Sony’s new PlayStation 5 Pro console was finally announced today, and for the most part, has been met with quite a bit of backlash. Most PlayStation fans are specifically taking issue with the PS5 Pro’s cost which comes in at a staggering value of $700. Despite Sony touting numerous different features that the PS5 Pro will have in tow when it releases in November, arguably the biggest selling point for many with the hardware will be Grand Theft Auto 6.
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Set to release next year, there’s still virtually nothing that Rockstar Games has revealed about GTA 6. Outside of its initial teaser trailer that was let loose in December 2023, details on the next entry in the Grand Theft Auto franchise are still slim to none. Still, what we do know with certainty about GTA 6 is that it’s on track to be one of the most successful video games ever. Its predecessor, Grand Theft Auto 5, has surpassed 200 million units sold and launched over a decade ago. As a result, there are countless tens of millions of fans around the globe who are going to be ready to purchase GTA 6 the moment it releases.
To that end, those looking to have the best experience with Grand Theft Auto 6 when it arrives are surely going to find it on PS5 Pro. Rockstar itself hasn’t talked yet about how it might take advantage of the new PlayStation console, but this version of GTA 6 will likely have some added features that those on base PS5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S won’t. Given the nature of GTA 6 as an open-world game, too, it will be a far bigger deal that the game can run seamlessly at a high frame rate without having to sacrifice its visuals. Based on the game’s initial trailer, that fidelity is something that fans aren’t going to want to give up with how incredible it looks.
While this might not seem like a big enough deal to warrant a purchase of a PS5 Pro, some Grand Theft Auto fans might feel differently. Grand Theft Auto 5 has been the game of choice for millions of players since 2013 and it’s assumed that this crowd will immediately latch onto Grand Theft Auto 6. For this hardcore group of fans who plan to play GTA 6 for a decade (or more), it’s not far-fetched that they would be willing to throw down big money for the most premium experience imaginable.
No Competition From Xbox
When comparing this generation to the last, the biggest difference is that the PS5 Pro will be available in a market that isn’t seeing a direct competitor from Xbox. In 2017, Microsoft released the Xbox One X as a means of going toe-to-toe with Sony’s PS4 Pro. The Xbox One X was even the more powerful console of these mid-gen upgrades, which gave Microsoft a bit of a leg up when it came to selling its platform as being the best for third-party titles.
Given how dismal Xbox’s console sales have been in this generation, though, it seems like Microsoft is choosing to pass on releasing an upgraded Xbox Series platform in the middle of its life cycle. Microsoft itself hasn’t outright confirmed this just yet, but the company has spoken more about the “next” Xbox rather than anything that would be released in the near future.
With no competition coming from Xbox, it makes it that much more obvious that PS5 Pro is going to be the best option available when it comes to playing GTA 6. Sony itself will even be able to lean directly into this selling point in proximity to the release of GTA 6, especially if it also has marketing rights to the game. For millions of fans, simply seeing the PS5 Pro advertised as the “best place to play” could be enough to throw down money for the console, even if that asking price is $700.
PC Will (Eventually) Be the Best Place to Play
Long term, it’s expected that Grand Theft Auto 6 will come to PC, which should end up being the best version of the game. That being said, Rockstar has already confirmed that this iteration of GTA 6 isn’t going to be out in 2025 as the studio is instead only focusing on consoles. Given Rockstar’s history with GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2, it could take until late 2026 or even 2027 for a PC version of GTA 6 to come about. Assuming that the PS6 and next Xbox don’t release at some point in this span of time, the PS5 Pro will remain the “best” place to experience Grand Theft Auto 6 for multiple years.
No matter how you look at it, the PS5 Pro is going to be for only the most hardcore of PlayStation fans. Sony seems to know this as well or it wouldn’t have attached a $700 price to the console. For those who are looking for a compelling reason to buy the PS5 Pro outside of the reasons that Sony is championing, though, it might very well lie with Grand Theft Auto 6. If you want to see what a truly next-gen version of GTA will look like, you’ll want to ensure that the PS5 Pro (and a high-end TV) are in your possession by fall 2025.
