This year's PS5 Black Friday comes one week after the biggest game release in years. Rockstar has scheduled Grand Theft Auto VI for November 19, 2026, on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Reports say a PC version has not been announced.
That gives console demand an unusually early spike, so the usual advice to wait for Black Friday needs adjusting. Here is how to approach it.
Tech Bytes may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Links marked as searches open plain Amazon results — always vet the individual listing. Prices are left out on purpose: Black Friday prices change by the hour, so check the live Amazon.com price.
PS5 models: disc, Digital Edition or Pro
PlayStation's site lists the standard PS5 with 1 TB of storage and a built-in disc drive that reads PS5 and PS4 Blu-ray discs. The PS5 Digital Edition has 825 GB of storage and no disc drive. An external drive is sold separately, and Sony says it only fits the slim Digital Edition models. The PS5 Pro is Sony's highest-performance model.
If you own a shelf of PS4 or PS5 discs, buy the disc model, because adding a drive later costs more. If you buy every game digitally, the Digital Edition plus a larger SSD is often the better buy. Sony notes that usable storage is lower than the listed capacity, because system software takes part of the SSD.
GTA VI launch week and Black Friday
Reports say GTA VI pre-orders opened on June 25, 2026. One retailer says digital pre-orders can pre-load from November 12, and that pre-orders placed before November 20 include a bonus pack. Treat retailer bonus claims as unconfirmed until you see them on the PlayStation Store or Rockstar's site.
Console bundles that include a game are only worth buying if you wanted that game anyway. Price the bundle against the console alone plus the game alone. Launch-week bundles are not always cheaper.
Controllers and storage: easier Black Friday wins
DualSense controllers and NVMe SSDs are often discounted during Black Friday, even when consoles are not. Match the SSD to Sony's requirements: an M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen 4 drive with a heatsink that fits the expansion bay.
Watch for refurbished or used consoles listed under a new console's title. The seller line and condition label matter more than the headline price.
Black Friday 2026 dates on Amazon.com
- Black Friday: November 23–27, 2026
- Cyber Monday: November 28–30, 2026
Deals often start before the official window and repeat during Cyber Monday. If you track the price history of your exact model from now on, you will recognise a real low when it appears rather than reacting to a countdown timer.
Deal vetting on Amazon.com: a 60-second checklist
- Chart the price history: if today's price was matched or beaten in the last 90 days, the countdown timer is just pressure.
- Read the seller line: shipped and sold by Amazon, or a well-reviewed brand store, makes returns easier.
- Open the exact variant: colour, storage and generation variants share one review pool, so make sure the price you see is for the model you want.
- Compare renewed units: an Amazon Renewed unit with a full warranty sometimes beats the "deal" price on new stock.
Quick searches on Amazon.com
These open live Amazon.com results, so you can apply the checklist to today's prices:
Frequently asked questions
When does GTA VI come out?
Rockstar has scheduled Grand Theft Auto VI for November 19, 2026, on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. A PC version has not been announced.
Should I wait for Black Friday to buy a PS5?
If you want to play GTA VI at launch, Black Friday week (November 23–27) comes after November 19. Buy when you see a fair price that matches the price history, rather than waiting for a deal that may come too late.
PS5 or PS5 Digital Edition?
Buy the standard PS5 with 1 TB and a disc drive if you own or buy physical games. The Digital Edition has 825 GB and no disc drive, which suits all-digital players.
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Tech Bytes may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you.
Sources
Related sale guides
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