The console war flared up the moment GTA 6 pre-orders opened. A viral figure put PS5 ahead of Xbox by eight to one — and Microsoft stepped in to shut it down. Here's what the numbers actually represent.
Where the 8-to-1 figure came from
On June 26, the day after pre-orders opened, IGN shared data from its "IGN Finds" commerce affiliate program showing readers clicking PS5 pre-order links roughly eight times more than Xbox links. That's affiliate click data from one publication's audience — not sales, and not a global market read. Social media quickly flattened the nuance into "PS5 is outselling Xbox 8-to-1."
Microsoft's response
An Xbox representative told Windows Central the figure doesn't reflect pre-order data, said Xbox has seen record orders, and urged people to wait for real data rather than affiliate clicks. Analysts largely backed that framing — affiliate links measure a single site's audience habits, not total console performance.
So which platform is ahead?
Probably PS5, but not by eight to one. Sony holds an estimated two-to-one global hardware lead over Xbox, and GTA 6 carries a Sony marketing deal, with "plays best on PlayStation 5" branding attached to the campaign and PS5 Pro enhancements promoted. A larger install base plus a marketing partnership points to PS5 leading — the open question is the margin, not the direction.
The honest answer: no verified platform split exists yet. Like the rest of the sales picture, the real numbers arrive with Take-Two's August earnings.
