Grand Theft Auto fans want to see Grand Theft Auto 6 already, but we all know that the PC version won’t release simultaneously as the console games. While the game is confirmed for consoles, Rockstar has not mentioned a Steam or PC launch. This has led to speculation and concern among PC gamers, but PC Games N was able to get some information from a former Rockstar Developer.
According to their article, Mike York, who worked on Grand Theft Auto 5, explained that PC versions are often treated as “less of a priority” by studios like Rockstar. It may sound strange, but he gave a list of many reasons, including prioritizing sales on consoles and the challenges of developing for a diverse PC hardware landscape. Several reasons were discussed in an article we wrote, so we have been proven right on many counts.
York said that Rockstar traditionally focuses on PlayStation first, considering it the platform with the highest potential for sales. In his memory of the development of GTA 5, the PS3 received the majority of the team’s energy and optimization efforts, leaving the PC version feeling “unpolished” in comparison.
Another challenge, according to York, is the sheer variety of PC hardware configurations. Unlike consoles, which offer a standardized environment, PCs come in countless combinations of components. This makes testing and optimization far more complex for developers. This is bad and good. He pointed out that the flexibility of PC hardware lets developers push the boundaries and implement enhancements like higher character counts, denser environments, and better optimization for high-end systems.
York believes that studios prioritize console development due to limited resources, despite the potential benefits. He explains that studios “don’t have the manpower” to dedicate separate teams to each platform simultaneously. Instead, they focus on consoles first to maximize return on investment, leaving the PC version as a later concern.
“If they had a huge team, they’d just have one team work on the PC, one team work on the Xbox, and the whole time they’d be trying to optimize all three versions… But it just doesn’t work that way. We don’t have the money, we don’t have the resources, we don’t have the manpower. So we just prioritize what’s best for the company’s money. So let’s put all our money into the PlayStation, then the Xbox, then the PC.”
This last statement doesn’t feel true to the landscape today. York may have been there for the development of GTAV, but a lot happened after the release. They gained a lot of money, billions even, and they continue to gain much more over their Shark cards. Rockstar making GTAV is not the Rockstar making GTA VI. They don’t lack resources by any stretch of the imagination because they’ve gained a lot of money within that time.
Rockstar could likely choose not to have the resources, be careful with money, and continue the same development process that has always made them great games. Part of that process comes with limitations that they have always had. They probably know that a PC game is more profitable later because you can add more. The lack of a PC port still feels wrong, though, because Rockstar is a huge company backed by an even bigger publisher.
Still, we’ll have to wait for a PC port regardless.