Sony is nudging PS4 owners toward PS5 before GTA 6 arrives
Messages reportedly reach players by email and through the PS4 notification center, and some are tied to GTA 6 wishlists or GTA 5 play history.
Sony is reportedly sending PS4 players a nudge to move up to PS5 as Grand Theft Auto 6 heads toward its November 19, 2026 release. For players still on the older console, that is a pretty direct reminder of where Rockstar’s next big game is headed.
According to GTA 6 Countdown, the messages are reaching players through email and the PS4 notification center. Some users said the notices were tied to GTA 6 wishlists, while others received them after showing strong GTA 5 play activity. A post from the account on X showed one version of the message and said some players were seeing a different format or the same notice on the console itself…
Some players are also receiving the message in a different format, while others saw it on the console’s notification center. pic.twitter.com/9bCQ18lptx
— GTA 6 Countdown ⏳ (@GTAVI_Countdown) May 9, 2026
The message is not subtle. Sony is steering PS4 owners toward PlayStation 5 so they can play Rockstar’s next game, and that push lands at a time when hardware sales still matter. A Financial Times report said researchers expect GTA 6 to move 40 million copies in its first year and bring in more than $3 billion in revenue.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is due on November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S|X, with the PC version arriving later. Rockstar and Sony still have months to go, but this latest message makes it clear which console they want PS4 players to buy next.
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Grand Theft Auto VI
Developed by Rockstar Games
Grand Theft Auto VI heads to the state of Leonida, home to the neon-soaked streets of Vice City and beyond in the biggest, most immersive evolution of the Grand Theft Auto series yet.
- Genre: Shooter, Racing, Adventure
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5
- Modes: Single player, Multiplayer, Co-operative
- Release: 2026-11-19
- Publisher: Rockstar Games, Take-Two Interactive
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Age Rating:
ESRB RP
