A former developer at Rockstar has attempted to explain why Grand Theft Auto 6 is coming to PC after it hit PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S and called on PC gamers to give the studio the “benefit of the doubt” over its controversial launch plans. Last week, the first trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6 was unveiled, confirming the game’s 2025 release date. However, what shocked the PC gaming world at launch was the platforms Rockstar had listed for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, notably just the PS5 and Xbox Series X and S. PC players now have to decide whether to double-dip and purchase GTA 6 on console at launch and again when it releases on PC, or wait to enjoy the game until 2026 or later.
York, who’s a former developer in Rockstar studio, starts by outlining the reasons why, historically, Rockstar has prioritized the PlayStation as the platform for its games. York said,
“They want to prioritise what sells, which is why a PC port is released later rather than initially.”PlayStation was usually the top seller, especially in the past. The PlayStation was the ideal gaming system. For the most part, it sold more than any other system. Everyone is using a PlayStation.
According to York, Rockstar gave the PS3 priority while creating the Xbox 360 port of Grand Theft Auto 5, and only worked on the PC version after the game’s release. GTA 5 was released in September 2013 for the PS3 and Xbox 360, November 2014 for the PS4 and Xbox One, and April 2015 for the PC. In March 2022, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S versions were also released.
York further explained the technicality of the PC port
It’s crucial that everyone keeps in mind that the PC port’s distinct design and components are one of the key causes of its lengthy development.
“They need to account for every possibility that may occur. Since every PlayStation and Xbox have a single graphics card, which shares the same internal design with every PlayStation supplied to millions of users, each of those devices has the same graphics card. However, every single person has a unique PC when it comes to computers. They are managing it in a unique way. Inside, the hardware is different. Their GPUs and CPUs are dissimilar. During various setups, the game’s memory use and various background tasks might occasionally malfunction and cause issues. It’s difficult to articulate, yet that’s the essence of it.
“More PC testing of the game is required than for Xbox or PlayStation. When you give it some thought, getting the game to function already requires extensive testing. So a PC is considerably more difficult. It requires greater resources to be applied. Much additional testing is required. Additionally, you have to test things on various GPUs and pieces of hardware when working on the PC port.
Without a doubt, York’s video will elicit a variety of counterarguments, the most important of which being Rockstar’s plenty of resources in comparison to many other companies who create and publish PC versions of their intricate open-world games. Indeed, many would argue that this choice is just Rockstar’s attempt to get a double-dip two years after the major platform launch.
