GTA 6 Pre-Order Debate Heats Up as Microsoft Fires Back

Xbox challenges claims that the PlayStation 5 is dominating Grand Theft Auto 6 pre-orders, urging fans to wait for official sales figures rather than affiliate data.

A report revealed data from their commerce partner linking program, claiming that pre-orders for GTA 6 on the PlayStation 5 were eight times higher than on the Xbox. This started an outrage in the gaming community. For every eight copies sold on PS5 through the tracked ad links, only one copy of the game was bought for Xbox, the research states.

The disparity was quickly discussed in the gaming world, leading to debate over the market positions of both console platforms ahead of one of the most anticipated game launches in recent memory.

Microsoft declined to comment on the claims.

Microsoft told Windows Central that it did not agree with the analysis's results and that data from affiliate links should not be taken as an accurate picture of how well pre-orders truly went. This is not info from pre-orders. Orders are pouring in for records.”People should not click on affiliate links until they have real data,” Microsoft stated, blasting the mechanism used to calculate the sales split.

The answer makes it clear that Microsoft believes affiliate monitoring reflects only a small share of total purchases and may not fully reflect the market. The corporation has released no official data to support reports that it is enjoying record-breaking demand.

But for PlayStation, this would be a major benefit, and it would not be a surprise to anyone who follows the business. Sony’s PS5 has held a substantially higher install base than the Xbox Series X|S this console generation. That means Grand Theft Auto 6 will certainly do better sales-wise, no matter the affiliate data.

We don’t know what the actual breakdown of GTA 6 pre-orders looks like for now. Market researchers and tracking firms will probably provide more specific sales data for each platform once the game becomes available. It remains to be seen whether Rockstar Games or its parent company, Take-Two Interactive, will provide official sales figures by platform. Now fans must wait for genuine numbers, not guesswork.