Rockstar has officially announced that GTA 6 will be released in the Fall of 2025. The banner year is finally here! You must have noticed that there is no mention of a PC release. While GTA 6 is coming to us this year after a decade of waiting, it will only be released on PS5 and Xbox V/S. So is that normal? Has Rockstar Games shifted its emphasis to consoles entirely? Let’s dive in!
Previous GTA Releases
GTA VI is the sixth installment of the very popular series of Rockstar Games, Grand Theft Auto. Historically, every GTA game has been released to the consoles first. The PC release follows behind closely.
Here’s a concise summary of the dates of each GTA game’s console releases and PC releases, along with the devices to which it was released.
| Version | Console Release | PC Release | Released Devices |
| GTA III 2001 | October 2002 | May 2002 | PS2, Xbox, PC, Mobile (2011) |
| GTA: Vice City 2002 | October 2002 | May 2003 | PS2, Xbox, PC, Mobile (2012) |
| GTA: San Andreas | October 2004 | June 2005 | PS2, Xbox, PC, Mobile (2013), PS3, Xbox 360 |
| GTA IV | April 2008 | December 2008 | PS3, Xbox 360, PC |
| GTA V | September 2013 | April 2015 | PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One, PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S |
As You can see, it is quite normal for Rockstar Games to release the PC version later. It can follow a few months after the console versions or sometimes, it even takes years to be released! Rockstar Games has not changed its strategy even this time around. While GTA 6 will be released on PS-5 and X-box V/S this year, the PC versions can be expected around the end of 2026!
The Marketing Strategy of GTA 6
If the release dates, do not make their intentions clear, the Marketing strategies of Rockstar Games they are using for GTA 6 should make it clear enough! Rockstar Games have not even once mentioned the PC release so far. Meanwhile, they have exclusively announced their releases with PS5 and Xbox-V/S.
Rise of GTA Online
GTA Online, or known as GTAO is the most popular GTA playing mode among the community. In recent years, the numbers show that fans are more interested in playing online than downloading to their computers. This has made GTA Online a big contributor to Rockstar Games’ revenue.
GTA Online is played using consoles, so it makes sense that Rockstar Games wants to engage the full community of Console Gamers before they release it onto PCs.
This can easily determine Rockstar Games’ shift towards a more console-focused game in development!
Embracing the Cutting Edge Technology
Rockstar Games have exclusively announced GTA 6’s release to PS 5 and X-box V/S in the past year. Both consoles are the most recent and latest drops of their respective lines. This means Rockstar Games have truly embraced the newest technology. Even in past releases, Rockstar Games have worked with the latest consoles. There are no mentions of a release for PS4 or Xbox One.
GTA 6 is reported to be built with Rockstar Games’ latest proprietary RAGE engine. Which is enhanced to utilize the next-generation consoles to its maximum power. Ray tracing and Advanced Lightning, Use of ultra-fast SSDs for a seamless open-world experience, Dynamic Interactions enhanced with AI, all these technologies are more inclined to follow the consoles than the PCs.
So it’s a clear sign that Rockstar Games is emphasizing Console Gaming with GTA 6 than PC!
What can we expect from the PC version?
While the PC version is not in the spotlight as of now, Rockstar Games’ Parent Company Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick mentioned the importance of PC versions in his recently held press calls. While there are no official releases of PC in the future, Rockstar Games will release a PC-focused game in due time!
Nilasi Jayathilake