GTA 6 Hype Drives Major UK Console Sales Spike Ahead Of Release
According to Eurogamer, the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto VI is already providing a significant lift to PlayStation and Xbox sales in the UK. The report cites market research from NielsenIQ, which recorded a 33% week-on-week jump in PS5 sales and a 34% increase for Xbox Series X/S units.
The surge followed the record-breaking viewership for the game's extended gameplay deep dive. Per the outlet, nearly 4 million concurrent viewers watched streams of the reveal, with tens of millions more watching directly on Netflix and YouTube.
Analyst Ronan Patrick of Newzoo told The Game Business that the PS5 is now 67% more expensive than at launch when adjusted for inflation, with Xbox console prices having doubled. He cautioned this means the impact from GTA 6 might not be as massive as it could have been in a more stable market.
Interestingly, Nintendo Switch 2 sales experienced a similar upward trend of one-third during the same week, despite no GTA 6 release planned for the platform. Eurogamer speculates this could be due to consumers anticipating a price increase for that console.
