Rumor: GTA 6 might push Sony and Microsoft to wait on launching new consoles

GTA 6's holiday reshuffle might do more than annoy impatient fans; it could convince platform holders to squeeze extra mileage from the current generation. Analyst Piers Harding-Rolls says the math might push PlayStation 6 and the next Xbox into 2028. Piers Harding-Rolls, head of games research at Ampere Analysis, told GI.Biz that the late arrival of GTA 6 could reshape hardware timing, with platform holders potentially pushing PlayStation 6 and the next Xbox into 2028 rather than late 2027.

Harding-Rolls explained that Ampere's baseline model still assumes a late 2027 launch window for next-generation systems; however, GTA 6's scale and holiday placement make it a powerful sales driver that companies might want to exploit. If Sony and Microsoft choose to ride the GTA 6 wave, they could extend the life of the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S with bundles and marketing, reducing the urgency to ship new hardware.

The immediate catalyst is Rockstar's move of GTA 6 into the holiday period on November 19, 2026. Industry forecasters say this decision backloads demand into the end of 2026, which changes the sales dynamics that console makers had been counting on for 2025 and 2026. Considering that pressure, combined with careful silicon and supply planning at Microsoft and Sony, suddenly waiting makes a lot more sense.

Platform transitions require chip partners, manufacturing commitments, and launch software, so shifting a generation by a year is possible but costly. Ampere models late 2027 as the default, but if both platform holders judge that GTA 6 will continue to lift hardware sales through 2027, they might push into 2028 to maximize lifetime value and bundle opportunities.

For gamers, the upshot is twofold. First, there is no immediate sign that Sony or Microsoft will announce a change, so expect talk and modeling adjustments long before any official roadmap moves. Second, the situation underlines how single blockbuster releases can still shape platform economics (even if titles are multi-platform).

As always, this is just a rumour, so we must take it with a grain of salt. If console makers do decide to capitalize on GTA 6's holiday impact, expect shifts in marketing calendars, chipset timetables, and bundle strategies rather than sudden press conferences given how slow-rolling some of these decisions can be.

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