Should You Buy A PlayStation 5 Now Or Wait For GTA 6?

“Grand Theft Auto 6” is coming. It sounds surreal to say out loud, but Rockstar’s Bonnie and Clyde-inspired crime epic is only a few months away. This is the first “GTA” game to release exclusively on current generation hardware, so you’ll need a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S to play. Plenty of gamers haven’t made the jump to next-gen yet, so is it worth buying a PS5 now? Or waiting a little longer for “GTA 6” to come out?

The PS5 hit shelves almost six years ago at the tail end of 2020, so there’s an extensive library of games to keep you busy until “GTA 6.” With that said, a large chunk of those games are also available on other platforms (including PlayStation 4), so an expensive new console purchase may not be necessary yet. “GTA 6” is the biggest reason why people are upgrading to PS5 right now anyway, so should you just wait?

Why you should buy a PS5 now

There are several reasons why it’d be a good idea to pick up a PS5 now instead of waiting for “GTA 6” to drop. Firstly, you might not even get the chance to buy one when the time comes. Some retailers are worried that there won’t be a big enough supply of PS5 consoles to meet the demand for “GTA 6.” PS5 Pro consoles sold out after the “GTA 6” gameplay reveal, for example. You can avoid all that headache by just getting a PS5 now.

There’s also the issue of price hikes, which have been common in the gaming industry this year because of component shortages. The PS5 already saw a price increase earlier this year, and supply chain issues aren’t looking to improve anytime soon. It’s not likely that a big price increase will happen so soon after the last one, but why not just get a PS5 now to avoid the risk altogether? “GTA 6” is almost out already, anyway.

Plus, the PS5 has a great set of games to hold you over while you wait for “Grand Theft Auto 6.” If you’re only into “GTA,” though, then you can still play “GTA Online” until the new game comes out. Pre-ordering “GTA 6” gets you one month of GTA+: Rockstar’s subscription service that includes “GTA Online” benefits, as well as access to other Rockstar titles like “Red Dead Redemption” and older “Grand Theft Auto” games.

Why you should wait for Grand Theft Auto 6

Buying a PS5 now might be the safer option, but there are a few potential benefits for those who wait for “GTA 6” to come out before upgrading. There could be a “Grand Theft Auto 6” console bundle for the holiday season, for example, and that could lead to some serious savings. “GTA 6” costs more than standard video games at $80 for the standard edition, so every little bit of savings helps.

There’s also the issue of performance. There’s no telling how “Grand Theft Auto 6” will run on PlayStation 5 compared to Xbox Series X, and the latter could end up being the superior version. This happened with the Xbox One X version of Rockstar’s previous title, “Red Dead Redemption 2.” It was the only version with a crisp 4K resolution until the PC port arrived. 

“GTA 6” could also take advantage of the more powerful PS5 Pro, which throws another wrench into the decision-making process. Some PS5 Pro upgrades are transformative, while others are more lackluster. Getting hands-on reports of the game’s performance after launch will help you make an informed decision about upgrading to a base PS5 or the PS5 Pro.