Given that Sony holds the marketing rights for Grand Theft Auto 6, Microsoft has had to get creative to promote the open-world crime game for Xbox--and the company's latest effort in that department goes big.
Say Hello to the X-Bite, a playable Xbox Series X console that was designed to look like it was swallowed whole by one of Florida's millions of alligators. Microsoft only made one of these ornate consoles, and you have to win a contest to get it.
Microsoft's blog post doesn't mention GTA 6 or Rockstar Games, but Xbox marketing boss Josh Munsee said the system has "pure Miami vibes," and that's a pretty obvious reference to GTA 6 given the game takes place in a stand-in, Vice City, for the popular Florida city. The blog post says the winner of the console can play "some of the biggest games of the year" using it, and that's no doubt another nod to GTA 6.
"This November, Xbox is heading to Florida--home to incredible wildlife, unforgettable places, and every now and then, stories you have to see to believe," Microsoft said in its announcement of the X-Bite.
The X-Bite is about five feet long, and the console itself sits inside the alligator, with the Nexus/Guide button illuminated through the gator's skin. The lucky winner will also get a custom Xbox controller with simulated bite marks on it.
The custom console was designed by creature animatronic specialist John Nolan Studio, which did work for The Witcher and Jurassic World Dominion.
Microsoft's fine print states that the gator console is a "custom fabrication" and wasn't made from a real alligator. "No actual alligators were used or harmed in the making of this console," Microsoft said. The estimated value of the console is $800, Microsoft said.
You can enter for a chance to win the X-Bite by following Xbox on X, Instagram, or TikTok, reposting the sweepstakes post, and then add #XbiteSweepstakes to your repost. You'll also need to have a public account.
The sweepstakes runs now through November 10. The winner, who will be chosen by a random draw, will have 48 hours to respond if they're selected. "Miss the window, and this gator makes a clean getaway," Microsoft said in yet another reference to GTA 6.
GTA 6 is getting special treatment for its PS5 edition, and this has so far included a limited-edition DualSense controller inspired by the game and trailers for GTA 6 that end by telling people the game "plays best" on PS5. The game's recent launch trailer does not include the Xbox logo, either.
GTA 6 is of course not exclusive to Xbox, and there is no evidence that it "plays best" on PS5.
According to Sensor Tower, GTA 6 has sold about 2 million copies so far on Xbox Series X|S, compared to 5.75 million on PS5. Xbox is not worried the PS5 version massively pacing ahead of Xbox, in part because the 74%/26% split in favor of PS5 over Xbox reflects Xbox's current share of the console market. GTA 6 is breaking records already for Xbox, the company has said.
Microsoft takes a 30% cut of games sold on the Xbox platform, so that could end up being a huge number when the game launches, even if it's far behind PS5. At about 2 million copies sold on Xbox so far, according to Sensor Tower, that's $192 million in gross revenue; Xbox's cut would be about $57.6 million. Sensor Tower has said the majority of GTA 6 preorders should come in the final week before release, and could reach 25 million.
If the split stays about where it is now, that would be about 6.5 million units on Xbox by launch, generating more than $170 million in platform fees paid to Xbox. Of course, these are just ballpark estimates, but it's a sure thing that GTA 6 is going to be a big deal for Xbox. Microsoft already alluded to this, as the company forecast major growth for Xbox content and services in the current quarter, and while management didn't attribute this to any particular title, the gargantuan release of GTA 6 is no doubt factored in.
GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
