The increasing cost of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles is "not a good thing," according to Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick, though he does not anticipate it will hinder the launch of Grand Theft Auto 6. The anticipated release of Grand Theft Auto 6 is expected to invigorate a console market that has seen stagnation in recent years, potentially driving players to upgrade to current-generation hardware.
During the publisher's latest earnings call on August 7, Zelnick told investors that a lower hardware price point would be beneficial for increasing the number of devices in consumers' hands. "I don't think it will slow us down any because, you know… we believe we’re delivering experiences that people want," Zelnick stated. "However, a lower price point for hardware would be a good thing because there’d be more hardware in people’s hands. So I cannot argue this is a positive, but equally we don’t see it as a headwind either."
Zelnick echoed these sentiments in an interview with Bloomberg, expressing that while he would prefer lower prices for the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, he is skeptical that supply chain issues related to the AI boom will lead to a shortage of consoles during the holiday season. He believes the console install base at launch will align with Take-Two's initial projections, and he would only be concerned if that number were to decrease. "The only thing that will cause me to be concerned, not worried, but concerned, would be if we somehow felt that number was going to be smaller than we thought. But that isn’t the case," he told Bloomberg.
Sony has indicated it possesses sufficient RAM to meet anticipated PS5 demand through early 2027. Analysts suggest that as long as the most affordable version of a new console remains under $700, players will likely make the necessary efforts to acquire it for Grand Theft Auto 6, even as the title approaches the most affordable entry point for a new GTA game in decades.