Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6) is the game that UK gamers would be willing to upgrade their consoles for the most.
In a recent survey by Independent Advisor Broadband Deals, almost half (43.2%) of gamers in the UK say they will most likely upgrade their console for the highly anticipated game.
GTA 6 is due to release in autumn 2025 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Gamers with earlier consoles won’t be able to play it.
Independent Advisor Broadband Deals spoke to gamers to discover their preparation plans ahead of GTA6’s arrival, including whether they are planning to upgrade their consoles.
GTA 6 is followed by FC 25 as the next most-wanted game that 42.5% of players are willing to upgrade their consoles for.
Closing out the top three is Call of Duty, which returns with Black Ops 6 on October 25th 2024. That has inspired two in five (41.4%) gamers who are ready to consider upgrading their console for the latest release.
The Forza series, a favourite among racing enthusiasts, was the least likely to prompt gamers to upgrade their consoles, with only one in ten (10.1%) considering an upgrade for the new game.
There are more games in the survey findings below:
43% of gamers said that they would be willing to spend between £300 and £500 on a new console.
Almost a quarter (24%) of respondents expressed a readiness to spend between £401 and £500 on a new console specifically for playing a new video game.
One in five (19%) gamers indicated they would consider spending between £301 and £400, while almost another one in five (17%) were willing to invest even more, ranging from £501 to £600.
In addition, the majority of gamers (51%) spend between £51 and £200 every year on gaming. 26% of participants allocate £51 to £100 annually towards gaming, while a slightly lower 25% typically spend between £101 and £200.
After the initial investment, one in ten (12%) gamers allocate no regular budget to gaming.
Gamers were also asked about their internet speeds. A third (30%) reported satisfaction with their WiFi, consistently experiencing no issues related to speed. However, 70% reported regular issues.
This was broken down into one in five (18%) encountering issues less than once every two months, while just over one in ten (13%) expressed frustration with issues occurring a couple times per week and just under one in ten (7.2%) facing speed challenges daily.
These findings were backed up by insights into respondents’ internet connectivity. Similarly to their responses on internet speed, one in three (30%) reported no issues. Close behind, 18% encounter connectivity issues less frequently than once every two months, while 13% experience issues a couple of times per week and 7.4% face daily connectivity struggles.
Methodology
Organisers surveyed 1,000 Brits in July 2024.
57% were male, 43% were female.
In terms of age:
- 26% were aged 35-44
- 22% were aged 25-34
- 21% were aged 45-54
- 19% were aged 55+
- 11% were aged 16-24
And the gamers’ regions were mainly:
- 13% from Greater London, 13% from North West, 13% from South East
- 9% from East of England, 9% from West Midlands
- 8% from Scotland, 8% from South West, 8% from Yorkshire and the Humber
- 7% from East Midlands
- 5% from Wales
- 4% from North East
- 1% from Northern Ireland
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
