With GTA looming, consoles are getting expensive at the worst possible time
The upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto VI is driving high consumer demand for gaming consoles, but rising hardware prices are creating a barrier for potential buyers. Both Sony and Microsoft have significantly increased the costs of their current-gen consoles since their initial launches.
Why it matters
As a major cultural event, the game's release highlights the disconnect between high consumer interest and the increasing financial burden of entry-level gaming hardware.
The release of Grand Theft Auto VI is a singular moment, the kind of massive cultural phenomenon that makes people want to go out and buy a console to play it. It is the preeminent modern example of what’s known as a “system seller.” There’s almost certainly a large audience of people who were waiting to buy a console because all they really play on it is GTA, and they haven’t needed to upgrade since GTA V. But there’s one big problem: At the same time people are getting excited to finally play GTA, the hardware it runs on is becoming prohibitively expensive.
The article reports on market trends and pricing data without taking a political stance or favoring one manufacturer over another.
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