Former Rockstar Games employee reveals why GTA 6 PC port won’t be coming at the launch

Former Rockstar Games developer explains why Grand Theft Auto & RDR do not launch for PC at launch


Former Rockstar Games employee reveals why GTA 6 PC port won’t be coming at the launch

Image via: YouTube/@YorkReacts

The much-anticipated GTA 6 trailer finally dropped earlier this month as a part of Rockstar Games’ 25th anniversary. While the trailer had to be released early due to leaks, fans finally got answers to many questions they had for years about GTA 6. Fans of the franchise learned about the game’s setting and the protagonists.

Players also got information about the game’s release. GTA 6 will be launching for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Fans also got to know that the title will be coming out in 2025 for the two consoles. However, similar to earlier games by Rockstar Games, a mention of a PC release date was notably absent.

YouTube video

Rockstar Games has typically launches their games first on consoles, then on PC. GTA V was initially released for the Xbox 360 and PS3 in 2013, and only came to PC in 2015. Similarly, Red Dead Redemption 2 was released for consoles in October 2018. It would only be available on the PC after nearly a year. Hence, if the game launches in 2025, fans won’t get to see a GTA 6 PC release until 2026 at least.

Fans have often wondered why this was the case. They finally got some answers after a recent video was published by a former Rockstar Games employee. Mike York, who has previously worked at the studio, runs a YouTube channel named York reacts. The game developer uploaded an 8-minute video explaining why GTA 6 and other Rockstar Games come to the PC at a later date.

Mike York explains why Rockstar Games delays their major titles’ PC release

Mike York explained in his video why the gaming studio always focused on console versions of the games first before shifting their focus to a PC port. The former Rockstar employee revealed that developers often focus on the PlayStation version of the game first. Then, they shift their focus to Xbox, and finally, to PC.

Former Rockstar Employee explains GTA 6 PC release
Image via YouTube/@YorkReacts

“One of the main reasons why a PC port will take so long to come out after the game launches is because the developers want to make it as best as possible. They have to work out all these little bugs that they haven’t been working on.”

Mike York, former employee at Rockstar Games

Mike York added that the reason why the PC port comes later is because the studio focuses on what sells more. This is evident by looking at sales of many recently-released video games. The console sales are generally much higher compared to PC sales of a lot of recent video games. He continued to say that PlayStation was mostly the big seller.

Hence, developers focus on making the PlayStation version work without flaw. He further added an anecdote about when he used to work on GTA V. While the studio was initially concentrated on Xbox and PS3 versions of the game, they paid more attention to the PS3 version and how they could push the game to its limits on the PlayStation 3.

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