Why You Shouldn't Wait to Buy a Console for GTA 6

PC gamers who are looking forward to Grand Theft Auto 6 should consider buying a console ASAP. Recent trends and forecasts indicate that the added cost of purchasing a console just to play Grand Theft Auto 6 could get even more painful for players.

Grand Theft Auto fans have had a long time to wait for the next installation of the franchise, and the recent delay of Grand Theft Auto 6 hasn’t made it any easier. Unfortunately, those who own PCs are in for an even worse time, as consoles will get the game first, with a PC release following at some point after that. As a result, a lot of PC gamers have considered purchasing a console just so they don’t have to wait to try out the latest and greatest from Rockstar Games, but they may not want to wait.

Rumor: Next Xbox and PlayStation Consoles May Be Delayed Due to GTA 6

An industry analyst predicts that Grand Theft Auto 6’s latest delay could be impactful enough to push back the release of the PS6 and next-gen Xbox.

PC Gamers May Want to Buy a New Console for GTA 6 Now

With Grand Theft Auto 6‘s release pushed back to late 2026, PC gamers who plan on securing a console to play the game might be considering waiting to buy it until closer to the release date. In theory, one has longer to save up, so it can help to take some of the financial pinch out of the purchase. However, that’s only the case if console prices remain where they are now. Judging by recent trends in the gaming and computing industries, prices are likely to get worse between now and then.

In 2025 alone, both the PlayStation and Xbox family of consoles saw price increases, with the most recent increase seeing Xbox’s prices rising between $20-$70 depending on the model chosen, and PlayStation increasing by a flat $50. However, future problems may lie with the current RAM crisis that’s developing as a result of AI’s popularity. AI companies are scrambling to acquire all the parts they need in order to run massive data centers to handle AI queries from all over the world, and as a result, the price of RAM is going up, and its overall availability is diminishing. Price goes up along with demand, and recent speculation indicates that console prices may rise as a result of the parts used to make them becoming more expensive. Though the prices of PlayStation and Xbox may seem a bit too high to want to buy right now, there’s a chance it could get worse.

The Pitfalls of Waiting for the PC Version

With all of these concerns, it might seem worth it to just give up on buying a console entirely and to instead wait for the PC version of the game instead. However, Rockstar hasn’t even offered a general window as to when that could happen. Given how exclusivity tends to work with games, and that nearly two full years passed between GTA 5‘s original release date and the PC version coming out, PC gamers may not see GTA 6 until late 2027 or even 2028. To make matters worse, there’s no telling what the system requirements will be at this time, so many of the current PCs gamers are using may need tune-ups with new parts in order to play the game. That would bring PC gamers back to having to upgrade with potentially inflated hardware costs.

It’s an unfortunate spot to be stuck in, for sure. Fans of GTA don’t want to miss out on being there when the game lands so they can be part of the initial hype and experience the game before spoilers begin pouring out onto the internet. PC gaming has come a long way in terms of popularity since GTA 5‘s original release, and PC gamers often don’t have to wait any longer than console gamers do to play new game releases, so the entire situation is frustrating for them from the get-go. The long wait PC gamers are expecting could get even worse if GTA 6 is delayed again, and prices of consoles could grow even worse in that time.

Given that AI is increasing demand for RAM and shows no sign of stopping, PC gamers who want to play Grand Theft Auto 6 ASAP but don’t own a console have a choice to make. They can invest now and avoid any potential console and hardware price increases, or they can save up while they wait and see.