Analysts are predicting a major sales slump due to GTA 6's delay, with 700,000 fewer PS5 and Xbox consoles expected to sell.

Everyone in the entertainment industry is well aware of the far-reaching economic consequences that the delay of Grand Theft Auto 6 will have across the gaming industry, but now we actually have real statistics to back this up.

According to analytics firm Ampere Analysis, 2025 forecasts for both hardware and software sales will be considerably lower, with projections that PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles will sell approximately 700,000 fewer units than previously expected. Game sales projections for these platforms have also been slashed by 21 million units.

This adjustment translates to a massive $2.7 billion reduction in anticipated revenue for the console market this year alone. While much of this spending will simply shift to 2026 when GTA 6 finally launches, Ampere's analyst Piers Harding-Rolls notes that the transfer won't be complete, resulting in a "significant impact" on the industry's financial performance.

What's more, the ripple effects extend beyond just the lost sales. Ampere now forecasts the gaming industry will experience growth of just 0.9% in 2025, with improvement to 2.2% expected in 2026 when GTA 6 releases.

This sluggish growth environment, combined with ongoing inflation and what Ampere describes as "hyper-competition," has companies doubling down on efficiency measures, becoming more selective with game development, and focusing intensely on profit margins.

Not everyone will suffer equally from the delay, however. Nintendo Switch 2 is positioned to benefit this holiday season, with Harding-Rolls pointing out that "Switch is often seen as a second device for owners of PlayStation 5" with "quite significant" overlap between the platforms.

The delay also appears to validate Take-Two CEO's previous assessment that GTA 6's release would substantially boost console sales. Many prospective buyers are apparently holding off on purchasing new PlayStation or Xbox hardware specifically to play the highly anticipated title, especially with recent price increases due to tariffs making the wait more economical.

For Rockstar Games and parent company Take-Two, the delay may create short-term financial challenges, but the move hopes to prevent development crunch while ensuring the final product meets the sky-high expectations that Strauss Zelnick refers to as "perfection."