GTA 6 is the kind of game that shakes an entire industry, and also give it a massive boost whenever it so much as sneezes. In this case, the extended look at GTA 6 gameplay last week seems to have caused a pretty big jump in console sales.
According to some data from Nielsen IQ, via The Game Business, PS5 sales rose 33% last week, while Xbox got a 34% boost. Not too shabby, although considering sales of both consoles are currently quite low due to massive price increases, those percentages might not equate to as many consoles shifted as you would think.
Now, to keep thing fair, we cannot say with absolute certainy that GTA 6 was the cause. It’s not like people are filling out surveys when they buy a console. However, the timing makes it fairly obvious because there’s no other reasons I can think of. Prices haven’t dropped, there’s no other massive games coming out that could shift that many consoles etc. That leaves GTA 6 as the most likel explanation.
The Game Business notes that the PS5 Pro is out of stock at most UK third-party retailers, too. Only the official Sony site has any left, apparently. I’ve had a quick look, and it does seem like the big names don’t have any stock, although I cannot say with any certainty that there everywhere is out.
The chances are when the game launches properly in just a couple of months, console sales will probably take another big jump as the people clinging on to their last-gen tech decide it might finally be worthing upgrading. Y’know, once they sell their house, their grandma and their goldfish to afford it.