Who Wins Big From GTA 6 Launch: Sony's PlayStation 5 or Microsoft's Xbox Series? Rockstar Shares a Massive Hint

Grand Theft Auto 6 appears to be finally within reach as we approach the launch date of 19th November. Pre-orders begin today, 25th June, with Rockstar confirming that the game will launch on Sony's PlayStation 5 and Microsoft's Xbox Series X/S.

Preordering the game will let gamers download it a full week ahead of launch, expected to ease the pressure on servers. This is important because the release of Hollow Knight: Silksong in 2025 crashed the digital storefronts of PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, and even Steam.

The standard version of GTA 6 will cost $79.99, while the ultimate edition has a price tag of $99.99. The ultimate version will include exclusive vehicles, apparel, and weapons. While analysts have debated if the game price could be higher than the $70-mark, former PlayStation chief Shawn Layden had told GamesIndustry.biz in 2025 that AAA game makers are forced to ramp prices because the cost of game development is just way too high.

Now, companies like Sony and Microsoft are racing to offer gamers the best GTA 6 experience on their respective consoles.

Rockstar Leans Toward PlayStation Over GTA 6 Launch

Despite stiff competition, PlayStation 5 clearly has an edge over Xbox, given PS5's significantly higher player base, console sales, and overall market share.

According to data compiled by VGChartz, total PS5 unit sales to date stood at over 91 million while total Xbox Series X/S sales stood at over 34.4 million units. PS5 also has a market share of around 73%, and the remaining with Xbox.

However, Rockstar settled the debate and pretty much confirmed PS5 as the unofficial winner after both Rockstar and Sony Interactive Entertainment's senior vice president for marketing, Mary Yee, shared a PlayStation blogpost that Rockstar and Sony will work together to 'deliver the best experience on PS5.'

'Thanks to the close partnership between Sony Interactive Entertainment and Rockstar Games, Grand Theft Auto VI will play best on PS5 by taking advantage of PS5's immersive features to deliver a deeply engaging single-player experience when it launches on November 19,' according to the blogpost.

More Players Upgrading to PS5

During a business segment meeting in May 2024, Sony Interactive Entertainment shared that the number of monthly active users on PS4 and PS5 was around 49 million each. A year later, the number of players on PS5 had far exceeded the PS4 monthly active users.

Total monthly active users across both consoles also jumped to 124 million in 2025, up from 97 million a year earlier, reinforcing the gaming community's confidence and trust in the PS5 console. A larger PS5 player base also means bigger PlayStation friend networks, faster matchmaking in PlayStation-only playlists, and tons more of community content.

Meanwhile, with a rumoured development budget of between $1 billion to $1.5 billion, Rockstar's parent company Take-Two Interactive has large stakes for this launch too.

Insider Gaming's Tom Henderson recently indicated in a podcast that GTA 6 could generate $1 billion in pre-order revenue in an hour.

'GTA V did a billion in three days, this one (GTA 6) is doing a billion in an hour, easy,' he said. Generating $1 billion in an hour is equivalent to selling 12 to 14 million copies as pre-order in under an hour.