PlayStation / PS5 Pro
Is the PS Blackout actually working? Or is it just social media noise? Gamers are wondering after reports dropped that the PS5 Pro is virtually sold out everywhere, and it all could be from the excitement for GTA 6.
It seems Netflix’s extended look at Grand Theft Auto 6 did what it was supposed to do: retailers like Best Buy are currently sold out of the PS5 Pro, and the only way to get your hands on one is through PS Direct or to buy a significantly marked-up console.
It also doesn’t help that the ongoing RAMpocalypse is pushing up the prices of things like video game consoles and gaming computers.
But still, combine that with the recent look at GTA 6, which showed off impressive gameplay on a base PS5 and even impressed the folks at Digital Foundry, and you get the message: the best place to play Rockstar Games’ highly anticipated game is on a PlayStation 5 console, especially the Pro.
What makes this even more interesting is that it happened in the middle of the #PSBlackout, a grassroots protest of PlayStation by gamers who are upset that Sony will no longer be making physical game discs after beginning in 2028.
Adding fuel to the all-digital future is the fact that GTA 6 will also be a digital-only release at launch.
But it seems the boycott to save physical games isn’t resonating as much as people on social media believe.
There have been rumblings out of Gamescom that PlayStation’s decision to ditch discs isn’t popular, and plenty of game studios aren’t happy with the company, leading Sony to reconsider.
“They were largely very upset. A lot of these companies see a lot of return, in fact a majority, through physical sales. … The industry side of things is not positive,” said John Linneman of Digital Foundry.
The GTA 6 Effect Is Real
But then there was another post that said the opposite: that Sony is still moving forward with its plans to ditch discs, and they have every reason to do so based on GTA 6’s presales numbers and the fact that demand for the PS5 Pro is high.
Reports say preorders have reached nearly 5 million, and 90% of those are for the $100 Ultimate Edition.
Other reported sales numbers claim that preorders rose dramatically following the extended look on Netflix, and that PlayStation is leading in that department.
Not missing an opportunity, gamers are also using the moment to dunk on the boycott, claiming that “social media isn’t a real place,” and that people are still out there pressing the power buttons on the PS5 consoles, and even more hype than ever to play GTA 6.
Consider us on that hype train too, because GTA 6 indeed looks lit, and we can’t wait to play it ourselves.
Until that day arrives, you can see more reactions below.