gear / guide
PS5 Pro vs. Xbox Series X for GTA 6
Specs, price and storage compared using Sony and Microsoft's own listings, for shoppers deciding which console to buy before GTA 6 launches.
GTA 6 launches 19 November 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S — Rockstar has not announced a PC version, so a console purchase is the only way to play at launch. This guide is not a hands-on comparison; we have not run GTA 6 on either machine, because nobody outside Rockstar has. What follows is drawn from Sony's and Microsoft's own published specifications and mainstream reporting on 2025's tariff-driven console price increases, laid out so you can weigh the trade-off yourself.
Price and what you actually get
Both consoles went through a round of US price increases in August 2025 as manufacturers passed tariff costs on to buyers, so the numbers below sit higher than the launch prices you may remember. Treat every figure here as a snapshot, not a promise — check the retailer link before you buy.
| Spec | PS5 Pro | Xbox Series X |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | 2TB internal SSD, no disc drive included | 1TB or 2TB internal NVMe SSD |
| GPU | Sony lists roughly 67% more compute units and 28% faster memory than base PS5, with PSSR AI upscaling | 12 TFLOPS RDNA 2, 52 compute units at 1.825GHz, per Microsoft's spec sheet |
| CPU | Same 8-core Zen 2 design as base PS5 | 8-core Zen 2 at 3.8GHz (3.6GHz with SMT), per Microsoft |
| Output | Up to 8K, VRR, Wi-Fi 7 where supported | Up to 4K/120fps target, up to 8K HDR passthrough |
| US price (post-2025 increase) | Around $750 | Roughly $600–$730 depending on edition |
Console pricing moves — Sony and Microsoft have each raised US prices at least once since 2024 citing tariffs, and could do so again before November. Figures above reflect reporting from major outlets in August 2025 on the most recent round of increases; always confirm the current price on the manufacturer's own page before buying.
What this means for GTA 6 specifically
Rockstar has not published a resolution or frame-rate target for GTA 6 on either console, so nothing below is a claim about how the game will actually run — it is a read of what each machine is capable of on paper. The PS5 Pro's larger GPU and AI upscaler give it more headroom for ray tracing and higher resolution modes if Rockstar chooses to use them; the Xbox Series X's spec sheet targets similar output but with less raw GPU power. Whichever console GTA 6 favors is Rockstar's decision to make and announce, not something we can infer from hardware specs alone.
Buy the console for the ecosystem and the games you already own — not for a performance edge in a game whose target specs Rockstar has not said a word about.
If you already own a PS5 or Xbox Series X|S from the current generation, GTA 6 will run on it: Rockstar's own release announcement names PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, not just the Pro tier. The Pro is a "better version of the same platform" purchase, not a requirement.
The picks
Every link below goes straight to the manufacturer's own product page — MoneyMeta has no affiliate relationship with Sony or Microsoft yet, so nothing here earns a commission. See our affiliate disclosure for how that will be labelled once it exists.
PS5 Pro — for max headroom, no disc drive
Best if: you already own a large PSN digital library, want the most GPU headroom for whatever visual modes Rockstar ships, and don't mind buying the disc drive separately if you want one.
Xbox Series X — for Game Pass and a built-in disc drive
Best if: you want a disc drive included, you're invested in Game Pass, or the price gap to the PS5 Pro matters more to you than the extra GPU headroom.
Base PS5 or Xbox Series S — for most people
If you don't already have a current-gen console and don't need the Pro-tier headroom, the standard PS5 or the Series X is enough to play GTA 6 on release day. Reserve the Pro-tier upgrade for once Rockstar actually publishes what it does with the extra power.