New data reveals that the vast majority of single-player game sales come from PlayStation 5 players, even as Microsoft tries to deny the trend. According to The Game Business co-founder Christopher Dring, who averaged data from GSD, Ampere, and other suppliers, a new triple-A single-player game on console tends to do about 75% to 80% of its global launch sales on PlayStation over Xbox.
Console Sales Gap
The PlayStation 5 has sold 93 million units worldwide, compared to an estimated 35 million for the Xbox Series X/S. The Xbox's struggles are further highlighted by the Nintendo Switch 2, which sold 19.86 million units in its first 10 months, while the Xbox Series X/S has been on sale for nearly six years.
Dring noted that the sales split is often lower for online multiplayer games, though he did not provide specific figures. It remains unclear whether the data covers both digital and physical sales, but the statistic aligns with the console sales disparity. Additionally, Xbox Game Pass incentivizes subscriptions over individual purchases, further reducing game sales on the platform.
Single-Player Focus
The single-player distinction suggests Sony has successfully positioned the PlayStation 5 as the premier console for solo players, driven by first-party titles such as God of War Ragnarök, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Astro Bot, and Ghost of Yōtei. This trend is also evident in pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto VI, where IGN affiliate link data showed an 8-to-1 ratio favoring the PlayStation 5 version over the Xbox Series X/S version.
Microsoft refuted the pre-order figures in a statement to Windows Central. “This doesn’t represent pre-order data,” an Xbox spokesperson said. “We’ve had record orders. People should wait for real data and not clicks on affiliate links.” While affiliate links may not capture the full picture, critics argue that Xbox has not provided concrete proof of these “record orders,” despite being able to share such data if it wished.
Upcoming GTA 6 Launch
The actual sales divide may become clearer when Grand Theft Auto VI launches on November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. However, no company is likely to reveal exact sales data beyond the overall total. The gap in single-player game sales underscores the competitive dynamics between console platforms and the impact of subscription services like Game Pass.
