I mainly play on PC and don’t currently own a console, but the idea of waiting for GTA 6 On PC is starting to get irritating. Buying another system for one game feels excessive, especially when I’d probably go back to PC afterward.
Would you buy a console just to play GTA 6 sooner, or wait for the PC release even if the delay ends up being longer than expected?
The deciding detail is whether you’d be willing to resell the console after finishing the game. That turns it from buying an entire system for one title into paying the difference between the purchase and resale price for earlier access.
Personally, I’d wait for PC. GTA 6 will probably be a long-term game, and I’d rather play the version that fits my usual setup than rush through it on hardware I don’t otherwise want. Buying a console makes more sense if your friends will be playing at launch or avoiding spoilers matters a lot to you.
If the wait becomes unbearable, a used console with a planned resale is the least wasteful option. I definitely wouldn’t buy a brand-new system and a pile of accessories for a single game.
If the PC delay turns out to be a year or more, I’d probably buy a console, but only after launch reports confirm the game runs well. Buying hardware in advance for one unreleased game makes no sense to me.
Buying a console for one story playthrough is very different from buying one because you expect GTA 6 to become your main game for years. In the second case, you could end up purchasing the game twice, rebuilding your progress on PC, and paying for console online access while using hardware you never really wanted.
I wouldn’t count on resale as a painless solution either. You still have to find a buyer, deal with fees or low trade-in offers, and decide whether to sell before the PC release details are clear. That can turn “temporary console” into another box sitting under the TV.
My practical cutoff would be simple: wait until the console version is actually out, then see how badly you still want immediate access after the launch hype settles. If your friends are actively playing and you know you’ll get months of use from it, buy the console. If it’s mostly impatience and spoiler anxiety, mute GTA-related feeds and stay on PC. That annoyance will probably cost less than maintaining two gaming setups.
If you dislike controller aiming or don’t have a decent TV setup, buying a console is a bad answer before price even enters the picture. You could spend hundreds to play sooner, then realize you’re getting your first GTA 6 playthrough with controls, performance options, and a screen setup you like less than your PC. That would annoy me more than waiting.
@bluepixel3309 is right about waiting for launch reports, but I’d go beyond checking whether it runs properly. See what the actual experience looks like. Is the frame rate something you can tolerate? Are the graphics modes worth the tradeoff? Does the controller feel right for shooting and driving? Don’t assume the hype will make those preferences disappear.
I wouldn’t buy a console in advance, and I wouldn’t treat launch week as a deadline. Let the initial rush pass, try the system at a friend’s place or in a store if possible, and then decide whether playing the game that way still appeals to you. Borrowing a console would be the obvious cheap route, but GTA 6 probably isn’t the kind of game most owners will happily lend out for several weeks right after release.
So no, I wouldn’t buy one purely to avoid waiting. I’d buy one only if the console version itself looked like a way I genuinely wanted to play, not as an expensive ticket past the PC delay. The first playthrough is the one you can’t redo without knowing what happens. I wouldn’t waste it on a setup I already expect to abandon.
Realistic expectation: the PC gap for the last game ran into years, not months, so don’t plan around a quick port. @petethecircuit nailed the real trap, which is buying it twice and rebuilding progress once PC lands. If that’s you, borrowing beats owning.
Buying a console because GTA 6 made you realize you want a living-room gaming setup is very different from buying one to remove a delay from your calendar. The first purchase has some life beyond GTA. The second is basically an impatience fee.
I wouldn’t do it for one game unless launch becomes a social event for me. If several friends are playing together, discussing missions, and spending months in online mode, then joining them while that group is active could be worth more than having the ideal PC version later. Playing alongside friends two years late is not the same experience. Spoilers alone wouldn’t persuade me, but missing the period when everyone I know is involved might.
I disagree slightly with the idea that a console playthrough would automatically waste the first experience. Mouse aiming, graphics settings, and higher performance matter, but GTA is still heavily built around driving and wandering around. A controller on a television may suit plenty of the game even if it isn’t your normal preference. The bigger issue is whether you’ll resent the purchase every time you turn it on. Spending that much can create pressure to “get your money’s worth,” which is a terrible mood for a game you’ve waited years to enjoy.
My test would be whether I can name other genuine uses for the console without stretching. A few games I actually intend to play, local multiplayer, another person in the household using it, or keeping it as a permanent couch system would count. “Maybe I’ll browse the catalog someday” would not. People are very good at inventing future uses to justify hardware they want right now.
I’d keep the money aside and make the decision once I know what the released game is, rather than treating the console launch as an appointment. If GTA 6 ends up consuming the gaming conversation and the PC version still has no clear path, the console may earn its place. If the urge drops after the opening wave of videos and reactions, that tells you the hardware was never the real attraction.
So my answer is probably no for a single campaign, but possibly yes for a shared launch experience. I just wouldn’t pretend the console is an investment or a bargain. It would be paying extra to play sooner, and I’d want the social value to justify that rather than hype doing all the work.
The hidden downside is that buying the console could make the game feel like an obligation. If I spent hundreds just to avoid the wait, I’d probably feel pressured to play constantly and finish before spoilers spread. That sounds like a worse first playthrough than simply waiting until I can play on my normal setup.
I was initially thinking along the same lines as @primevision about joining friends at launch, but even that depends on matching their schedule. If they race ahead during the first weekend while I’m playing a few hours here and there, I’ve paid for early access without really getting the shared experience I wanted.
So no, I wouldn’t buy a console solely for GTA 6. I’d put that money aside and see whether I still care once the launch rush has passed. If I eventually found several console games I genuinely wanted, GTA 6 could help justify the purchase. It wouldn’t be the entire reason for it.