Microsoft has pushed back hard against reports suggesting that Grand Theft Auto 6 pre-orders on PlayStation 5 are outpacing Xbox sales by a factor of eight to one, calling the viral figure inaccurate and insisting its own data tells a very different story.
Microsoft Says the 8x Figure Is Wrong
The claim โ which spread rapidly across gaming forums and social media โ alleged that for every one copy of GTA 6 pre-ordered on Xbox, eight copies were being pre-ordered on PS5. That would represent a staggering platform imbalance for one of the most anticipated game launches in history. Microsoft, however, isn't buying it.
"The figure doesn't represent pre-order data," a Microsoft spokesperson told Eurogamer, who first reported the company's response. The spokesperson went further, stating that Xbox has seen "record orders" for the title, framing the original claim as misleading at best and misinformation at worst.
Microsoft did not provide specific pre-order numbers to back up its counter-claim, leaving the situation โ as is often the case with platform sales data โ difficult to independently verify. Neither Rockstar Games nor Take-Two Interactive, GTA 6's publisher, have commented publicly on pre-order splits between platforms.
Why This Debate Is Happening Now
GTA 6 is set to launch on November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. It is, without question, the most commercially significant video game release of the decade, and possibly ever. Rockstar and Take-Two have repeatedly indicated they expect the title to shatter sales records, and analysts broadly agree.
Given those sky-high expectations, the question of which platform will move the most units has become a battleground in its own right. Sony and Microsoft are both well aware that a game of GTA 6's magnitude can influence hardware purchases. Consumers who don't already own a next-gen console may well choose their platform based on which ecosystem feels most aligned with the GTA experience โ and perception matters enormously in that decision.
The 8x figure, wherever it originated, fed into a broader narrative that has dogged Xbox for several years: that the platform is losing the console war to PlayStation, particularly in key markets like Europe and the UK. For Microsoft, letting that number go unchallenged was apparently not an option.
The Console War Context
It's no secret that PlayStation 5 has consistently outsold Xbox Series X|S since both consoles launched in November 2020. Sony has reported cumulative PS5 sales well above 60 million units globally, while Microsoft has notably stopped disclosing Xbox hardware sales figures โ a decision that itself sparked significant industry commentary.
That hardware gap is one reason why pre-order disparities for a title like GTA 6 would not be entirely surprising to industry observers. A larger installed base naturally produces more potential buyers. However, Microsoft has worked aggressively to keep Xbox relevant through its Game Pass subscription service and a string of major studio acquisitions, including Activision Blizzard in 2023.
Importantly, GTA 6 is not expected to launch on Game Pass, which means Xbox players will need to purchase it outright โ putting both platforms on a more level commercial playing field in terms of the direct sales conversation.
What We Actually Know About GTA 6 Pre-Orders
Concrete, platform-specific pre-order data for GTA 6 remains largely opaque. Here is what has been confirmed or credibly reported so far:
- GTA 6 is confirmed for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on November 19, 2026. A PC release has not yet been officially dated.
- Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has described pre-order momentum as "extraordinary" without breaking down figures by platform.
- Retail tracking services have noted GTA 6 occupying top spots on pre-order charts for extended periods, though platform breakdowns vary by region and retailer.
- Microsoft has not released an official pre-order figure, only the characterization of "record orders."
Without hard numbers from either Rockstar, Take-Two, Sony, or Microsoft, the 8x claim and Microsoft's rebuttal are both operating in an information vacuum that makes definitive conclusions impossible.
The Bigger Picture for Rockstar
For Rockstar Games, the inter-platform squabble is likely background noise. The studio โ which spent over a decade developing GTA 6 following the 2013 release of GTA 5 โ is focused on delivering a game that early trailers have suggested will be set in a fictionalized Miami and surrounding Florida-inspired environments, featuring the series' first playable female protagonist, Lucia.
GTA 5, for context, has sold over 200 million copies across multiple platform generations. GTA 6 is expected to exceed that figure, albeit over a longer timeline. Whether PS5 or Xbox ultimately claims the larger slice of that pie is, from Rockstar's perspective, a secondary concern to the global total.
What This Means for GTA 6 Players
If you're trying to decide which platform to buy GTA 6 on, this particular debate doesn't change much. Both the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions are expected to be functionally identical at launch, with no confirmed platform exclusives or timed content deals announced as of now. Microsoft's insistence that its pre-order numbers are strong is reassuring for Xbox owners who may have worried about long-term support for the title. Ultimately, buy GTA 6 on whichever platform your friends are on โ that's going to matter far more when GTA Online's next chapter launches alongside it.