Major game retailers may struggle to meet demand for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles during the upcoming holiday season, largely due to the anticipated launch of Grand Theft Auto 6. A senior games buyer, speaking anonymously to The Game Business, has cautioned that existing supply chain issues will likely prevent retailers from stocking enough hardware to satisfy the surge in interest expected when the game releases on November 19th.
"Because of the on-going issues around hardware component availability, we won't be getting the units we want ahead of GTA," the buyer stated. "Demand will likely outstrip supply during the year end period."
This warning comes despite Sony CEO Hiroki Totoki's earlier assurance in May that the "necessary volume" of PlayStation 5 consoles would be secured for the calendar year. However, Xbox's CSO Matthew Ball recently indicated that demand for Xbox consoles already exceeds supply, noting significant constraints on production speed.
The global shortage of hardware components is reportedly being worsened by the increased demand driven by the generative AI boom. This has further compounded existing cost-of-living pressures, leading to price hikes for consoles. Both Xbox consoles and Valve's Steam Deck have seen increased costs attributed to these component shortages.