GTA VI pre-orders pushed PS5 Pro demand up 348% on idealo UK
Price comparison site idealo says UK interest in the PS5 Pro jumped 348% in the week after GTA VI pre-orders opened, with a second spike after the Extended Look in August. The figures track demand on its platform, not sales.
Demand for the PS5 Pro on idealo's UK price comparison platform rose 348% week-on-week after Grand Theft Auto VI pre-orders opened on June 25, according to idealo. The figures were reported by PC Guide and picked up by GTAVice.net and iGrandTheftAuto.
The cheaper console saw a smaller bump. idealo says demand for the PS5 Slim rose 38% over the same period.
There was a second wave after Rockstar's GTA VI Extended Look in August. In the week beginning August 24, searches for GTA VI on idealo rose 350%, and PS5 Pro demand went up 144%.
Katy Phillips, idealo's senior brand and communications manager, linked the two directly. "GTA VI is proving to be a massive catalyst for the hardware market specifically," she said, adding: "We're seeing a direct correlation between major game reveals and immediate spikes in PS5 Pro interest."
Some caution is in order. These numbers measure demand and pricing activity on one comparison site, meaning people searching for and checking prices of the consoles. They are not confirmed UK console sales, and neither Rockstar nor Sony has commented on them. iGrandTheftAuto notes that other recent market data also points to higher console sales after the Extended Look, but idealo's figures on their own say more about curiosity than about what ended up in shopping baskets.
What the data shows is narrower than Phillips's wording: PS5 Pro interest on idealo UK rose after both GTA VI events. Whether anyone bought a console is a question the retail numbers will answer later.
Grand Theft Auto VI is set to launch on November 19, about nine weeks from today, which leaves room for at least one more spike before release.
