Report Claims PS5 Beats Xbox by Nearly 80% in AAA Sales Momentum

It’s tempting to assume that the PlayStation 5 simply sells more units than the Xbox at the hardware level, but a new claim goes further: one report suggests that, at launch, AAA game sales on Sony’s system are ahead of Microsoft’s by close to 80%. With GTA 6 sparking fresh chatter about console performance and sales momentum, the discussion has quickly shifted from “who sells more consoles” to “who gets more money from big releases,” especially after the year’s biggest game opened pre-orders.

This year has been a key one for both platforms, with each company pushing harder amid changing market conditions. Microsoft is operating under fresh leadership and is said to be taking a more serious approach to rebuilding Xbox through console exclusives and new hardware. Sony, meanwhile, has chosen to stop putting its largest single-player games on PC, aiming to increase the value of owning a PS5. Still, the most prominent “console war” moment recently has been the pre-order window for GTA 6, where IGN reported PS5 sales were ahead of Xbox by nearly an 8-to-1 margin. Now more detail is emerging about how much that advantage could translate into actual game sales.

Early reporting indicates the PS5 edition of Grand Theft Auto 6 is moving significantly faster than the Xbox Series X|S version, even after only a few days on the market.

PS5 Launch-Month AAA Sales Lead Claimed to Be Around 80%

Industry analyst Christopher Dring, speaking via VGC and drawing on guidance from The Game Business, argues that the PS5 typically captures the majority of launch-month sales for major single-player AAA releases. His estimate—excluding PC—puts titles such as Resident Evil: Requiem or 007: First Light at roughly 75–80% of their launch-month sales happening on PlayStation.

Dring’s comments respond to the earlier claim that GTA 6 pre-orders on PS5 outpaced Xbox by about 8-to-1. He says that level of imbalance is probably not as extreme as it sounds for the broader market, and he points to confidential sales information that he says is available through his Substack, The Game Business.

Xbox Focuses on Multiplayer, While PS5 Maintains Broad Momentum

Dring also suggests that multiplayer titles don’t follow the same pattern. In his view, Xbox tends to do better at launch for multiplayer games, landing around 30% of console sales. Even with that improvement, he frames the result as still not strong enough to represent a true competitive position.

Xbox’s console struggles are described as longstanding. The report notes that the platform even stopped sharing sales figures in 2015, an action that underlined how difficult the situation had become. More recently, the push to recover has been led by new CEO Asha Sharma, who—according to the same discussion—cut the price of Game Pass and saw meaningful success from that move. It’s also said that Xbox has returned to console exclusives, beginning with Gears of War: E–Day later this fall.

On Sony’s side, the PS5 is still portrayed as strong. The company is reportedly hitting new sales highs even while prices rise due to ongoing RAM shortages. The discussion also claims Sony has exclusive marketing rights for Grand Theft Auto 6, a game framed as one of the most anticipated releases in video game history.

To add context to Xbox’s current position, the article also references a GDC 2026 survey that reportedly found developer interest in shipping games on Xbox is about half of what it is for PS5 and “Switch 2.”

Xbox Showcase Highlights Upcoming Potential

The piece acknowledges that the last stretch has felt rough for Xbox players, but it points to possible signs of recovery. It cites the recent Xbox Games Showcase for 2026 as evidence of momentum behind major upcoming releases, including Fable and Gears of War: E-Day, which it says could become major hits if they launch to expectations.

It also highlights Forza Horizon 6 as one of the highest-rated games of the year, presenting it as proof that there is still strong output from Team Green and its studios. The closing sentiment is that Xbox needs to ride out the current pressure and re-establish solid footing in the market once again.