GTA VI Release Threatens PS5 and Xbox Shortage: Retailer Warns of Console Scarcity

By the Christmas holidays, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S may face a shortage.

A major retailer has warned that by the Christmas holidays, demand for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S may exceed supply. According to their data, the situation will be exacerbated by the ongoing component shortage and the release of GTA VI.

The senior buyer for the gaming division of a major retailer stated that manufacturers have warned of reduced console supplies ahead of the GTA VI release.

We have been informed that due to ongoing issues with hardware component availability, we will not receive as many consoles as we had hoped for the GTA release. It is likely that demand will exceed supply by the end of the year.

The Game Business requested comments from Sony and Microsoft. The publication reminds that earlier this month, Xbox strategy director Matthew Ball already acknowledged the supply problem.

Additional demand is expected after the launch of a joint PlayStation and Rockstar advertising campaign with the slogan "Better to play on PS5." GTA VI will be released on November 19 and is expected to encourage PS4 and Xbox One owners to purchase new consoles.