Take-Two Interactive is seeing pre-order momentum for Grand Theft Auto VI, with B. Riley reporting the title as the top-selling pre-order across all tracked digital platforms in June and early July. This surge is skewed toward the PlayStation 5, reflecting Sony’s hardware sales over Microsoft’s Xbox Series X/S.
Riley's latest analysis are based on tracking daily activity from June 25 to July 8 across the PlayStation Store, Xbox Live, Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, and Walmart.
The PS5 Hegemony and the 3-to-1 Hardware Gap
Pre-orders for GTA VI show a preference for the PlayStation 5. B. Riley attributes this disparity to the current hardware cycle, where Sony is outperforming Microsoft's Xbox Series X/S by a ratio of more than 3 to 1.
Monetizing the Hype: The $99.99 Ultimate Edition
On the PlayStation Store and Xbox Live, the "Ultimate Edition," priced at $99.99, has emerged as the most popular choice.
Conversely, physical retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and GameStop have stuck to the standard physical edition priced at $79.99.
- Ultimate Edition: $99.99 (Digital Lead)
- Standard Edition: $79.99 (Physical Lead)
- Projected Net Bookings: 2.5 billion (FY 2027)
- Target Volume: 37 million Units
Benchmarking Against the GTA V Phenomenon
Grand Theft Auto V moved over 33 million copies within eight months of its September 2013 release. B. Riley's current projections for GTA VI are 37 million units within a four-month window, generating 2.5 billion in net bookings based on an average selling price of $68.00.
This is a projection.
The Financial Countdown to August 7
The industry is now eyeing August 7, when Take-Two Interactive is scheduled to announce its first-quarter financial results for the 2027 fiscal year. B. Riley expects the company to provide commentary on these pre-order trends during that call.
B. Riley projects a non-GAAP earnings per share (EPS) of $0.34 and net bookings of 1.35 billion. This aligns closely with management's own guidance, which ranges from $0.25 to $0.35 for EPS and 1.32 billion to 1.37 billion in net bookings.
