GTA 6's delayed release may affect PlayStation 6's launch. Sony is confident PS5's biggest hits are yet to come

The release of Grand Theft Auto VI, postponed from May to November 2026, may have much larger consequences than it might seem at first glance. According to Piers Harding-Rolls from Ampere Analysis, Rockstar's decision is going to shake up the release schedule for other games and might even affect when the next-gen PlayStation and Xbox consoles will be released.

In a conversation with GamesIndustry.biz, Harding-Rolls suggested that the delay of GTA 6's release will have a "huge impact on console sales dynamics in 2026." Rockstar's gonna drop a hit that usually boosts console sales, but this time the demand for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S is gonna be delayed even more than usual.

Ampere currently assumes the release of new consoles in the second half of 2027, but doesn't rule out further delays – even to 2028. It all depends on whether Sony and Microsoft want to leverage the potential of GTA 6 and "squeeze more" out of the current consoles.

It is also important to note that Grand Theft Auto V achieved success at a very similar point in the console lifecycle—launching a few years after the release of the PS3 and Xbox 360, and then moving on to the next generations. If Rockstar repeats this pattern, after launching on PS5 and XSX/S, GTA 6 might later be released on PC, and then on PS6 and the new Xbox... and then on PlayStation 7 and the next Xbox (if one is developed).

Sony isn't in a hurry

Although Sony hasn't officially announced the PS6 yet, internal work on the new platform is already underway. However, the company is still focusing on the current generation. In an interview with the BBC, Eric Lempel, boss of PlayStation's business division, admitted that five years after the PS5's release, they are "just gaining momentum."

A company rep acknowledged that, considering there are still "many great contents" on PlayStation 5, the corporation "will simply continue development" of the console. He also added that five years after the PS5's release, the title that will become the bestseller of this generation hasn't yet been released.

It is not hard to guess that Lempel might have been referring to GTA 6, whose release is anticipated to be the biggest entertainment event in history. On the other hand, Sony has its own hits in store—such as Marvel’s Wolverine and Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet—which should fill the time until the next generation arrives.

Sony's CFO, Lin Tao, said something similar a while back. According to him, the PS5 is only halfway through its life cycle. This just shows that modern consoles are sticking around longer than they used to. Take the PS4, for example—people are still loving it even 12 years after it first came out. The PS5 still has several promising years at the top, and the PlayStation 6 might be a console for a whole decade.

Grand Theft Auto VI

November 19, 2026

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