A number floated online this week claimed PS5 buyers were snapping up GTA 6 pre-orders at nearly eight times the rate of Xbox owners. Now Microsoft wants everyone to slow down and look at where that number actually came from. An Xbox spokesperson pushed back on the figure directly, telling Windows Central that the platform has in fact seen record pre-order volume for Rockstar's next open-world epic, and that the viral comparison doesn't reflect real sales at all.
Where the 8-to-1 number came from
The figure originated with IGN, which reported around June 26-27 that PS5 appeared to be crushing Xbox Series X/S in GTA 6 pre-order interest by roughly eight to one. Crucially, that ratio wasn't pulled from retailer sales data or platform-reported units. It came from IGN's own affiliate linking program, tracking which console version readers clicked through to purchase on partner storefronts. Clicks measure intent to shop, not a completed transaction, and readers clicking a link aren't necessarily the same population as everyone buying the game at large.
Xbox's rebuttal
Microsoft didn't let the framing stand. An Xbox spokesperson told Windows Central: "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 statement does two things at once: it disputes the methodology behind IGN's number, and it asserts, without offering specifics, that Xbox's own GTA 6 pre-orders have hit an all-time high for the platform. Neither Microsoft nor Rockstar Games has published actual pre-order figures, so there's no official tally to check that claim against, or to independently verify how lopsided the split between platforms really is.
Why the ratio raised eyebrows
Part of what made the 8-to-1 figure spread so fast is that it dramatically outpaces what most industry estimates already suggest about the two consoles. PS5 is generally believed to be outselling Xbox Series X/S by something closer to 2-to-1 this generation, a gap that's real but far more modest. A pre-order split four times steeper than that installed-base disparity would be a notable story if true, which is likely part of why Xbox moved quickly to get ahead of it rather than let the number sit unchallenged. For now, the actual pre-order breakdown between PS5 and Xbox versions of GTA 6 remains a mystery to anyone outside Rockstar and Microsoft's internal sales dashboards. What's clear is that affiliate-link clicks and real purchase data are not the same thing, and until one of the platform holders or Rockstar shares verified numbers, ratios like 8-to-1 should be read as a signal of reader interest, not a scoreboard.
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