Niko Partners Analyst: PS5 Pro Shortage Isn't Because of GTA 6

2 September 2026 · 4 min read

GameMapa editorial · how we check facts
Checked: Claude (AI) — факт-звірка з uk-оригіналом; носій мови НЕ перевіряв

Mainstream coverage of the US PS5 Pro shortage tends to boil it down to one word: GTA 6. But Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad, as reported by thegeek.games, offers a different picture: demand for the console, in his assessment, actually fell because of higher prices, and the lack of stock on shelves stems mainly from weak supply rather than a sudden sales spike tied to GTA 6.

Below is what the analyst is actually saying, why the real cause may run deeper than a single game announcement, and what this story does not let us claim as fact.

What the Niko Partners analyst is saying

According to Daniel Ahmad, quoted by thegeek.games, the situation around PS5 Pro is a slight paradox: higher console prices have reduced overall demand, while shelf shortages are driven mainly by low supply rather than a sudden sales surge. In other words, consoles aren’t scarce because people suddenly started buying them more aggressively — they’re scarce because manufacturers simply cannot ship enough units to stores.

The cause isn’t the game, it’s memory

The main driver of the shortage, according to the analyst, is the vast amount of memory being absorbed by data centers built for artificial intelligence, with geopolitical tension around the supply of key components adding further pressure. thegeek.games also cites Sony CEO Hiroaki Totoki, who expects elevated memory prices to persist through all of fiscal year 2027, while manufacturer Lenovo warns the component crunch could stretch into the 2030s.

A second take: two factors at once

Aprasi frames the situation somewhat differently, though without contradicting Ahmad’s core conclusion: it describes two separate problems stacking together — genuine GTA 6 hype and a global shortage of DRAM and NAND memory chips that has already pushed official PS5 prices up twice during 2026. According to Aprasi’s estimate, AI data centers consume roughly 70 percent of global memory output, and that is what pushed the official PS5 Pro price to 899.99 dollars and the standard PS5 to between 599.99 and 649.99 dollars depending on the version. The outlet’s takeaway is short: GTA 6 didn’t create the memory crisis, it simply showed up right when supply was already tight, giving millions of people one more reason to want the most powerful PlayStation available.

The site previously reported that PS5 Pro sold out in the US amid the buzz around an extended gameplay reveal — and that earlier piece leaned mostly on the hype explanation. The Niko Partners analyst’s view adds to that picture rather than overturning it: both factors are most likely operating at the same time.

The situation in Europe isn’t any better

The memory crisis isn’t a purely American story. According to PlayFront, buying a PS5 Pro in Germany at the official price of 899.99 euros is currently almost impossible, with some retailers marking prices up to as much as 1 300 euros, and the cause cited there is the same DRAM and NAND memory crisis rather than the GTA 6 announcement specifically. That confirms the component shortage is global in nature rather than tied exclusively to one game’s release.

What we are not claiming

It’s worth separating fact from assessment. The figures and causes described above reflect the position of a Niko Partners analyst and the reporting of thegeek.games, Aprasi, and PlayFront — not official data from Sony, Rockstar Games, or Take-Two. None of these companies has publicly stated the exact share of demand attributable to GTA 6, and none has published its own statistics on the causes of the PS5 Pro shortage. So everything said here about a “slight paradox,” about AI data centers consuming 70 percent of global memory output, or about the crunch lasting into the 2030s should be read as expert commentary from specific outlets, not as a confirmed fact from the console maker or the game’s developer.

What this means for buyers

The practical takeaway is simple: even if you set aside the idea that “PS5 Pro sold out because of GTA 6,” the console won’t appear on shelves any faster for it — the memory shortage, in the analyst’s assessment, isn’t going away overnight. If the official price of 899.99 dollars matters to you, it’s more sensible to wait for the next restock than to overpay resellers purely on the belief that one specific game is to blame. For the technical side of whether GTA 6 actually needs the Pro version, see the guide on whether PS5 Pro is worth it for GTA 6, and for concrete frame-rate figures, see GTA 6 FPS on PS5 and PS5 Pro.

For broader context on the hype around the release, see the news coverage of the GTA 6 preorder estimate and the standard price debate: both pieces show the market around the game is heated regardless of how exactly the console shortage gets explained.