GTA6 release may spark global game console shortage as it makes £2.2bn in 24 hours

Grand Theft Auto 6 is just months away now and retailers are warning of a game console shortage as experts predict $3bn in sales on day one of release on November 19

Grand Theft Auto 6 is just months away now and retailers are warning of a game console shortage as the biggest entertainment release in history hits just before Christmas.

All other game makers have basically cleared the release schedules around the launch of the guns and gangsters blockbuster on November 19.

It’s a franchise follow-up to GTA5, which came out 13 years ago and has sold nearly 230 million copies worldwide since, generating more than £8billion in revenue across its lifetime.

Makers Rockstar, who are partly based in Scotland, are putting the finishing touches to the open-world action hit which is expected to become the biggest ever entertainment release.

Some analysts believe it could generate $3 billion (£2.2bn) in revenue within its first 24 hours alone.

And the clamour to play the game on day one is also having a knock-on effect on the console market.

Some retailers are worried they won’t have enough stock as gamers descend on shops to buy up Playstation 5s and Xbox Series X machines to play the game on.

The industry is already struggling due to a lack of chipsets as the push for AI snaps up much of the stock across the globe for new data centres.

One major games retailer told The Game Business: “We’ve been informed that because of the on-going issues around hardware component availability, we won’t be getting the units we want ahead of GTA.

“Demand will likely outstrip supply during the year end period.”

There will be two versions of the game when it ships, with pre-orders having gone live this week.

The Ultimate Edition costs £89.99 and comes with lots of car mods and personalised weapons variants above and beyond the Standard Edition, which is £69.99.

A spokeswoman for GTA6 said: “The biggest and most immersive evolution of the series yet, Grand Theft Auto VI features a single player experience launching on November 19 to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

“The Grand Theft Auto VI: Ultimate Edition amplifies this experience with an exclusive collection of premium vehicles, weapons, apparel, and action threaded across all aspects of Jason and Lucia’s story.

“Alongside the Standard and Ultimate Editions, all Grand Theft Auto VI pre-orders and purchases before November 20 will get the Vintage Vice City Pack, a collection of items that flash back to when the neon burned brightest.

“Players who pre-order digital versions of Grand Theft Auto VI will be able to begin pre-loading on November 12 to ensure they are able to play at launch on November 19.

“The physical version of Grand Theft Auto VI, containing a download code inside the box, will be available starting November 12 to support pre-loading.”