GTA 6 Sells Out PS5 Pro a Month Before Launch

Why the PS5 Pro vanished from shelves

GTA 6 is doing something no game has managed this generation: it's selling consoles before it even ships.

Rockstar's extended look at Grand Theft Auto 6 aired in late August. Within a few weeks, the PlayStation 5 Pro was gone from every major US retailer, according to CNET. Buyers who want the sharpest version of the year's biggest game are gravitating to Sony's top console, especially with no PC version planned for launch.

The timing matters. GTA 6 arrives November 19 on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, and no other platforms have been announced. That means anyone who wants to play on day one is choosing between a base PS5, an Xbox, or the $900 Pro. For a game Rockstar has spent years polishing, plenty of people are picking the expensive option.

It isn't only GTA 6. Insomniac's PS5-exclusive Wolverine has reportedly sold 2.16 million copies since September, adding another reason to own the hardware. But Wolverine isn't the one driving people to the premium model.

The chip shortage is the real villain

Even Sony can't fully explain this away as GTA 6 fever.

In September, Sony reportedly advised distributors that the PS5 Pro would be in short supply until 2027, citing "temporary market supply constraints and high demand." The biggest bottleneck is a global crisis in memory and storage components, driven by the AI data center buildout and nicknamed RAMageddon. That shortage has raised hardware prices all year, and it's squeezing console production at the worst possible moment.

The price tells the story. The PS5 Pro debuted in November 2024 at $700. It now retails around $900. That's a $200 increase on a console that's already two years old, and it's still selling out. Sony declined to comment when CNET asked.

So the PS5 Pro stock shortage is two problems stacked on top of each other: a once-in-a-decade game launch and a component market that has gone sideways.

What this means if you want to play on day one

If you don't already own a PS5 Pro, finding one at list price before November 19 is going to take luck or a restock alert.

The base PS5 will run GTA 6; Rockstar designed the game to work on the standard console. The Pro mainly promises higher frame rates and enhanced 4K processing, which matters more in a game this dense. Whether that's worth an extra few hundred dollars is a personal call, but the market is currently answering yes.

Expect bundles. Retailers and Sony have every incentive to pair GTA 6 with hardware, and limited stock usually means limited bundle options. Watch official Sony and retailer restock channels rather than third-party listings, where markups are already common.

• Check Sony's own store and major retailers daily for restocks.
• Avoid resale listings unless you're comfortable paying well above $900.
• If you own a base PS5, you can still play GTA 6 on day one.
• Pre-orders for the game itself are open at $80.

Availability and pricing

The PS5 Pro is sold out at major US retailers as of mid-October, and Sony has reportedly told distributors supply will stay constrained into 2027. In the UK and EU, availability is similarly patchy, though regional stock varies by retailer and restocks are unpredictable.

The console launched at $700 in November 2024 and now sells for around $900 in the US, a price increase driven largely by memory and storage costs. GTA 6 itself is available for preorder at $80.

A console selling out because of a game that isn't out yet is a rare thing, and it says as much about component markets as it does about Rockstar. If you want a PS5 Pro before November 19, start watching restocks now. If you just want to play GTA 6, your existing PS5 will do the job.