Recent claims suggesting Grand Theft Auto 6 is massively outselling on PlayStation 5 compared to Xbox have sparked widespread debate across the gaming community. However, Xbox has now responded, saying the reports do not reflect actual pre-order data and insisting the company is seeing record demand for Rockstar’s upcoming blockbuster.
The statement follows viral posts claiming that PS5 pre-orders were outperforming Xbox by an 8-to-1 margin, a statistic that quickly spread across social media.
Xbox Says the Viral Numbers Aren’t Real Sales Data
The original claims stemmed from reporting by IGN, which referenced internal affiliate tracking rather than official sales figures.
While many users interpreted the numbers as genuine pre-order statistics, Xbox has now pushed back against that narrative.
According to a statement shared with Windows Central, an Xbox spokesperson said:
“This doesn’t represent pre-order data. We’ve had record orders. People should wait for real data and not clicks on affiliate links.”
The company did not clarify exactly what “record orders” refers to. It could mean the fastest-selling title on the Xbox Store, the highest number of pre-orders within a specific period, or another internal milestone. Regardless, Xbox made it clear that the widely circulated 8-to-1 comparison should not be treated as official sales information.
Why the Confusion Started
Affiliate tracking only measures purchases completed through specific referral links rather than total sales across all retailers and digital storefronts.
Because of that limitation, affiliate data provides only a small sample of overall consumer behavior and shouldn’t be used as definitive evidence of platform-wide sales performance.
That didn’t stop the figures from going viral, with many social media users presenting them as confirmed pre-order numbers despite the lack of official verification.
GTA 6 Is Still Expected to Sell More on PlayStation
Even without verified data, most analysts expect Grand Theft Auto 6 to perform better on PlayStation than Xbox.
Sony and Rockstar Games have maintained a close marketing partnership for years, with PlayStation recently confirming that GTA 6 will deliver the best console experience on PS5, thanks to features such as the DualSense controller, Tempest 3D Audio, and the console’s ultra-fast SSD.
That marketing agreement naturally gives PlayStation greater visibility, making stronger sales on Sony’s platform a reasonable expectation.
However, the actual gap between PlayStation and Xbox pre-orders remains unknown until official sales figures become available.
Waiting for Official Numbers
With Grand Theft Auto 6 already expected to become one of the biggest entertainment launches in history, early pre-order milestones are likely being shattered across every platform.
Until Rockstar Games, Take-Two Interactive, or official retail partners release verified sales data, any comparisons between PlayStation and Xbox should be treated cautiously.
One thing is certain: regardless of platform, GTA 6 is on track to become one of the fastest-selling video games ever released.
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