Grand Theft Auto 6 is finally starting to feel real. After years of trailers, delays, rumours, and more leaks than Rockstar Games would probably care to count, we've now had our best look at the game yet, thanks to the extended look trailer, alongside our dedicated GTA 6 preview right here on IGN.
And now, finally, it's just a matter of months before we can actually play it. GTA 6 launches on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on November 19, 2026, with pre-load beginning on November 12.
But there's still one pretty important question to answer: which console should you actually use to play GTA 6? And should you even buy a console for it, or simply wait for the inevitable PC release instead?
Look, there's no doubt that the vast majority of players will end up playing GTA 6 on PS5. Sony's console has a sizeable lead over Xbox Series X|S, with around 95 million PS5 consoles sold, compared with an estimated 35 million Xbox Series X|S consoles.
But it's not quite as simple as saying, "play it on PS5, like everyone else."
For starters, plenty of people still haven't made the jump to the current generation. If you're still playing on PS4 or Xbox One, GTA 6 could well be the game that finally convinces you to upgrade. Unfortunately, you couldn't have picked a much more expensive time to do it, with console prices, games, storage, and just about everything else seemingly getting pricier by the minute. It's a sign of the times, I'm afraid.
Rockstar has also yet to confirm the game's frame-rate targets, but current expectations point towards 30fps on the standard PS5 and Xbox Series X. That's hardly surprising given the sheer scale and visual ambition of GTA 6, but it does raise an interesting question about the PS5 Pro.
The Pro has considerably more horsepower than the standard PS5, along with PSSR upscaling, so you'd expect it to have an advantage. Whether that advantage will be enough to push GTA 6 to 60fps, however, is another matter entirely.
I'd be more surprised if the PS5 Pro didn't offer some kind of visual or performance advantage, but I'd be very wary of buying one on the assumption that it will deliver a locked 60fps. Until Rockstar confirms its performance targets, that's simply not something anyone can guarantee.
That being said, if you forced me to give an answer, the PS5 Pro is still probably going to be top option for getting the best performance for GTA 6. If only it wasn't so horrendously expensive.
If you don't already own a PS5 or Xbox Series X|S, GTA 6 presents a slightly awkward proposition. On the one hand, this is arguably the biggest game release of the generation, and you're probably going to want to play it as soon as it arrives. On the other, buying an entire console for one game is an increasingly expensive proposition in 2026.
Sony's current US prices put the PS5 Digital Edition at $599.99, the standard PS5 with a disc drive at $649.99, and the PS5 Pro at a frankly eye-watering $899.99. Microsoft isn't doing much better, with the Xbox Series S now costing $499.99 and the Xbox Series X reaching $749.99 for the digital model or $799.99 with a disc drive. Yikes.
Yet, somehow, despite these bonkers prices, there's somehow also an argument for buying sooner rather than later. Console prices have been consistently heading in the wrong direction, and the broader component shortage isn't exactly helping. Major retailers have already warned that console stock could struggle to keep up with demand over the holiday period, with one senior games buyer claiming retailers have been told they won't receive the number of consoles they want ahead of GTA 6's launch.
That's not exactly a guarantee that you'll be fighting scalpers for a PS5 come November, though. Sony insists it has secured enough memory to hit its PS5 sales target for the financial year, despite the ongoing component difficulties. Still, with GTA 6 expected to drive a huge upgrade cycle, I'd rather have my console sorted well before November 19 than find myself scrambling for one at the last minute.
Still, if you can, I would still avoid rushing out and paying full price for a console simply because GTA 6 is coming. If you're starting from scratch, keep an eye out for bundles, retailer promotions, trade-in offers, and, particularly as we get closer to November, any GTA 6-specific console deals that might appear.
