As if the video gaming industry hasn’t gotten expensive enough lately... It looks like things are about to get worse for console fans of the Grand Theft Auto franchise.
President Trump's tariffs along with the price hike of the Nintendo Switch 2's accessories and games are just a few recent announcements that are seemingly making gaming more expensive to maintain as a hobby.
Just a month ago, PlayStation players were hit with another PS Plus price increase of 25% just less than a year after the last one.
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Not long after, Sony introduced its plan to rise the recommended retail price (RRP) of the PlayStation 5 console in select markets.
Now, Xbox users are feeling the pain. According to a report by IGN, Microsoft is rolling out higher prices across the board for both consoles and games.
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As a result of the markups, things are getting particularly tense for those patiently awaiting the release of Grand Theft Auto VI. The Rockstar game has already been delayed until May 2026, pushed back from its original release date for this autumn. This means the game will launch after the new price changes take effect.
According to IGN, the price increase will see future AAA releases cost will be between an eye-watering $80 and $100. Understandably, users are outraged and have taken to the Reddit gaming community to vent. One user initiated the discussion by posting: "After Microsoft announced their price increases on consoles and games today, I would say it’s guaranteed GTA 6 is going to be $80."
Some jumped in to agree, replying: "All games will be $80 in the near future it was pretty obvious when Nintendo started it within the next few months Sony will do it then third party will slowly implement it. I honestly think gta 6 will be the first big third party game to do it then others will follow."
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On the topic of other available editions, someone else added: "I think It’s gonna be like $80 base game $100 deluxe edition $120+ for anything more they can dream up as an ultra gold platinum edition etc."
While some disgruntled fans chimed in: "Some of you saying you’d pay for $100 base game make me sick," others are taking the blame away from Rockstar, claiming: "$60 in 2015 is $82.10 in 2025. Blame global inflation, not Rockstar. "
Elsewhere, one user didn't care about the price, noting: "Id pay 200 to have it today".