Outbound clicks for consoles were around seven times the average August daily level, with interest in the PlayStation 5 Pro rising nearly fourteenfold. The figures measure users clicking through to retailers rather than completed purchases.

Interest remained elevated beyond the initial surge. Three weeks after the preview, activity for the PlayStation 5 Slim was still around 3.4 times its level before the video’s release, Árukereső said.

The sharpest price increase affected the PS5 Pro. Its lowest available advertised price rose from HUF 358,890 before the preview to HUF 539,900, an increase of approximately 50%. Between Sept. 6 and 9, it reached as high as HUF 700,000.

Availability also narrowed. While roughly eight retailers listed the model in July, that number fell to an average of three or four after the preview. Árukereső attributed the higher prices primarily to reduced stock availability rather than an increase in the manufacturer’s list price.

PS5 Slim prices also increased, although less sharply. The disc version rose from HUF 229,990 to HUF 249,890, while the digital version increased from HUF 208,190 to HUF 228,890. The available selection narrowed for those models as well.

Price increases extended beyond PlayStation. Over the same period, Xbox Series S prices rose 14%, Xbox Series X prices increased 13%, and Nintendo Switch 2 prices climbed 10%. Prices for the older Switch OLED remained largely unchanged.

Árukereső noted that Xbox prices had already begun rising in mid-August, before the GTA VI preview, suggesting that broader market pressures were also contributing. Nintendo console prices rose despite no GTA VI release having been announced for those platforms, the analysis added.

Console prices in Hungary had been broadly stable during the corresponding weeks a year earlier.

The platform also cited rising global demand for memory chips used in AI servers as a potential source of pressure on console production costs. Its analysis suggested the GTA VI-related surge in interest had compounded an already challenging environment for component prices and inventory replenishment.

“The impact of GTA VI is a textbook example of how even a single event can move a market,” said István Farkas, pricing strategist at Árukereső.hu. “The surge in interest is real and does not disappear overnight, but the price response, particularly for the PS5 Pro, primarily reflects stock shortages rather than retailers deliberately raising prices.”

Farkas advised consumers planning a console purchase ahead of the game’s release to compare price histories to assess whether an offer represents good value or reflects reduced availability.