According to a former Rockstar developer who worked on Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2, GTA 6 will not be available on PC when it launches. This decision is based on a priority to focus on what sells best.
Rockstar revealed GTA 6 officially on December 4, announcing its release for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S in 2025. However, there was no mention of a PC release during this announcement.
This aligns with Rockstar’s past approach, as the last mainline GTA game to have a simultaneous release on PC and consoles was GTA 2 in the late ’90s.
Former Rockstar animator Mike York supports this view, suggesting that the PC port of GTA 6 will likely take longer to develop.
He elaborated on this in a YouTube video on December 11, stating that Rockstar has historically prioritized what sells best.
In his experience, Rockstar has always focused on PlayStation, even though they developed the Xbox 360 version of GTA 5 simultaneously.
Why GTA 6 PC Port Will Lag Behind Console Versions?
The decision to prioritize console versions of GTA 6 over PC at launch makes sense for a few reasons:
- Console versions are expected to sell better, historically being more lucrative for Rockstar.
- Developing for consoles is significantly easier compared to PC due to hardware consistency, making testing and optimization simpler.
- Rockstar’s focus on what sells better and is easier to develop aligns with sound business strategy.
Even though the Xbox 360 port of GTA 5 wasn’t expected to outsell the PS3 version, developing for both consoles was feasible because it targeted only two systems.
In contrast, optimizing for PC requires accounting for a vast array of hardware configurations, making it a much bigger challenge.
While PC gaming has been growing in popularity, optimizing games for one or two systems remains easier than for a wide range of hardware. The difficulty of PC optimization is a major factor in Rockstar’s historical approach to delaying PC releases.
The former Rockstar animator advises fans to be patient, knowing that the studio is working hard to deliver the best possible game. As for when GTA 6 will reach PC, it may not be until 2027, assuming the game launches on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S in late 2025.
