Xbox Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ball has publicly rejected a report claiming that pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto 6 are heavily skewed toward PlayStation 5, saying the company is pleased with its own performance on the highly anticipated title.
The dispute began earlier this week when video games journalist Tom Warren published a report stating that GTA 6 pre-orders were leaning significantly toward Sony's console, which he said had set off alarm bells at Xbox amid recent layoffs and studio closures. Ball responded on social media, writing that Xbox is «very happy» with Grand Theft Auto 6 pre-orders and that the title is «breaking records» for the platform.
Ball added that Xbox expects more records to be broken throughout the fall and that internal analysis shows the company's share of pre-orders is matching its share of the console market. He directly told other users that the report was «false» and «not true.»
Warren replied by asking Ball what Xbox's share of the console market actually is, but Ball has not yet responded to that question. Fellow journalist Tom Henderson also weighed in, asking whether Xbox's internal analysis shows people upgrading or buying a current-generation console for GTA 6 at a 1:3 ratio versus the competitor, or whether that ratio is changing. Henderson noted that matching console market share with pre-order share would make sense, but that it does not necessarily mean developers are not concerned given the broader context at Xbox.
The exchange highlights the high stakes surrounding Grand Theft Auto 6, which is set to launch on November 19. According to developer Rockstar Games, the game plays «best» on PlayStation 5, and an enhanced version will also be released for PlayStation 5 Pro, though exact details remain unconfirmed.
The pre-order debate comes as Xbox has confirmed a second wave of layoffs and studio closures, adding pressure to the platform's performance on major releases. Meanwhile, interest in GTA 6 has been intense. Following the release of the Grand Theft Auto 6: Extended Look on Netflix earlier this month, consumers have reportedly struggled to buy a PlayStation 5 Pro.
Rockstar Games also announced details of a premium collector's edition of Grand Theft Auto 6 on September 24. Titled «The Goodtime State – Vice City Collection,» the set features limited-edition merchandise and is priced at £349.99, but it does not include a copy of the game. The collector's set announcement has drawn attention for its price point and the absence of the game itself, though it remains a separate development from the pre-order dispute.
As the November launch approaches, the disagreement between Xbox and the journalist's report underscores the competitive dynamics between console makers and the outsized expectations placed on Grand Theft Auto 6 to drive hardware and software sales. Neither Xbox nor Rockstar Games has released official pre-order figures, leaving the public debate to rely on internal claims and unnamed sources.