GTA V ‘Best Selling Game Ever’

Take-Two has announced that Grand Theft Auto V has shipped 85 million copies, calling it a US record for any game.

That honor comes at the expense of Wii Sports, which had the big advantage of being bundled with the Wii. On the other hand, GTA V’s total covers multiple platforms, with the combination of improved graphics and a new first-person mode meaning it’s likely many players bought a second copy when moving from PS3/Xbox 360 to PS4/Xbox One, or even getting both console and PC versions. (Pulling the plug on releasing GTA Online updates for older consoles probably helped as well.)

The 85 million figure combines physical and download editions. PC Gamer cites that Steam downloads make up around 10 percent of the total and that it’s still being widely played with a recent daily peak of 55,000 people playing at the same moment.

It looks as if GTA V actually has the worldwide record for sales as this would exceed the 82.8 million listed by Nintendo for Wii Sports. Take-Two is only listing the game as having a US record (citing NPD Research figures), though this claim covers both the number of sales and the total revenue. The latter is helped by GTA V remaining a “full price” release four years after its debut.