PlayStation Blackout Backfired, PS5 Pro Stocks Sold Out

In response to Sony’s hardware and physical gaming policies, the PlayStation Blackout movement saw some players planning to keep their consoles turned off indefinitely. However, while the protests continued, the opposite was true for the PS5 Pro. With many major retailers in the US running out of stock, third-party sellers began listing the device at prices significantly above its official price.

PS5 Pro Sees Renewed Demand Due to GTA 6 Effect

The official US retail price of the PS5 Pro is around $900. Despite this, some third-party sellers on Amazon are listing the console for prices as high as $1,300. It is also reported that major stores like Best Buy and Target have run out of new product stock, with Best Buy selling unboxed models slightly below the official price.

However, it still seems possible to purchase the console directly from Sony. New PS5 Pro models are currently on sale at official prices on the PlayStation Direct store. Therefore, the stock shortage doesn’t currently affect all sales channels, but the increased demand at major retailers indicates that the device is once again attracting significant interest.

One of the main reasons behind this demand is the excitement surrounding GTA 6. Following Rockstar’s new gameplay presentation, players may have turned to the PS5 Pro to experience the game with the highest possible image quality on consoles. Although there are serious question marks regarding the 60 FPS mode, the more powerful GPU, PSSR, and improved graphics features make the PS5 Pro attractive for GTA 6.

The resulting picture makes it difficult to say for now that the PlayStation Blackout movement directly reduced Sony sales. The fact that PS5 Pro stocks ran out while players participating in the protest continued to boycott their consoles is a striking contrast. How demand for Sony’s most powerful console will change as the release of GTA 6 approaches is particularly worth monitoring.

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