can tell you definitively that demand for our console exceeds supply. We are putting them in as many stores as possible. We are producing them as quickly as possible. There is a severe limitation to how quickly we can do that, but it’s not a question of appetite. We need to do more, but there are constraints. Unfortunately, there are a number of markets in which we do not have adequate supply. There are other markets in which our supply is inadequate. It is a privilege and a challenge for us as a company to figure that out,” Ball said.

On Wednesday, Sony and Rockstar unveiled the game’s marketing campaign, in which Sony stated that the game runs best on the PlayStation 5 — without mentioning the PlayStation 5 Pro. Consequently, the campaign is expected to lead to strong sales of the PlayStation 5.

Grand Theft Auto VI is expected to release on November 19 for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series.

Source: VGC, The Game Business

Angyal Anikó

Anikó, our news editor and communication manager, is more interested in the business side of the gaming industry. She worked at banks, and she has a vast knowledge of business life. Still, she likes puzzle and story-oriented games, like Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments, which is her favourite title. She also played The Sims 3, but after accidentally killing a whole sim family, swore not to play it again. (For our office address, email and phone number check out our IMPRESSUM)