Sony gives the PS5 a Grand Theft Auto VI makeover as pre-orders open

Sony has turned its own platform into a GTA 6 billboard for the pre-order launch. Boot up a PS5 right now and the Welcome Hub greets you with a custom animated Grand Theft Auto VI logo that links straight to the pre-order page, a bespoke piece of interface Sony built for a single game. The PlayStation App got a temporary reskin too, swapping its familiar blue icon for Leonida's orange-and-pink palette and the silhouettes of palm trees, even though the app works exactly as before. The message is not subtle: PlayStation is calling the PS5 the best place to play Rockstar's open world, and says the two companies will work in tandem through release day and beyond to turn the launch into an event.

There is a practical hook underneath the branding. Reserve the digital edition on the PlayStation Store and you get a free month of GTA+ on top of the Vintage Vice City Pack that comes with every pre-order. It is the kind of platform-level push usually reserved for console exclusives, which GTA VI is not, and a reminder of how much weight Sony is placing on a third-party game launching on November 19. Xbox is offering its own store bonus, but the home-screen takeover is Sony's statement.