GTA 6 has already passed 6 million digital pre-orders

GTA 6 has racked up around 6.1 million digital pre-orders and roughly $594 million, according to Sensor Tower estimates as of October 13. Almost three in four are on PlayStation, and in the US it's running 148% ahead of the best of the big recent launches. Here's what the numbers say, where they come from and what they leave out.

How many pre-orders does GTA 6 have?

Around 6.08 million digital copies, after refunds, worth about $594 million. Those are the figures from analytics firm Sensor Tower, published by GamesIndustry.biz, and they track pre-orders on the PlayStation and Xbox digital stores worldwide from when they opened in June up to October 13.

How far ahead of other games is it?

Miles ahead. Sensor Tower compared GTA 6's pre-order curve with the biggest launches of the last six years in the US, and 45 days out from release it's running 148% ahead of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, the previous leader. Diablo IV, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Hogwarts Legacy, Starfield and The Last of Us Part II trail far behind.

For a sense of scale: Modern Warfare 2 made $800 million in its first weekend, the best launch in Call of Duty history until Black Ops 6, as GamesIndustry.biz points out. GTA 6 is more than doubling it in pre-orders with weeks still to go.

Why is it dominating on PS5?

Three in four digital pre-orders are on PlayStation: 4.51 million against 1.57 million on Xbox, roughly 3 to 1. Sensor Tower doesn't explain why, but two reasons are obvious: there are far more PS5s out there than Xbox Series X|S consoles, and GTA 6 is only coming to those two. As for PC, there's no sign of it yet.

Which edition are people buying?

The expensive one. According to Sensor Tower, the vast majority of pre-orders are for the €99.99 Ultimate Edition, and Spanish outlet 3DJuegos puts it at over 80%. The maths checks out: $594 million across 6.08 million copies works out at almost $98 per pre-order, very close to the price of the Ultimate.

If you're still torn, we break down which GTA 6 edition is actually worth it, and if you'd rather spend less, here's where to buy GTA 6 for the cheapest price.

Are these official figures?

No. Take-Two hasn't released any pre-order numbers, so this is an estimate from an outside company based on its own data. And it comes in low by definition:

• It only counts digital. Boxed copies pre-ordered in physical stores aren't included.
• The comparison with other games is US-only. The 148% applies to that market, not the whole world.
• It stops on October 13. Since then the launch trailer has dropped, and pre-orders usually speed up in the final weeks.

How much could GTA 6 sell?

The forecasts are huge. GamesIndustry.biz asked several analysts earlier this year how much GTA 6 would sell in its first year, and their estimates ranged from 30 to more than 50 million copies. With over 6 million digital pre-orders a month before launch, a strong start is already in the bag.

We won't have to wait long to find out: GTA 6 launches on November 19 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, and here's the countdown and release time.