PS5 Shortage Returns as GTA VI Launch Looms: Prices, Stock and the $1 Billion Call-Off Prediction

Hunting for a PlayStation 5 has gotten hard again, and the culprit is one game. With Grand Theft Auto VI set to arrive on Nov. 12 and playable on Nov. 19, shoppers are snapping up consoles specifically to run it. That’s 13 years after GTA V, and demand is tight enough that online retailers are now the most reliable place to look.

Here’s the price rundown if you’re buying. The PS5 Digital Edition starts at $599 at Walmart, the Disc Edition is $649 on Amazon, and the PS5 Pro runs $899 at PlayStation Direct. The PlayStation Portal remote player is $249 on Amazon. And the game itself? GTA VI’s standard edition is $79.99, and it’s already the No. 1 best seller on Amazon before launch.

The stat that has everyone talking is the prediction of $1 billion in lost productivity from launch-day call-offs. Add in a soundtrack with names like Travis Scott and Morgan Wallen, plus Marvel’s Wolverine later in 2026, and it’s easy to see why consoles keep disappearing. Are you buying a PS5 for GTA VI, or waiting it out? Tell us in the comments.