- Nearly half (48%*) of gamers want a newer or more powerful console or gaming system for GTA VI, with players expecting to spend almost £200 on average upgrading their set-up ahead of launch.
- But 44%* say they cannot currently afford the upgrade they want, with some prepared to cut back on takeaways (22%), nights out (21%) and even buy cheaper Christmas presents (13%) to pay for new tech.
- Meanwhile, gamers are sitting on almost seven** unused consoles on average – which Virgin Media O2 estimates could unlock approximately £293*** through O2 Recycle, around £100 more than the average GTA VI upgrade spend.
- Gamers can also secure a copy of GTA VI from O2 for under 5p a day¹.
Thursday 8 October: Gamers could earn an estimated £293*** with their unused consoles, as new research from Virgin Media O2 finds nearly half (48%*) of gamers want to upgrade to a newer or more powerful gaming system to get the best possible experience from GTA VI.
With less than 50 days to go until the launch of the hotly anticipated game, players expect to spend an average of £195 to level up their gaming set–up before it’s released.
However, for many that upgrade feels out of reach, as more than four in ten (44%*) say they would like a more powerful console to play the game but can’t afford one.
With gamers ready to immerse themselves in the game, many are prepared to cut back their spending to fund tech upgrades. More than one in five (22%) would ditch takeaways or cut back on nights out (21%), while 19% would take on extra work or overtime, 16% would eat cheaper meals and 13% would buy cheaper Christmas presents.
But gamers may not need to look far to find extra cash, with Virgin Media O2’s research revealing a wealth of old gaming tech sitting unused at home.
Level up with old tech
Research estimates gamers are sitting on almost seven** unused consoles on average, which could unlock approximately £293*** through O2 Recycle – almost £100 more than gamers currently expect to spend preparing for GTA VI, putting a more expensive upgrade within reach.
More than half (52%) say they would rather trade in old gaming tech than cut back on everyday spending to afford an upgrade, and some devices could make a sizeable dent in the cost. Through O2 Recycle, gamers could, on average, receive:
- £160 for a PlayStation 5
- £92 for a Nintendo Switch OLED
- £50 for an Xbox One X
- £44 for a Nintendo Switch Lite
- £33.33 for a PlayStation 4
- £30 for an Xbox One S
O2 Recycle is open to anyone, regardless of their mobile network. Trade-in values vary depending on the console’s model and condition. Devices are either repaired, refurbished and resold, or responsibly recycled when they cannot be reused, with zero parts going to landfill.
Game on for GTA VI
The research also lays bare the fever pitch of anticipation gamers are feeling. Almost half (46%) say they are more excited for the game’s release than Christmas, and nearly a third (31%) plan to start playing as soon as it launches.
One in five (20%) intend to stay up until midnight to get started, 18% will order a takeaway so they do not have to stop playing to cook, and 13% say they will secretly finish work early. Others are clearing their diaries altogether, with one in ten (10%) planning to take annual leave and 11% prepared to cancel plans with friends or loved ones.
Those playing over the first weekend expect to spend almost 12 hours on the game on average.
Gamers can secure a copy of GTA VI from O2 for just under 5p a day¹ – find out more here.
Dana Haidan, Chief Sustainability Officer at Virgin Media O2, said: “GTA VI is set to be one of the biggest gaming and cultural moments in years, and many players will want the latest tech to experience it at its best.
“With gamers anticipating they’ll need to spend almost £200 between now and November preparing for the launch, the cost of upgrading can quickly add up. But many could also be sitting on old consoles worth enough to make a real difference.
“Through O2 Recycle, gamers can turn unused tech into cash towards an upgrade, rather than leaving valuable devices tucked away at home or going to waste.”
Since its launch in 2009, O2 Recycle has recycled more than four million devices and paid out £360 million to consumers.
END
Methodology
The research was conducted by Censuswide among a sample of 1,000 console/PC gamers (weighted on age, gender, region and console/PC use). The data was collected between 25.09.2026 and 28.09.2026. Censuswide is a member of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the British Polling Council (BPC), and a signatory of the Global Data Quality Pledge. We adhere to the MRS Code of Conduct and ESOMAR principles.
*The 48% and 44% figures relate to respondents who do not own a PlayStation 5 Pro. Owners of this console were not shown these two statements in Q11 and are excluded from the percentage calculations. Both figures combine “strongly agree” and “somewhat agree” responses.
**The average is calculated by adding the mean number of unused consoles reported for each of the ten console types among the 847 gamers with at least one unused console (7.801 unused consoles on average across those respondents). This is then adjusted to include all 1,000 gamers surveyed by multiplying 7.801 by 847 and dividing by 1,000, giving an average of 6.608 unused consoles across the full sample, rounded to seven in the release. The survey asked about unused consoles in respondents’ homes; it did not establish whether these were working.
***The estimated £293 value is calculated by multiplying the average number of unused consoles per gamer household (6.608) by O2 Recycle’s average offer for a console (£44.40), giving £293.40, rounded to £293. This assumes all unused consoles are eligible for trade-in and receive the average offer. Actual offers depend on the model and condition of each console.
¹Available to both O2 and non-O2 customers, the offer lets gamers pre-order GTA VI with a £20 upfront payment, followed by monthly payments of just £1.39 over 36 months (equivalent to 4.6 pence per day). 0% APR. Finance subject to status and credit checks, 18+, Direct Debit. Credit provided by Telefonica UK Ltd, 500 Brook Drive, Reading, RG2 6UU, UK.
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