Summary
A former developer at Rockstar has explained whyGrand Theft Auto 6will skip PC at launch. The controversial plan to initially release the highly-awaited follow-up toGTA 5only on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X has disappointed PC gamers, but these fans are being asked to give the studio the “benefit of the doubt” over thisGrand Theft Auto 6release decision.
Rockstar Games recently provided fans withconfirmation of aGrand Theft Auto 6release window. Now, there is an explanation as to why PC gamers will have to wait longer forGTA 6than console gamers.
As reported by IGN, Mike York, a former developer at Rockstar, spoke up aboutGTA 6skipping PC at launch in a new video. York, who was an animator at Rockstar New England for six years and helped with the development of critically andcommercially successfulRed Dead Redemption 2andGTA 5before leaving in 2017, starts off by pointing out that the PlayStation is, historically for Rockstar, the console it focuses on for its games. He goes on to state, “The reason why a PC port comes later and not the first thing that comes out, is because they want to prioritize what sells.” While many PC gamers might disagree with this perspective, York’s explanation appears to indicate that Rockstar Games does not believe PC sales will be anywhere near PlayStation or Xbox figures.
Ex-Rockstar Dev on Why GTA 6 Will Skip a PC Launch at First
WithGTA 5, York commented that Rockstar made the PS3 a priority, and worked on the Xbox 360 port at the same time. It was only afterwards that the company focused on the PC version.Grand Theft Auto 5was even released on the PS4 before it made it to PC about six months later.
York then goes deeper into the issue by stating that building a PC version of a game as complicated asGTA 6and the amount of testing that has to be done to ensure quality is daunting. He is quoted as saying, “This is very important for everybody to remember: one of the main reasons why a PC port will take so long is because it’s different architecture and different components.”
PC gamers might employ a number of counterarguments in response to York’s statements. For example, theimmense resources available to Rockstarcompared to other developers who regularly release PC ports. However, the fact remains that PC gamers will not get to enjoyGTA 6at launch unless they own a console.
