GTA 6’s $100 PS5 Ultimate Edition Is Getting More Pre-Orders Than the Cheaper Version
Rockstar's parent company Take-Two has said that pre-orders for the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6 are skewing towards the pricier Ultimate Edition rather than the standard version, despite the premium option costing significantly more. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick made the comments during a CNBC interview, describing overall pre-order demand for the game as "exceptional" and suggesting the trend reflects the enthusiasm of the most dedicated fans, who tend to pre-order earliest.
The GTA 6 Ultimate Edition costs $99.99/£89.99, compared to $79.99/£69.99 for the Standard Edition, with PlayStation Store bestseller charts showing the premium version ahead. For the extra $20/£20, buyers get additional vehicles, weapons, cosmetics and in-game locations, including a raidable contraband store, though players can upgrade to the Ultimate Edition later if they choose. Push Square notes this pattern isn't unique to GTA 6, as premium editions generally outsell standard ones across most games on PS Store.
- GTA 6's $100 Ultimate Edition is outselling the $80 Standard Edition in pre-orders
- Take-Two CEO says pre-orders overall are "exceptional" and skewing premium
- Ultimate Edition adds extra vehicles, weapons and locations, but costs $20 more
New here? Start with this
Grand Theft Auto, or GTA, is a long-running series of open-world action games made by Rockstar Games. Its next instalment, GTA 6, is due for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, and has attracted attention from players and the games industry.
Take-Two Interactive owns Rockstar, and its chief executive, Strauss Zelnick, has discussed demand for the game. The two editions on sale offer the same main game; the more expensive Ultimate Edition adds digital extras such as vehicles, weapons and clothing.
Special editions often cost more because they include bonus content, and some players choose them when they order early. The split between editions matters to buyers weighing up the price and extras, and to the company as an early sign of interest in one of its major releases.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
This demonstrates healthy market functioning where dedicated consumers make informed choices to purchase content they value. GTA fans are freely choosing a premium edition that offers additional features they find worthwhile, and the exceptional overall demand shows enthusiasm for the game itself, not coercion. Tiered pricing appropriately serves different consumer preferences whilst rewarding publishers for creating compelling content, enabling sustained investment in game quality and development.
The case against
Whilst marketed as choice, premium edition strategies prey on brand loyalty, FOMO, and completionism, particularly among devoted fans. That consumers gravitate toward premium versions reflects psychological manipulation—content fragmentation, aggressive marketing, and artificial scarcity—rather than genuinely rational purchasing decisions, normalising increasingly extractive practices that prioritise corporate profit over fair consumer treatment.