GTA 6 purchase intent hits 29% of US gamers, Circana says

Nearly one in three American gamers say they plan to buy GTA 6, according to market research firm Circana. Its PlayerPulse consumer tracker, released on October 28, puts purchase intent for Grand Theft Auto 6 at 29% among console and PC players in the United States. Circana says that is the highest figure it has recorded for any game, which makes Rockstar's game the most anticipated release in the firm's tracking history. Circana analyst Mat Piscatella called the launch "a rare cultural and commercial moment for the video game industry," as GamesRadar+ reported.

What Circana's 29% actually measures

The number is survey data. It records what people say they intend to buy, not copies sold. GTA BOOM points out that the record only holds within Circana's own methodology and history, so it can't be compared directly with other firms' surveys.

Brazilian outlet Critical Hits tried a rough calculation. Nobody has an exact count of US console and PC players, but the outlet puts the potential base at around 100 million people. If the 29% all turned into purchases, that would mean roughly 30 million copies in the US alone. Critical Hits stresses that this conversion can't be taken for granted. It also notes that Circana counts GTA 5 as the best-selling premium game in its history, by both units and revenue, so the intent figure has a strong track record behind it.

Piscatella expects a console bump through Black Friday

Piscatella expects the effect to reach well beyond the game itself. "Many consumers who have yet to upgrade to a current-generation console may choose to purchase a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series specifically to play the title," he wrote. He also expects demand for accessories and gaming subscriptions as players get ready for launch.

That could include people who mostly play on PC. GTA 6 launches on November 19 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S only, and Rockstar hasn't announced a PC version yet. With the release landing just before Black Friday, Piscatella called the game "a major driver of software sales, hardware upgrades, and gaming-related tech purchases throughout the fourth quarter."

He isn't arguing that GTA 6 will crowd everything else out, though. GamesRadar+ notes that Piscatella recently said other developers shouldn't fear launching around Rockstar's release, since many players "are going to want to play other things" too.

Other forecasts for GTA 6 sales

The Circana data adds to a pile of outside estimates. According to Critical Hits, a Newzoo model suggests GTA 6 could sell up to 51 million units worldwide in its first week, and Piper Sandler puts the ceiling at 45 million copies on launch day. GTA BOOM cites SensorTower estimates of more than five million preorders and about $630 million in pre-launch revenue, with Xbox preorders alone above one million. It also cites Circana data showing US PS5 sales up 22% year over year in September.

Rockstar Intel points to GTA 5's long run as context: the game made the US top 20 best-sellers every year from 2013 to 2025 and ranked third in total active users on PlayStation and Xbox in 2025.

These are all third-party estimates and surveys, not figures from Rockstar or Take-Two. As Critical Hits puts it, the real test is whether declared interest becomes preorders and actual sales. If you're still deciding which version to buy, our guide to GTA 6 price and editions covers the options.