Consoles · Comparison

PS5 vs PS5 Pro vs Xbox Series X

Unlike the accessory rankings in this section, this isn't about adding an accessory — most people only buy one of these. GTA VI is confirmed for standard PS5 and Xbox Series X/S; any performance claim specific to PS5 Pro is not Rockstar-confirmed, and we say so clearly below.

Last updated 2026-07-29. Xbox Series X price rises from $649.99 to $799.99 on August 1, 2026 — confirmed by Microsoft.

Setting up for GTA VI? This ranking is part of our GTA VI setup collection — every guide we’ve published for the launch, in one place.

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Quick comparison

Ranked by Picksights Score. Prices are approximate and change frequently.
Product	Picksights Score	From	Best for
#1 · Sony PlayStation 5 Pro	7.4/10	$899.99	Most headroom for the generation
#2 · Microsoft Xbox Series X	6.9/10	$649.99	Best value if you want Game Pass
#3 · Sony PlayStation 5	6.8/10	$649.99	Best value if you want PlayStation exclusives

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

Top pick

Sony

Number 1: PlayStation 5 Pro

PS7.4/10

Most headroom for the generation

The advantage is real and measurable, and it is not the teraflop figure: Sony's own documents describe a 227% rise on paper that translates into roughly 45% more actual game throughput. Add dedicated PSSR reconstruction hardware and this is the machine with the most margin left against what its generation demands. Whether that margin is worth the premium depends entirely on your display — on a large 4K screen you will see it, on anything smaller you mostly will not.

Pros

60 GPU compute units / ~16.7 TFLOPS vs the base PS5's 36 CUs / ~10.28 TFLOPS
2TB storage out of the box — double the base PS5
WiFi 7 and meaningfully higher memory bandwidth

Cons

$899.99 — currently the most expensive of these three by $250
No disc drive included; add $79.99 if you want one
The uplift is real but conditional: it shows up on a large 4K display and in games with a Pro-enhanced mode, and barely at all outside those conditions

From $899.99Approximate — prices change

See current price

Sources: TechRadar (citing Digital Foundry analysis) (2024) · Notebookcheck / Digital Foundry analysis (2024-09-17)Last checked by Picksights 2026-07-29

Microsoft

Number 2: Xbox Series X

PS6.9/10

Best value if you want Game Pass

If you're leaning Xbox at all, our sources are unanimous that buying before August 1, 2026 is the single most impactful decision you can make on this page — it's a confirmed, dated price increase, not a rumor.

Pros

$649.99 today — but confirmed to rise to $799.99 on August 1, 2026, so buying now is a real, time-limited saving
Slightly more usable storage than the base PS5 out of the box (~802GB vs ~667GB)
Game Pass access to a very large game library beyond GTA VI itself

Cons

Confirmed $150 price increase in a matter of days from when this was written — factor that into any "wait and see" plan
Smaller current PlayStation-style exclusive lineup, per our sources

From $649.99Approximate — prices change

See current price

Sources: Xbox Wire (official Microsoft announcement) (2026-06-25)Last checked by Picksights 2026-07-28

Sony

Number 3: PlayStation 5

PS6.8/10

Best value if you want PlayStation exclusives

The safe, confirmed choice — you're not betting on unconfirmed Pro enhancements, and you're saving $250 that could go toward storage expansion or accessories instead.

Pros

$649.99 (disc) or $599.99 (digital) — $250 cheaper than the Pro
GTA VI is confirmed for this platform — no speculation needed here
Deepest current PlayStation exclusive library, per every source we cite

Cons

Smallest usable storage of the three (~667GB) — GTA VI plus a modest library will need expansion
WiFi 6, not WiFi 7

From $649.99Approximate — prices change

See current price

Sources: TechRadar (citing Digital Foundry analysis) (2024) · Xbox Wire (official Microsoft announcement) (2026-06-25)Last checked by Picksights 2026-07-28

How we rank

Picksights Score is a weighted average of 4 criteria. Price carries more weight here than in any other category on the site, because the spread between these three ($649.99–$899.99) is the widest we cover:

GTA VI performance potential — 30%
Storage — 20%
Connectivity — 15%
Price-to-value within this comparison — 35%

The "GTA VI performance potential" score for the PS5 Pro is based on the general pattern across other cross-platform titles since its launch, not a confirmed GTA VI spec — Rockstar hasn't announced PS5 Pro-specific enhancements for this game.

FAQ

Will GTA VI run better on PS5 Pro?

Not confirmed. Rockstar has not announced PS5 Pro-specific enhancements for GTA VI. The pattern from other cross-platform titles since the Pro launched suggests it likely will perform better, but that's an inference from other games, not a confirmed spec for this one.

Is now a good time to buy an Xbox Series X?

If you're going to buy one anyway, yes — Microsoft has confirmed the Xbox Series X disc model rises from $649.99 to $799.99 on August 1, 2026. That's a confirmed, dated increase, not a rumor.

Do I need the PS5 Pro to play GTA VI at all?

No. GTA VI is confirmed for the standard PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. The Pro is a performance option, not a requirement.

Not sure where to start? Read the Complete GTA VI Setup Guide →