Xbox disputes the viral 6-to-1 PS5 GTA 6 pre-order claim, saying it has seen record orders too, but it's probably more of the company saving face than anything else.
Xbox isn't taking this one lying down. New management is taking control of the Grand Theft Auto VI narrative fast, quickly pushing back against claims that they're losing the pre-order sales battle 6 to 1. In a statement sent to Windows Central, Xbox is saying that the 6-to-1 number doesn't represent actual pre-order data, stating that it has also seen record orders for the next Grand Theft Auto.
To be fair, Xbox can still say the right thing and lose the console war. How so? Because the demand for GTA 6 is just that big, as evidenced by this French retailer.
The 6-to-1 figure came from specific retailer data, which is real but partial. Xbox saying it has record orders is also plausible, because claims like "record for Xbox" and "far behind PlayStation" don't cancel each other. Xbox could be having the best pre-order launch in its history and still be getting outsold 6-to-1 by PlayStation because the PS5 has a much larger install base, and Sony is marketing GTA 6 as if it's an exclusive title.
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A record for Xbox does not mean Xbox is matching PlayStation. It means Xbox is beating whatever numbers Xbox had posted in the past.
GTA 6 Pre-Order Sales Narrative
| Claim | Source | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
PS5 pre-orders lead 6 to 1 | Retailer data via reports | PlayStation far outpacing Xbox at certain stores |
That figure is not our data | Xbox to Windows Central | Xbox disputes the 6-to-1 as representative |
Xbox has record GTA 6 orders | Xbox statement | Xbox demand is high in absolute terms |
No official total pre-order numbers | Neither Sony nor Microsoft | The full picture is not public |
Xbox says the reported figure does not match what it is seeing and that its own GTA 6 pre-orders are at record levels.
Microsoft has an obvious incentive to push back on a story that says it is getting crushed. "PlayStation outsells Xbox 6 to 1" is a bad headline for Xbox, especially right after it raised console prices. So, Xbox issuing a statement emphasizing its own record orders is partly accurate information and partly damage control. It makes it the version of the truth that flatters Xbox, the same way the 6-to-1 figure is the version that flatters PlayStation.
With that said, until Sony or Microsoft releases actual pre-order totals, which they rarely do, nobody outside those companies, and possibly also Rockstar Games, knows the true split.
The most likely case here is that both are correct and the conversation is purely about optics. GTA 6 is so massive that it is almost certainly setting records on both platforms in absolute terms, while PlayStation still takes the larger share because it simply has more consoles out there.
What this means for you, practically, is almost nothing. The platform you should buy GTA 6 on depends on what you own, what your friends play, and your budget, not on whose pre-order numbers are bigger. Cross-play is expected, the game is the same on both, and a pre-order ratio does not change your experience. This is a very welcome change of pace for the normally docile Xbox.
For now, both companies can continue spinning real but partial data while the true numbers stay private. The only number that settles it, total sales, comes after launch on November 19.
Until then, both sides get to claim a win, and both are sort of right.