Multiplatform is the way to go for most studios these days, but it is sounding like GTA 6 won’t be available on PC at launch.
Look, we all know that GTA 6 is going to sell absolutely buckets no matter what platforms it releases on at launch, but more and more players are preferring to get their games on PC these days. A PC release for GTA 6 is presumably pretty much guaranteed, given GTA 5 has a huge player base there, and Rockstar has released all of its biggest titles on the platform too. But, according to Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick in a new interview with IGN, it’s sounding like you shouldn’t expect to be playing GTA 6 on PC when it (supposedly) releases later this year.
Responding to a question as to whether or not leaving PC players high and dry when it comes to GTA 6, and if that will be a mistake, Zelnick explained, “So with [Civilization 7] it’s available on console and PC and Switch right away. With regard to others in our lineup, we don’t always go across all platforms simultaneously. Historically, Rockstar has started with some platforms and then historically moved to other platforms.”
Rockstar has a pretty spotty history with releasing its games on PC, with GTA 5 releasing on the platform a full two years after it was released on consoles (it even came to PS4 and Xbox One before it arrived on PC). Red Dead Redemption 2 fans didn’t have to wait quite as long to play on PC, as it came out only a year after it did on console, but all the same, Rockstar does keep PC players waiting.
What that means is that PC players will have to wait until at least 2026 to check out the game, though Zelnick did also highlight the importance of it as a platform: “We have seen PC become a much more and more important part of what used to be a console business, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see that trend continue.” According to Zelnick, PC versions can be as much as 40% of overall sales, potentially even more with certain games, but honestly, with just how successful GTA 6 is guaranteed to be, I think Take-Two will be fine with a console only launch.
Earlier this month, Zelnick stressed once again that GTA 6 will be out sometime in the fall of this calendar year, clearly hoping to dispel any fears of a delay, but for now you’ll just have to wait for a release date.