Red Dead Redemption 2 Boasts Huge Sales At Launch, But GTA 5 Still Beats It

It seemed likely that Red Dead Redemption 2 would be a hit, but Rockstar claims it has surpassed even lofty expectations. The company announced that it achieved $725 million during its opening weekend, making it one of the biggest launches of all time--not just in video games, but in terms of all entertainment.

In the announcement, Rockstar boasted that this is the "single biggest opening weekend in the history of entertainment," outpacing movies like Avengers: Infinity War which made $257 million in its opening weekend. (Of course, movie tickets cost significantly less than a new game at $60-100.)

This puts it in second-place for sales in its first three days to another Rockstar game, Grand Theft Auto V, which achieved $1 billion. But since those first three days started on a Tuesday, it isn't an opening weekend, which is the spin Rockstar is using to boast about Red Dead. Take-Two previously said it expected Red Dead to fall short of GTA5 sales. Other achievements from the big launch include several records for digital sales on PlayStation Network: the most pre-orders, biggest day-one full game sales, and most sales in the first three days.

If you're one of those millions who picked up Red Dead 2 already, check out our tips for beginners and read all about what to do with your legendary bear pelt. If you're still on the fence or deciding on a platform, read up on which console performs better, and check out GameSpot's Red Dead Redemption 2 review. "Red Dead Redemption 2 is an excellent prequel, but it's also an emotional, thought-provoking story in its own right, and it's a world that is hard to leave when it's done," wrote critic Kallie Plagge.