Xbox Executive Expresses Satisfaction With GTA 6 Pre-order Performance
Xbox Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ball addressed reports of Grand Theft Auto 6 pre-orders favoring PlayStation 5, stating that Xbox Series X|S performance is satisfactory and aligns with market share.
Matthew Ball, Xbox's Chief Strategy Officer, has responded to claims that pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto 6 are heavily skewed towards Sony's PlayStation 5. Ball asserted that internal Xbox data indicates the Xbox Series X|S version's pre-order share aligns with the platform's overall console market share.
This comes after reports from The Verge suggested a significant preference for PS5 in GTA 6 pre-orders, which was characterized as a potential red flag for the Xbox platform.
"We are very pleased with how the pre-orders for GTA 6 are performing," Ball stated. He added that the game is breaking records on the Xbox platform and expects more records to be set throughout the fall. Internal analysis confirms that our pre-order share is consistent with our share of the console market.
Sony has actively promoted GTA 6, with much of the game's visual material focusing on the PS5 version and highlighting platform-specific features like the DualSense controller. Microsoft has not released specific sales figures for the Xbox Series X|S in years. In contrast, Sony announced over 95 million PS5 units sold as of June 30, 2024. Analysts estimate PS5 sales are at least double that of the combined Xbox Series sales.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is scheduled for release on November 19, 2024, for both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles.