Pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto VI have been live for barely 48 hours, and the early data is already telling a lopsided story. Multiple outlets are reporting that GTA 6 pre-orders on PS5 are outpacing Xbox by roughly six to one — and at the same time, at least one major retailer is warning that console stock could run dry before the game's November 19, 2026 launch. If you have been planning to buy a new console to play GTA 6, this is the development to pay attention to.
Here is what has actually been reported, what's confirmed, and where the numbers stop and the caution begins.
The 6-to-1 Pre-Order Gap
Within the first 24 hours of pre-orders going live on June 25, industry reports — widely attributed to data referenced by IGN and picked up by RockstarINTEL, Vice, Push Square, TechRadar and others — pointed to PlayStation 5 pre-orders outselling Xbox Series X versions by a factor of around six to one.
A platform skew toward PlayStation is not, in itself, shocking. Sony's install base this generation is substantially larger than Microsoft's, and Rockstar's audience has historically leaned PlayStation. But a 6:1 split is a wide margin even by those standards, and it lines up with a broader picture of PlayStation momentum heading into the biggest game launch of the decade.
One important caveat: these figures come from retail and industry reporting, not from Rockstar, Sony or Microsoft directly. None of the three companies has published official pre-order numbers. Treat the 6:1 ratio as a strong, multi-source report rather than a confirmed sales statistic.
Retailers Warn of a Holiday Console Crunch
The more consequential part of the story is on the supply side. According to a report relayed by TechRadar, a major retailer has warned that it has not been able to secure enough PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles to meet the demand GTA 6 is generating. The retailer's blunt summary, as quoted: "There will be console stock shortages at the end of the year."
The reasoning cited is ongoing hardware component availability issues, which mean retailers won't get all the units they want ahead of the launch. The result, the source warned, is that demand will likely outstrip supply during the year-end period — exactly the window when GTA 6 arrives and the holiday shopping rush peaks.
This isn't coming out of nowhere. Both Sony and Microsoft have already acknowledged that console supply will be tight in the back half of 2026. Microsoft's Xbox chief strategy officer Matthew Ball has publicly noted that demand for consoles is running ahead of available supply. When a generational system-seller like GTA 6 lands on top of an already constrained market, shortages around launch become a real possibility rather than a worst-case scenario.
The Xbox Price Hike Adds Pressure
There's a second factor working against Xbox in this comparison. Microsoft has confirmed it is raising the price of its Xbox Series X consoles — by as much as $150 on some models — effective August 1, 2026, just over three months before GTA 6 ships. A more expensive console heading into the launch window is unlikely to help close a 6-to-1 pre-order gap, and it gives budget-conscious buyers one more reason to default to PS5.
For context on where the game itself stands on pricing, GTA 6 launches at $79.99 for the Standard Edition and $99.99 for the Ultimate Edition — so the total cost of getting into GTA 6 on a new console is climbing on the hardware side just as the software price was confirmed.
What This Means If You're Buying In
If you already own a PS5, PS5 Pro, or Xbox Series X/S, none of this changes anything — your pre-order locks in your copy regardless of the broader stock situation. GTA 6 remains a current-gen-only release; there is no PS4 or Xbox One version, and a PC release has still not been announced.
If you're planning to buy a console specifically for GTA 6, the takeaway from these reports is straightforward: don't wait until November. If retailers are right that stock will be tight during the holiday period, the safest move is to secure hardware earlier rather than gambling on launch-week availability. With Xbox prices rising on August 1, there's also a narrow window where the math may favor acting sooner.
A quick reality check on the urgency: a single retailer's warning is not the same as a confirmed industry-wide shortage, and supply situations can ease as launch approaches. But when retailer caution lines up with Sony and Microsoft both acknowledging constrained supply, it's a signal worth heeding rather than dismissing.
For a step-by-step on locking in your copy, see our how to pre-order GTA 6 guide.
Bottom Line
Two days into pre-orders, the early picture is a 6-to-1 PlayStation lead in reported pre-order volume and a credible warning that consoles could be hard to find by year's end. Neither figure is an official company statistic, so they should be read as well-sourced reporting rather than confirmed numbers — but together they paint a consistent picture: demand for GTA 6 is enormous, it's skewing heavily toward PS5, and the hardware to play it may be the hardest part to get.
What's next: watch for official platform-holder commentary, any updated retailer stock guidance as launch nears, and whether the still-unannounced Trailer 3 arrives to pour even more fuel on pre-order demand. We'll update as the supply situation develops on the road to November 19.