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Console Price Surge: Will GTA 6 Follow Suit?

Author：Kristen Update：Oct 12,2025

Xbox unveiled a series of price increases for its consoles, accessories, and games, with titles now set to cost $80 USD later this year. This move sends shockwaves through the gaming industry, impacting not only third-party game pricing but also likely influencing PlayStation console costs.

Gaming has not been this costly since the 1990s. Microsoft raised the price of its entry-level Xbox Series S, with just over 500GB of storage, to $380 USD—only $20 less than a PlayStation 5 Slim Digital Astro Bot bundle on the PlayStation store. The 2TB Xbox Series X now retails for $729, roughly $30 more than a PS5 Pro.

This follows Nintendo’s Switch 2 reveal, which sparked buzz with its $450 console price and $80 first-party games like Mario Kart World. Nintendo bypassed the $70 price point set by Xbox and PlayStation earlier this generation—already a contentious jump—and went straight to $80. Xbox will match this for its first-party titles this holiday season, and it’s unlikely the price escalations will stop there.

Will PlayStation Games Hit $80?

Attention is now on Sony to see if it will follow Nintendo and Xbox’s lead, and a price hike announcement seems imminent. Rising manufacturing costs and U.S. trade war tariffs are pushing Sony to adjust prices to align with today’s economic landscape.

Even if Sony faces fewer tariff pressures than Microsoft—likely the driver behind Xbox’s increases—Sony’s stronger hardware sales make holding prices steady a missed opportunity against competitors like Xbox and Nintendo.

More certain than console prices is Sony’s likely increase in first-party game prices. Sony has long emphasized the premium value of its game lineup, consistently achieving critical and commercial success. If Xbox is pricing its first-party games at $80, Sony is almost certain to follow, as it’s hard to imagine Sony valuing its titles less than Xbox’s.

Sony’s history supports this. It stood firm on pricing Housemarque’s Returnal at $70, despite fan pushback, given Housemarque’s reputation for smaller-scale digital titles. With the high costs of producing Sony’s major first-party games, an $80 price tag feels unavoidable.

The Decline of Physical Games

These price hikes signal more than just costlier consoles and games—they pave the way for a corporate push toward subscription services, digital games, and the phasing out of physical media.

Digital games and platform-owned subscription services like PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass generate more revenue than physical discs or used game sales. This explains the heavy focus on these services. While Xbox Game Pass saw a price increase in mid-2024, it’s not facing another hike, making it a more attractive option for cost-conscious gamers compared to purchasing an $80 first-party Xbox title.

As a physical media enthusiast, I view this shift toward digital sales and subscriptions with concern. Rising physical media prices could accelerate the move to an all-digital future faster than expected.

What Does This Mean for GTA 6 and Beyond?

The gaming industry is at a turning point. Even before the trade war and since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2023, declining profits and rising development costs have raised questions about the sustainability of current console and game pricing. These concerns are now reflected in higher prices for consoles like the PlayStation 5 Pro and Switch 2, as well as first-party games.

With major companies embracing price increases, the release of GTA 6 in 2026 will likely confirm whether this trend is temporary or permanent.

Speculation that Grand Theft Auto 6 could cost $100 started as an analyst’s forecast but has gained traction industry-wide. With billions invested in its development over more than a decade, Take-Two aims to maximize profits from what may be the most anticipated game ever. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has previously noted that games are priced “very low” relative to their value.

I’m confident that when Rockstar announces the release date for Grand Theft Auto 6, it will carry a price tag of at least $80. However, not every game will hit this mark—titles like Helldivers 2 and Split Fiction show strong demand for lower-priced games outside the AAA blockbuster realm. Many gamers will wait for sales to buy games weeks or months later. Still, one thing is clear: game prices are trending upward, forcing players to be more selective about what they purchase and play.