GTA 6 Pre-Order Race: PS5 vs Xbox and Why the Numbers Are Disputed
Reports claimed PS5 pre-orders for GTA 6 outsold Xbox by 6-to-1 or 8-to-1, but Xbox pushed back hard — here is what the data actually shows and why context matters.
Since pre-orders opened on June 25, 2026, one headline has dominated gaming conversations: PlayStation is apparently crushing Xbox on GTA 6 pre-orders by a ratio of 6-to-1, or possibly 8-to-1 depending on which report you read. The figure is real, but the story behind it is considerably more complicated.
Where the Numbers Come From
The data originated with IGN Finds, IGN’s commerce affiliate division, which tracks purchases made through IGN’s own referral links. In the days after pre-orders went live, that tracking showed PlayStation outselling Xbox at ratios ranging from six-to-one to eight-to-one across different reporting windows.
Affiliate link data captures what a specific publication’s readership buys through that publication’s referral URLs — it is not a measure of platform-wide sales, and it is not sourced from Sony, Microsoft, or any retailer’s actual order system. It reflects one slice of one publication’s audience, which tends to skew toward historically PlayStation-aligned readers.
Xbox Pushes Back
Microsoft was quick to contest the narrative. An Xbox representative responded publicly that the figures “don’t represent pre-order data,” adding that the company had seen “record orders” across the Xbox ecosystem. The spokesperson encouraged media and fans to wait for actual sales data rather than draw conclusions from affiliate click activity.
That pushback carries weight. The PS5 has sold approximately 93.7 million units through Q1 2026, per Sony’s most recent official figures. Xbox Series X|S sits at roughly 35 million lifetime units as of mid-2026 — meaning PlayStation’s install base is around 2.7 times larger, not eight times larger. A six-to-one ratio driven purely by affiliate link bias is entirely plausible without reflecting actual consumer preference.
What Official Numbers Say
Neither Rockstar nor Take-Two Interactive has released platform-specific pre-order figures. Analyst estimates have pegged combined pre-order revenue in the billions of dollars, but these are projections, not confirmed data. One widely shared claim of 39 million pre-orders has been specifically identified as unverified by multiple fact-checkers, with no credible sourcing.
What does appear true: GTA 6 is outperforming any previous Take-Two release on a pre-order basis, on both platforms. The full breakdown will likely only emerge in a future Take-Two earnings call.
Sources: IGN Finds affiliate data; Xbox statement via Windows Central; Notebookcheck; RockstarINTEL.