Why GTA 6 Is Skipping PC At Launch, According To An Ex-Rockstar Dev

Grand Theft Auto VI is by far and away the most anticipated video game release of the decade, with many gaming analysts banking on it delivering a revitalizing boost to the industry. However, once the game launches later this year, it’ll only be available on Sony and Microsoft’s current generation consoles, while PC players will be left out in the cold. A former Rockstar developer, speaking to the Kiwi Talkz podcast, shed light on why the studio opts for this staggered release schedule.

During an interview on the New Zealand-based show, John Ricchio shared that it comes down to having a known hardware target. The ten-plus-year veteran from the studio says that the developers will "know exactly what the specs are, they know what the thermal limits of the unit are, and they can dedicate all their resources to it. They don't have to worry about, 'Oh, what if this person has a graphics card that is 10 years old?’"


Moreover, if a PC version of the game were being worked on in parallel with the console version it would mean extra work “shrinking” it down to work on consoles that could’ve added even more delays. That’s because it requires spending a lot of hours on coding specific rendering techniques or handling meshes differently so that the game performs well on the consoles' limited hardware. He says that “it’s a lot of manual work."

There are other considerations beyond the added development time that likely led to the decision to push off the PC release to a later date. Earlier this year Rockstar was the victim of a ransomware attack, which revealed financial details including how much money it makes from Grand Theft Auto Online microtransactions across all platforms. According to the pilfered data, the PS5 generates the most revenue, followed by the PS4, and then the Xbox Series X|S, and finally the Xbox One. Meanwhile, PC generates the least microtransaction revenue.

Clearly, the studio’s bread is buttered by fans who play on a console, which casts the staggered release in a different light. In any case, the fact is that PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S owners can look forward to finally getting their hands on GTA 6 on November 19. Hopefully PC players won’t have to wait too long to experience everything the state of Leonida has to offer.