‘People should wait for real data’: Xbox refutes claims that GTA 6 on PS5 is outselling Xbox 8-to-1
Xbox says it’s “had record orders” for the next Grand Theft Auto
Xbox has denied claims that the PlayStation 5 version of Grand Theft Auto 6 is outselling the Xbox Series X/S version by a ratio of 8 to 1.
A post recently shared on social media by IGN claimed that the PS5 version of the game was selling eight times more copies than the Xbox Series X/S version, based on the site’s own affiliate link data.
The post claims that “the IGN community has pre-ordered GTA 6 on PS5 8x more often than on Xbox,” with accompanying text reading: “Through IGN Finds’ and commerce affiliate linking program, the data is showing that PlayStation is outperforming Xbox by a rate of 8-to-1.”
An Xbox spokesperson has now refuted the claim, telling Windows Central that affiliate data shouldn’t be extrapolated and presented as the full picture.
“This doesn’t represent pre-order data,” the Xbox spokesperson told the publication. “We’ve had record orders. People should wait for real data and not clicks on affiliate links.”
PlayStation started rebranding its console dashboards and mobile app this week to mark the opening of pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto 6, and also has a marketing partnership in place with Rockstar where Sony is declaring the game “plays best on PS5”.
Pre-orders for the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6 opened on Thursday. Rockstar has confirmed that while a physical version of the game will launch in November, it won’t include a disc and will instead be shipped as a code in a box.
Industry analysts have told VGC this week that the decision to release Grand Theft Auto VI without a disc is unlikely to have a significant impact on the game’s sales and is indicative of an industry that has slowly been moving towards digital-only.
The Game Business’s Chris Dring told VGC that, in his opinion, the decision is one that entirely benefits Rockstar and will see the game selling in large numbers regardless, despite the negative impact it will have on retailers.
“The decision will understandably upset some players, and potentially impact less digital-savvy consumers,” he said. “But in truth, for the majority of people, it won’t make much of a difference.
“It will make it easier for Rockstar to keep working on the game right up until launch, without the need to have something ready for duplication and distribution. It will also prevent pre-owned and second-hand sales, and reduce the likelihood of the game leaking ahead of release.”
