Xbox Downplays the Massive PS5 Pre-Order Numbers Stating GTA 6 Is Already 'Breaking Records'

Xbox is pushing back against a report that Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) preorders are 'heavily skewed' towards PS5, with Xbox Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ball saying the game is already 'breaking records' on the platform. Ball made the comments on X after The Verge reported that sources had described the preorder split as heavily favouring Sony's console, putting fresh attention on how GTA 6 may perform across PS5 and Xbox.

GTA 6 Preorders Raise Questions For Xbox

For context, Rockstar's GTA 6 is not a PlayStation exclusive. The game is coming to Xbox and may eventually come to PC, but its marketing has been closely associated with PlayStation. Major GTA 6 trailers, along with an extended look on Netflix, carry a disclaimer stating that the footage was recorded on PS5.

The source also points to estimates that the PS5 version is vastly outperforming its competition. Anticipation around GTA 6 has been linked to a shortage of PS5 Pro hardware, while the PlayStation-exclusive DualSense controller has reportedly become a scalper favourite.

That matters for Xbox because the platform is already dealing with layoffs, studio consolidation, subscription changes and multiple price hikes. The source says there are few potential Xbox hits on the immediate horizon, leaving more pressure on GTA 6 during the final stretch of 2026.

The Verge's report added to that pressure. Its sources reportedly said GTA 6 preorders were 'heavily skewed' towards PS5, with the situation 'ringing yet more alarm bells about the platform'.

GTA 6 Xbox Preorders Are 'Breaking Records', Ball Says

Xbox's public response was notably upbeat. Ball said the brand was 'very happy' with its GTA 6 preorders before adding, 'The title is breaking records for XBOX, we expect even more records will be broken throughout the fall, and our internal analysis shows our share of pre-orders to be matching our share of the console market.'

An Xbox spokesperson made a similar claim about GTA 6 preorders earlier in 2026 and urged the public to wait for 'real' data after the game comes out.

Ball's statement does not disclose the number of Xbox preorders. It instead gives the company's own assessment of its share of the early orders, while The Verge report provides a separate account of the overall preorder split.

GTA 6 Sales Data Could Change The Picture

There is a crucial distinction in those claims. If Xbox's share of GTA 6 preorders matches its share of the console market, that does not by itself establish how many copies have been ordered on the platform.

The source notes that Xbox hardware sales 'aren't doing so great' amid a wider downturn in the gaming industry. That means the phrase 'matching our share of the console market' needs context, because the size of that market share is itself the unresolved question.

For now, the available information presents two different pieces of the picture. The Verge's sources describe a preorder split heavily weighted towards PS5, while Ball says Xbox is matching its console-market share and breaking platform records.

Neither account provides the underlying preorder totals. Until those figures are available, the precise scale of GTA 6 sales on PS5 and Xbox remains unclear, leaving one fairly important number out of the story.