GTA 6 News Today (October 23, 2026): PS5 Sales Jump

PS5 sales in the US rose 22% in units and 43% in dollars in September, four weeks before GTA 6, while Xbox Series sales fell 27% to a record low for the month, according to Circana data reported by GamesIndustry.biz, VGC, GameSpot and Bloomberg. Sony is also selling refurbished PS5 consoles for $100 less than new, with a 1 TB drive. Nothing changed on dates or prices: GTA 6 still launches November 19, 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, with preloading from November 12.

PS5 sales jumped in September

Circana's US figures for September put the PS5 first in both units and dollars. Unit sales rose 22% on a year earlier and dollar sales 43%, which gave Sony its highest monthly share of hardware spending since May 2025 (GamesIndustry.biz, VGC). The other two went the other way: Xbox Series X|S unit sales fell 27%, the lowest September ever recorded for Xbox consoles, and Switch 2 unit sales fell 14% (GamesIndustry.biz, VGC; GameSpot reports the same Xbox drop).

Why the PS5 jumped depends on who you read. Bloomberg's headline credits GTA 6, saying buyers are getting ready for the launch. GamesIndustry.biz and VGC put it next to Marvel's Wolverine, a PS5 exclusive that was September's best-selling game in the US. Circana's published numbers don't split the two. Bloomberg adds that the $900 PS5 Pro is sold out or scarce at big online stores in several countries, which fits the US sell-outs we covered on October 11.

Update, October 24: Circana's own analyst has now weighed in. Mat Piscatella told IGN that "PS5's hardware boost was primarily driven by Marvel's Wolverine. NBA 2K27 and Grand Theft Auto VI also likely helped," and that "Xbox Series did not get a similar sales boost during the month." So the answer is mostly Wolverine, with GTA 6 a likely but smaller factor.

These are US figures for one month, not GTA 6 sales: the game isn't out, and our budget and sales page tracks the pre-order estimates.

Sources: GamesIndustry.biz; VGC; GameSpot; Bloomberg; IGN

The cheapest PS5 for GTA 6 right now

PlayStation Direct in the US sells Sony's certified refurbished PS5 Digital Edition for $499 and the disc model for $549, about $100 under the new prices of $599.99 and $649.99 that Sony set in April (PlayStation Direct; PlayStation Blog). Sony's listing for the refurbished Digital Edition says it is the slim model with a 1 TB drive, one controller and a 12-month warranty. A new PS5 Digital Edition ships with an 825 GB drive, The Verge notes, so the cheaper console also has more room for GTA 6.

Through PlayStation Direct, Sony is also taking $40 off when you buy a refurbished console and a refurbished DualSense together. That brings the pair to $518 for the Digital Edition or $568 with a disc drive, so the second controller costs about $19 instead of $59 (IGN, The Verge, GamesRadar+).

Our preload page shows the difference the drive makes: about 842 GB usable on a 1 TB PS5 against about 667 GB on an 825 GB one, before you install anything.

Sources: PlayStation Direct; PlayStation Blog; IGN; The Verge; GamesRadar+

What it means for players

Our take: don't read September's numbers as proof that GTA 6 is already selling consoles. Wolverine launched the same month, the figures are US-only, and Circana's own analyst says Wolverine did most of the work, with GTA 6 only "likely" helping, so Bloomberg's headline overstates the link. The practical news is the refurbished PS5. If you are buying a PlayStation for GTA 6, $499 for a Sony-tested console with a 1 TB drive and a full warranty beats $599.99 for a new Digital Edition with less storage, and we would take it over a scalped PS5 Pro every time. Order early enough to set it up before preloading opens on November 12. If you play on Xbox, the sales slump changes nothing: Rockstar still lists GTA 6 for Xbox Series X|S on November 19, and our PS5 and Xbox page has what each console gets.

Not confirmed

Burger Shot across Florida. GameSpot says Rockstar and Skinny Louie's announced that every Skinny Louie's in Florida becomes a Burger Shot from early November through December 31, for dine-in and delivery. We found no second outlet and no Rockstar post, so for now the only confirmed stands are inside the Kaseya Center. Update, October 25: Skinny Louie and Rockstar announced it in a joint Instagram post and Secret Miami reported it too, so it is now reported; see our October 25 roundup.
A second TV version. Polygon says two cuts of the Launch Trailer are now airing on NBC, one 30 seconds long and one 90 seconds. No other outlet we trust has reported the shorter cut.
When the refurbished offer ends. IGN gives November 5; Sony's pages and the other outlets don't say.
The Miami Beach "Vice Beach" deal. GTAVice.net posted more details from city records on October 22. No local outlet or the city has reported it yet.
The Miami-Dade vote. We still find no report of what county commissioners decided on October 20 about the airport, port and transit deal.
The PC window and who plays Jason and Lucia. Rockstar has announced neither.

Coming up

November 9: Take-Two's earnings report after the US market close, with a call at 4:30 PM Eastern.
November 12: preloading starts at local midnight.
November 17: last day of GTA 5 in the PS Plus Game Catalog.
November 18: the Miami Heat's "A Night in Vice City" game at the Kaseya Center.
November 19: the game, Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album and The Goodtime State collector's box.
December 10: The Game Awards 2026, with GTA 6 eligible.