The GTA 6 Launch Night: How much will it cost for gamers?

The date gamers around the world have been waiting for is almost here, Thursday, November 19, 2026, when GTA VI finally launches. People have booked time off work, some may ring in sick, and others will be patiently waiting until they can log on and cause chaos around Vice City. However, just how much will the GTA Launch Night cost gamers who want the full experience.

To figure this out, Casino Guru has researched how much the GTA Launch Night cost back in 2013 when GTA V launched, compared to the cost for the GTA VI launch this year. To do this they have combined the price of the game, a console (where needed), pizza, soft drinks, snacks, internet and electricity, to reveal just how much the cost of launch night has changed over the past 13 years.

Key Highlights:

Xbox Series X - Launch night will cost over $1,000

• The cost of the GTA Launch Night has risen from $454.41 to $1003.80, a 120.9% increase.
• Taking general US inflation into account, that’s still an increase of $346.55 (52.7%).
• The average US worker will need to work 26.5 hours to afford the Launch Night, compared to 18.9 hours in 2013 (7.6 hours more).
• The cost of a new Xbox has risen from $299.99 to $799.99, a 166.7% increase.

PS5 - Launch night costs have risen by 88%

• The cost of the GTA Launch Night has risen from $453.45 to $852.92, an 88.1% increase.
• Taking general US inflation into account, that’s still an increase of $197.06 (30.0%).
• The average US worker will need to work 22.6 hours to afford the Launch Night, compared to 18.9 hours in 2013 (3.7 hours more).
• The cost of a new PlayStation has risen from $299.00 to $649.00, a 117.1% increase.

Existing Console - Launch night is more affordable than in 2013

• The cost of the GTA Launch Night has risen from $154.44 to $203.86, a 32% increase.
• Surprisingly, when taking general US inflation into account, there is a decrease of $19.51 (-8.7%) - Meaning GTA VI is cheaper than GTA V.
• The average US worker will need to work 5.4 hours to afford the Launch Night, compared to 6.4 hours in 2013 (1 hour less).

The GTA VI Launch Night Cost in America

Xbox Series X

The age-old battle of Xbox v PlayStation, who has the better console and why? Now PlayStation users will be happy to know that for US citizens who are wanting to buy and use an Xbox to enjoy their GTA VI launch night, they will be paying just over $1,000 for the experience ($1,003.80). Not only is this $150 more than PS5 users, but it's also a 120.9% increase from the GTA V launch in 2013.

In terms of the game itself, that's costing $79.99 this November, compared to the $59.99 price tag for GTA V in 2013. Now although this is a $20 increase, when you take general inflation into account it's surprisingly $6.78 cheaper.

But what about the smaller costs that make up this GTA VI Launch Night?

In the table below you can see the items which cover the bases for a night of gaming. All have seen an increase since 2013 and most have risen faster than inflation, other than internet, with its inflation-adjusted cost falling by $11.48, according to the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI).

PS5

PlayStation users now have the upper hand when it comes to how much the GTA VI Launch Night will cost for those buying a new console, but how much does it actually cost PS5 gamers?

Launch Night has increased from $453.45 to $852.92, an 88.1% increase since 2013. When taking general US inflation into account, that’s still an increase of $197.06, a hefty rise for a gaming experience.

Putting this into a different perspective, the average US worker will need to work 22.6 hours to afford the Launch Night, compared to 18.9 hours in 2013 (3.7 hours more), meaning almost three 8-hour shifts will cover the cost of the experience. Prices for the rest of the night are covered in the same table that was shown above.

Existing Console

The average gamer on the 18th of November will likely already have a console or may not be looking to upgrade their set up for the launch, but there is an interesting figure that sticks out from the data.

Although GTA VI is $20 dearer than GTA V on paper, the cost has risen slower than inflation, with GTA V having an adjusted cost of $86.77 according to the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI), compared to GTA VI release cost of $79.99. Meaning gamers may be surprised to learn that GTA VI is actually cheaper than GTA V when adjusted for inflation.

This means the average US worker will need to work 5.4 hours to afford the Launch Night, compared to 6.4 hours in 2013 (1 hour less). Again, prices for the rest of the night are covered in the same table that was shown above.

The GTA VI Launch Night Cost in Canada

Xbox Series X

How does the GTA VI Launch Night price up across the border? Canadian gamers might be sad to find out that they are paying a huge C$1,180, which is a 185.9% increase from C$412.84 in 2013.

The staggering stat that sticks out from the Canadian data is just how much they will have to work to afford the launch night. The average worker will need to work 30.4 hours, which translates to close to four 8-hour shifts and an increase of 15.9 hours from 2013. For die hard gamers this will be no issues but for the average person it may make them second guess getting involved on the 18th of November.

How do the smaller costs make up this GTA VI Launch Night in Canada?

In the table below you can see the items which cover the bases for a night of gaming. All have seen an increase since 2013, and most have risen faster than inflation; however, some have more than most. Internet has seen a 166.2% increase in cost, and the game itself has seen an 83.3% increase, which, unlike in the US, is 32.4% more expensive after adjusting for inflation

PS5

Canadian gamers looking to buy a PS5 as part of their GTA VI launch night will be set back C$1,049.28 which is a 154.8% increase from 2013's cost of C$411.88.

Again, Canadian workers will be working more than the US, with the average CA worker needing to clock in 27.1 hours to afford the Launch Night, compared to 14.5 hours in 2013 (12.6 hours more). Prices for the rest of the night are covered in the same table that was shown above.

Existing Console

For the average Canadian gamer who likely already has a console for the launch of GTA VI, they will be seeing a much larger increase in the Launch Night cost than they may have been expecting. Since 2013 the cost has increased 104%, from C$112.87 to C$230.22.

Even taking general inflation into account that is still an increase of C$73.97 (47.3%), while the US actually saw a decrease of $19.51 (-8.7%). The average CA worker will need to work 5.9 hours to afford the Launch Night, compared to 4 hours in 2013 (1.9 hours more)

Mississippi Gamers Will Have to Work the Longest to Afford the GTA VI Launch Night

Gamers living in Mississippi will need to work longer than the average worker from any other state. To afford the GTA VI launch night including buying an Xbox Series X, they will need to work 34.2 hours, for the PS5 they need to work 29.1 hours and those with existing consoles 6.9 hours. Meaning, almost one 8-hour shift is covering the cost of the GTA VI launch night for those with existing consoles.

However, gamers in Washington will have to work the least of all US states. To afford the ultimate GTA Launch Night with a new Xbox Series X, they would need to work 22.9 hours. With a new PS5 they would need to work 19.5 hours and with an existing console, just 5 hours.

Methodology

We compared the cost of a GTA launch night in 2013, when GTA V came out on Xbox 360 and PS3, with the cost in November 2026, when GTA VI launches on November 19th.

We priced the 2013 Launch Night at launch-era US and Canadian prices. For 2026, we used current prices for the game and consoles. We adjusted the 2013 totals for inflation so the two years can be compared fairly, and we estimate how many hours of average work each basket costs. The Canadian version uses the same method with Canadian prices in Canadian dollars.

The Launch Night:

• GTA game: GTA VI Standard Edition at the official launch price.
• Console: New retail price for the Xbox Series X (1TB disc) or PS5 (disc edition), or no console.
• Pizza: One medium takeout pizza
• Drinks: One 2L bottle of cola.
• Snacks: One bag of potato chips of similar size.
• Internet: One month of home internet, at the same speed tier where possible.
• Electricity: Eight hours of console use, at the average residential electricity price.

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