New data reveals that the vast majority of single-player game sales on console occur on PlayStation 5, with Xbox Series X/S capturing only a small fraction. According to Christopher Dring, co-founder of The Game Business, who averaged data from GSD, Ampere, and other sources, a new AAA single-player game on console tends to do about 75% to 80% of its global launch sales on PlayStation over Xbox.
PlayStation 5 outsells Xbox Series X/S significantly
The PlayStation 5 has sold approximately 93 million units, compared to an estimated 35 million for the Xbox Series X/S. This disparity is 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 the market for nearly six years. The sales split naturally translates to higher game sales on PlayStation, but the new data quantifies the gap for single-player titles.
Game Pass impact and multiplayer differences
Dring noted that the 75-80% figure is often lower for online multiplayer games, though he did not provide specific numbers. Xbox Game Pass has incentivized players to subscribe rather than purchase individual games, further reducing sales on Xbox. The single-player focus suggests Sony has successfully positioned the PlayStation 5 as the preferred platform for solo experiences, with first-party titles like God of War Ragnarök, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Astro Bot, and Ghost of Yōtei driving that perception.
GTA 6 pre-orders show similar trend
The divide is also evident in Grand Theft Auto 6 pre-orders, where IGN affiliate link data indicated an 8-to-1 ratio in favor of the PlayStation 5 version over Xbox Series X/S. Microsoft disputed this, with an Xbox spokesperson telling Windows Central: 'This doesn’t represent pre-order data. We’ve had record orders. People should wait for real data and not clicks on affiliate links.' However, Microsoft did not provide concrete evidence of these record orders, and the console sales numbers alone suggest the actual ratio may not be far off.
GTA 6 launch may clarify sales split
GTA 6 is set to launch worldwide on November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. While exact sales data per platform is unlikely to be disclosed, the overall sales total may offer further insight into the divide. For now, the data underscores PlayStation's dominance in the single-player market, a trend that appears unlikely to shift given the current console sales trajectory.
