Pre-orders for Sony’s Grand Theft Auto 6-themed PS5 DualSense controllers opened on September 10, but the launch quickly became difficult for many buyers. PlayStation Direct struggled under the rush, with some customers facing an hour-long queue while others could not complete checkout.
The limited-edition gamepads are inspired by Vice City and come in black and white versions. Each costs $85 and features a custom design with pink accents, making them an especially attractive piece of arcade and gaming news for collectors.
PlayStation Direct shoppers reported being returned to an Astro Bot error screen while trying to place orders. Other retailers initially handled the demand more smoothly. An order placed through Best Buy appeared successful, although it seems the site has already sold out.
Retail stock was changing quickly
Social-media posts shared on launch day suggested that Walmart and GameStop still had the white controller available at 10:30 a.m. EST. However, the black version was not reported as available at that point, and some shoppers were still receiving errors when attempting to add the product to their carts.
Buyers were also sharing screenshots of successful pre-orders in replies to those stock updates, suggesting that persistence could still pay off as retailers processed the demand. One widely circulated post also pointed shoppers towards an alternative route for adding the controller to a cart:
“Skip PS Direct queue here (scroll down for GTA6 DualSense. Sign in and add to cart from this page)” — September 10, 2026
The controller had been announced the previous week during Sony’s latest State of Play presentation. Its design includes colour-shifting paint, embossed palm trees on the grips, the GTA 6 logo on the front touchpad and a different GTA logo on the rear.
For readers weighing up collector hardware for a games room, RETROCADE’s arcade machine buying guide offers a broader look at planning a dedicated setup, while the arcade machine range covers larger cabinet options.
eBay listings are already carrying steep mark-ups
As with many highly anticipated gaming products, scalpers moved quickly once pre-orders opened. you can find plenty of marked-up GTA 6 DualSense controller pre-orders for sale on eBay, with asking prices reaching $195.
Other listings were priced at $150 or $130, despite the official $85 price. These are pre-orders rather than confirmed physical stock in hand, and a high listing price does not guarantee that an item will actually sell.
That distinction is worth remembering whenever a sought-after console accessory appears on auction sites. Some inflated listings may never find a buyer, but the rush still creates an irritating cycle: limited stock is secured at retail and then offered back to customers at a substantial premium.
For anyone considering a dedicated gaming space rather than a single collector accessory, RETROCADE also has options for compact bartop arcades and arcade parts and controls.
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