Sony Playstation PS5 Pro: Why PS5 Pro prices are skyrocketing ahead of GTA 6 launch amid ongoing supply issues

Buying a PlayStation 5 has become more expensive than many gamers expected. More than five years after the original console launched, Sony has raised prices instead of cutting them, while the PS5 Pro is now facing another supply crunch. The timing is difficult for players hoping to upgrade before Grand Theft Auto 6 arrives on November 19. Reports suggest the PS5 Pro shortage could continue into early 2027, leaving buyers with fewer options as demand remains high.

Why Is the Sony PS5 Pro in Short Supply

According to gaming outlet PlayFront, a memo sent by Sony to retailers says the PS5 Pro shortage could last “through early 2027 at the earliest.” The report attributes the problem to “temporary market supply constraints and high demand.” Major retailers, including Sony's own online store, have reportedly sold out of the console. The expected release of GTA 6 is one reason demand is rising. Many players want the most powerful PlayStation hardware available before Rockstar's highly anticipated game arrives, as per reports by BGR and Engadget.

The PS5 Pro was released in November 2024 after years of supply problems that had troubled the original PS5. Those earlier problems were caused by chip shortages and worldwide supply chain disruptions. Sony fixed those problems by January 2023. Now the company faces a new set of challenges.

Why Does the PS5 Cost More Than It Did at Launch

When the PS5 was released in November 2020 the standard disc version cost $599 while the Digital Edition cost $399. By 2026 those prices had risen to $649 dollars for the disc model and $599, for the Digital Edition. The PS5 Pro, which started at $700 in 2024, rose to $750 in August 2025 and then reached $900 following another increase in April 2026.

The rising cost of memory is one major reason. A shortage of NAND and RAM has affected consumer electronics, with the growing demand for high-performance memory from AI data centers putting further pressure on supply.

Sony acknowledged the issue during a Q4 2025 investor call, saying that “rising memory prices increase bill of materials (BOM) costs and worsen manufacturing costs [for the PS5].”

Sony has secured enough memory to support its manufacturing capacity through the end of 2026, but it expects the shortage to continue into 2027. The company has also warned that memory supply issues could affect the next console generation.

Will GTA 6 Look Better on the PS5 Pro

The PS5 Pro offers some visual advantages that could appeal to players preparing for GTA 6. According to IGN's interview with Digital Foundry's Alexander Battaglia, the console's PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution technology can improve image sharpness and edge smoothing.

The Pro also has more advanced ray-tracing capabilities than the standard PS5. Battaglia said, "Real-time ray-traced transparency reflections are much more obvious" in Rockstar's second trailer for GTA 6 than in the first.

He added, "So glass on beer bottles, cars' windscreens, building windows, and more look particularly good." However, Digital Foundry considers 60 frames per second unlikely on consoles because GTA 6 is expected to put heavy demands on the CPU. The game is expected to run at 30 FPS across consoles. With prices high and the PS5 Pro difficult to find, gamers may have to wait longer to secure one before GTA 6 arrives.