Mike York, a former developer at Rockstar, has shed light on the reason behind the delayed PC release of GTA 6. Following years of anticipation, Rockstar unveiled a new trailer for GTA 6 last week, confirming its launch on Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 in 2025. However, the PC release date remains unconfirmed.
According to York, who contributed to the development of titles like GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 during his tenure at Rockstar, the extended timeline for releasing a PC port of a major AAA game stems from the necessity to “prioritize what sells.”
“Most of the time, especially in the past, PlayStation was the big seller,” York explained. “PlayStation was ‘The Console’ to have. It sold more copies than any other console for the most part; everybody’s playing PlayStation. So, what the developer would do is they would focus all their energy on making sure the PlayStation port and the PlayStation game worked really good, right?”
Reflecting on the development of GTA 5, York noted that the team concentrated on the PS3 version, as it was considered the “better hardware” at that time. The Xbox version was developed simultaneously but received less emphasis.
The PC version, according to York, exists in the background, running both console versions and supporting their functionality. It is not polished or the primary focus during the initial stages of development.
“When the developer goes into the PC port process, what they are going to do is they now have new ideas to push things. For instance, they might go into a scene and go ‘ooh, we have it on PC now, we have a little bit more memory. We can add some fog in here like we always wanted to, but it was too much for the console,'” York explained.
However, the PC port faces additional challenges, as it requires thorough testing to account for diverse PC hardware configurations and components. Unlike consoles, PCs come with multiple graphics cards and configurations that demand more time for testing.
York referenced PC ports like Arkham Asylum, which faced criticism upon release due to poor performance. He argued that with more time for testing and refinement, these issues could be mitigated, emphasizing the complexity of accommodating various PC setups.
In essence, the delayed PC release of major titles like GTA 6 is attributed to the meticulous testing and optimization required to ensure compatibility with the diverse array of PC hardware configurations. Despite the eagerness for a prompt PC port, York emphasized the challenges developers face with limited resources and the intricate nature of addressing the nuances of different PC setups.
