Sony has raised PS5, PS5 Pro, and PlayStation Portal prices worldwide just months before Grand Theft Auto 6 launches. For anyone still planning to buy into the current console generation for GTA 6, the upfront cost has jumped. Late buyers now face a much steeper cost of entry.
Earlier this week, we reported that a PS5 price increase was rumored for Europe. Today, it is confirmed, and it is not limited to Europe. It is everywhere.
Sony announced on the PlayStation Blog on March 27, 2026, that the prices of the PS5, PS5 Pro, and PlayStation Portal are increasing globally, effective April 2, 2026.
THIS. IS. NOT. A. DRILL.
This is a worldwide price hike on the primary console that Grand Theft Auto 6 will launch on in less than eight months.
In the United States, the PS5 goes from $549.99 to $649.99. The PS5 Digital Edition goes from $499.99 to $599.99. The PS5 Pro goes from $749.99 to $899.99. In Europe, the PS5 moves to €649.99, the PS5 Digital Edition to €599.99, and the PS5 Pro to €899.99. In the UK, the PS5 is now £569.99, the Digital Edition £519.99, and the Pro £789.99. In Japan, the PS5 rises to ¥97,980 and the Pro to ¥137,980. The PlayStation Portal goes to $249.99 in the US, €249.99 in Europe, and £219.99 in the UK.
So, if you do not already own a PS5 and you want to play GTA 6 at launch, you will now need to spend $650 on the console before you even buy the game. If the game costs $70 to $80, which is the expected range, the total cost of entry is $720 to $730. If you want the PS5 Pro for the best possible performance, you are looking at $900 for the console alone, pushing total cost to $970 to $980. That is nearly $1,000 to play a single video game in the best way possible.
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For comparison, when Grand Theft Auto V launched in September 2013, a PS3 cost $250, and the game was $60. Total cost of entry: $310. The cost of playing GTA 6 at launch on a new PS5 is now more than double what it cost to play GTA V at launch. On the Pro, it is more than triple.
This is what Sony had to say about the PS5 price increase:
With continued pressures in the global economic landscape, we've made the decision to increase the prices. We know that price changes impact our community, and after careful evaluation, we found this was a necessary step to ensure we can continue delivering innovative, high-quality gaming experiences to players worldwide.
This is the console generation that was supposed to get cheaper over time. Every previous PlayStation got less expensive as it aged. The PS5 is the first PlayStation to get more expensive, and it has now done so multiple times. The PS5 launched at $499 in November 2020. It is now $649.99, a $150 increase in five and a half years. The PS5 Pro launched at $699.99 in November 2024. It is now $899.99, a $200 increase in less than a year and a half. This is unprecedented in console history.
Here is where this connects to everything Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick has been saying in interviews this month.
Zelnick told The Game Business that he does not see the DRAM shortage "affecting the delivery of consoles to the market." His answer was technically correct at the time. Microsoft and Sony are still making consoles. They're still on the shelves. They'll have to come with a $100 premium now.
Zelnick also said he cannot imagine an adult with a console choosing not to buy GTA 6. The key phrase remains "with a console." The pool of people who have a PS5 is large and isn't going to shrink because of a price increase, but we can't say the same for people interested in buying a PS5 or who were waiting for GTA 6 to get one, especially those upgrading from the PS4.
It's worse for buyers who were on the fence. $650 instead of $550 might push them towards other, more affordable alternatives.
For the majority of GTA 6 buyers, today's news changes nothing. If you already own a PS5 or Xbox Series X/S, your cost is the game itself, and you will buy it regardless. The installed base is large enough that GTA 6 will still sell tens of millions of copies. Take-Two's $3 billion first-year revenue projection is built on the existing installed base, but the ceiling? It just got way lower.
Every potential buyer priced out by a $650 PS5 is a copy unsold, a Grand Theft Auto Online player who never logs in, and a long-tail revenue opportunity that disappears.t. The worst part? Things could still get worse for the console market, and in turn, GTA 6.
FAQ
What changed for GTA 6 buyers here?
The hardware needed for GTA 6 at launch just got more expensive worldwide. Sony increased the prices of the PS5, PS5 Pro, and PlayStation Portal.
Who is directly hit by the PS5 price hike before GTA 6 launches?
Players who do not already own a PS5 and were planning to buy one for GTA 6 are hit first, including those upgrading from PS4 and anyone who had been waiting for GTA 6 before buying the latest Sony console.
What is the biggest downside for GTA 6 players?
A new PS5 now costs $650 in the US before the game itself, and a PS5 Pro pushes the total close to $1,000 if you want the best setup for GTA 6.
How much more expensive is playing GTA 6 at launch compared with GTA 5?
Buying into GTA 6 at launch on a new PS5 now costs more than double the launch setup for GTA 5 on PS3. On PS5 Pro, the total is more than triple the GTA 5 launch setup described here.
What to do next
- Check the current PS5 and PS5 Pro price and availability in your region.
- If you were planning on buying a PlayStation 5 (either the base console or the Pro version), buy it ASAP if you can.
