GTA 6 Pre-Order Estimate Reaches $751 Million, Still About $49 Million Short of GTA 5’s First-Day Record

With roughly two weeks remaining before Grand Theft Auto VI launches on November 19, a third-party estimate puts the game’s digital pre-orders on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S at approximately 7.71 million copies, representing about $751 million in revenue. The estimate comes from market analytics firm Sensor Tower. Its reported platform split gives PlayStation 5 about 74% of pre-orders and Xbox Series X|S about 26%.

The figures are not official sales data released by Rockstar Games or its parent company, Take-Two Interactive. They are estimates from Sensor Tower’s tracking model. Forbes contributor Paul Tassi cited the figure on November 4 and noted that it is about $49 million below the more than $800 million Grand Theft Auto V generated during its first 24 hours on sale in 2013. The comparison is striking, but the two numbers measure different periods and sales channels.

Sensor Tower estimates 7.71 million digital pre-orders

Reports from Insider Gaming and Dexerto, citing Sensor Tower, put PlayStation 5 pre-orders at approximately 5.74 million units, worth an estimated $559 million. Xbox Series X|S accounts for about 1.97 million units and $192 million. Together, the two platforms represent approximately 7.71 million digital pre-orders and $751 million in estimated revenue. The platform mix is roughly 74% PlayStation and 26% Xbox.

The estimate also suggests that pre-orders continued to grow during the final weeks before launch. TalkEsport reported that Sensor Tower’s October 20 snapshot had put pre-orders at about 6.45 million units and $630 million in estimated revenue. By the November 3 update, the figures had increased by roughly 1.26 million units and $121 million. That is a change in the analytics firm’s estimate, not a revenue figure confirmed by Take-Two.

The numbers are notable because the game is not yet available to play. They indicate substantial demand ahead of launch, but they should not be treated as a verified count of every copy purchased worldwide.

The comparison with GTA 5 needs context

Take-Two announced in September 2013 that Grand Theft Auto V generated more than $800 million in worldwide retail sales during its first 24 hours. The company later said the game passed $1 billion in retail sales during its first three days. Those were company estimates of sales after the game launched.

Sensor Tower’s $751 million estimate for GTA 6 covers digital pre-orders before launch on PlayStation and Xbox. It does not represent the same period as GTA 5’s first-day sales figure, and reports say the estimate does not include physical retail pre-orders. GTA 5’s day-one total included sales made after the game became available, not only pre-orders.

It is therefore fair to say that GTA 6’s estimated digital pre-orders are approaching the $800 million figure associated with GTA 5’s first day. It would be inaccurate to say that GTA 6 has already broken the record. The comparison also cannot prove that GTA 6 will pass $800 million before launch, or predict its final first-day or first-week sales.

PlayStation accounts for about three-quarters of the estimate

Sensor Tower’s reported split gives PS5 about 5.74 million pre-orders, or 74% of the total, compared with 1.97 million on Xbox Series X|S, or 26%. The revenue estimate is approximately $559 million on PlayStation and $192 million on Xbox.

The PlayStation Store lists a $79.99 Standard Edition and a $99.99 Ultimate Edition. Differences in regional pricing, taxes, currency conversion and the mix of editions can affect the estimated revenue per copy. It would be misleading to divide the total estimate by the number of pre-orders and assume every buyer paid the same price.

Rockstar opened pre-orders on June 25 and confirmed that the game will launch on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The company’s pre-load information says digital pre-loading begins on November 10. PlayStation’s listing specifies that PS5 pre-loading begins at midnight local time. The remaining days before launch give the estimate time to change.

Rockstar and Take-Two have not confirmed the totals

Neither Rockstar nor Take-Two has published an official number for GTA 6 pre-orders or pre-launch revenue. The 7.71 million units and $751 million should therefore be attributed to Sensor Tower, not described as confirmed company sales. Third-party trackers can help illustrate market demand and platform distribution, but their coverage and estimation methods are not the same as a publisher’s audited financial reporting.

The confirmed information is that Sensor Tower estimates digital pre-orders at roughly $751 million, with PlayStation accounting for about 74% of the total, and that the game is scheduled to launch on November 19. Whether the estimate will exceed GTA 5’s first-day sales figure before launch, how many copies GTA 6 will ultimately sell in its opening days, and when Take-Two will release official sales information remain open questions.