PS5 Pro availability has tightened across several major U.S. retailers as anticipation builds around Grand Theft Auto VI, with some stores showing limited or unavailable stock and third-party sellers asking well above Sony’s $899 retail price.
The situation drew renewed attention following Rockstar Games’ GTA VI Extended Look on August 27, although there is no evidence that the presentation alone caused the current shortage.
GamesRadar reported on August 28 that PlayStation Direct was one of the few major U.S. retailers still offering the PS5 Pro at its standard price at the time of its check.
Amazon and Walmart listings were reportedly dominated by third-party sellers asking as much as approximately $1,300, while Best Buy and Target availability had become difficult to find.
Inventory is changing quickly, however.
Retail listings checked later on August 28 showed some availability returning. Target listed the PS5 Pro as in stock at $899.99, while Best Buy continued to carry the console but marked it as a “high demand product” expected to sell out quickly.
Best Buy’s availability also varied by location, with some listings showing shipping unavailable while other areas offered stock.
Sony’s own PlayStation Direct store continued listing the 2TB PS5 Pro at $899.
That means the console is not completely sold out across the United States, but supply at major retailers is clearly inconsistent and buyers in some areas are facing limited options or substantially higher marketplace prices.
There are also signs that the problem began before Rockstar’s Extended Look premiered.
PS5 Pro owners were already reporting widespread shortages at retailers including Target, Walmart and Best Buy in the days leading up to August 27.
That makes it difficult to draw a direct line between GTA VI’s latest presentation and the inventory situation.
What the showcase may have done is increase attention on Sony’s most powerful console at a time when supply was already tightening.
GTA VI is officially listed as PS5 Pro Enhanced on Sony’s PlayStation Store.
Sony and Rockstar have not yet detailed exactly what those enhancements will include, but the designation confirms that the game will take advantage of the more powerful system.
Rockstar’s Extended Look itself was captured entirely on a standard PlayStation 5 rather than a PS5 Pro.
That is an important distinction, as the impressive footage shown during the presentation does not represent a special Pro-only version of the game.
The possibility of hardware shortages around GTA VI has been discussed for months.
In June, The Game Business reported that a major retailer expected console demand to outstrip supply during the year-end period surrounding GTA VI’s launch.
The warning covered current-generation PlayStation and Xbox hardware more broadly rather than specifically predicting a PS5 Pro shortage.
Component costs have also been putting pressure on the console market.
Circana data for July showed U.S. console unit sales falling 39% year-over-year while the average hardware selling price climbed to $542, partly reflecting higher prices across the current generation.
Sony, however, said in July that it had secured enough memory supply to meet its own fiscal-year PlayStation 5 sales targets.
That suggests the current retail situation does not necessarily indicate a long-term inability to produce PS5 hardware.
Retail inventory can fluctuate considerably, particularly around highly anticipated releases and after temporary restocks.
Grand Theft Auto VI launches on November 19, 2026 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
With the game now confirmed to carry PS5 Pro enhancements, demand for Sony’s premium console could remain elevated as launch approaches.
For now, the clearest conclusion is that PS5 Pro stock is unusually tight at some U.S. retailers and marketplace prices have risen sharply in places, but the shortage was developing before GTA VI’s latest showcase and cannot be attributed solely to the game.
