PS6 could be delayed because of GTA 6 release date claims analyst

The delay of GTA 6 may impact more than just other publisher’s games, as Sony and Microsoft’s next gen consoles face new problems.

While neither Sony or Microsoft has announced actual release dates for the PlayStation 6 or next Xbox, most rumours have them pinned for 2027.

This has seemed likely based on previous console generations, which usually span around seven years, and the fact that both companies have started to reference the new hardware in their plans. But there have been questions around whether the current PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S generation could be longer than usual – with Sony stating recently its console is only in the ‘middle’ of its lifecycle.

Another possible factor is GTA 6, as following the game’s recent delay to November 19, 2026, an analyst has suggested this new date could affect Sony and Microsoft’s plans.

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Ampere’s Piers Harding-Rolls said: ‘A question I’m thinking about more progressively is this: Could the late arrival of GTA 6 have an impact on when next gen consoles come to market?

‘As the game is such an important driver of hardware sales – not just at launch but over multiple years – Sony and Microsoft will have wanted a much earlier release than late 2026 so they could generate momentum earlier in the cycle.’

Harding-Rolls goes onto suggest the consoles could be pushed back to 2028, adding: ‘We are currently forecasting a next gen PlayStation and Xbox to arrive in late 2027 – but might the console companies be tempted to get more from the current console generation by riding the GTA 6 wave and waiting until 2028?

‘The fact that games are now cross gen makes this less of a factor, perhaps, but such is the size of the GTA franchise, the launch timing will get all areas of the games business thinking about their product strategies.’

While it’s a sensible question to ask, history suggests the next gen consoles could still come out in 2027, despite GTA 6’s delay. The launch of GTA 5 happened in September 2023, just a few months shy of the Xbox One’s launch in the West and a year before the PlayStation 4. Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions of GTA 5 were subsequently launched in November 2014.

However, the current gaming landscape is very different to what it was 10 years ago. As such, it’s very possible Sony and Microsoft’s plans could shift based on this delay, although the latter will likely want to launch new hardware as soon as possible, because of the failure of the Xbox Series X/S – and potential new rivalry from Valve’s Steam Machine.

There’s still little concrete information about the PlayStation 6 or next Xbox, aside from AMD partnerships, but all signs point to another step towards PC-like architecture and integration.

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