Rockstar has always followed a very defined pattern when releasing its games, especially in its two most popular franchises: Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption. Until now, it has stuck to a clear strategy: launching console versions first and then releasing the PC version months or even years later. However, in recent years, this approach has started to feel outdated.
Since GTA IV, Rockstar has consistently followed this strategy. The game was first released on consoles, with the PC version arriving later, typically about a year to a year and a half afterward. This was the case with GTA IV, GTA V, and Red Dead Redemption 2. In fact, the original Red Dead Redemption never even made it to PC.
But something in the market has shifted, and it could lead Rockstar to reconsider its approach. While the GTA 6 trailer, released in late 2023, made it clear that the first versions to launch would be for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, the company might now be thinking about not delaying the PC version as much. There’s even talk of the possibility of a simultaneous release with consoles, which would be a major shift in its launch strategy.
The reason behind this potential decision is clear: PC is no longer just a secondary market that gets games after consoles. More and more companies see simultaneous launches as the best approach, and Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick recently confirmed this trend in an interview with IGN. “We’ve seen that PC has become a much more important part of what used to be a console business, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see that trend continue,” he stated.
We’ve already seen this approach with other games, such as Civilization 7, where a simultaneous release across all possible platforms was prioritized. However, while Take-Two, Rockstar’s parent company, acknowledges this trend, the final decision will rest with the GTA 6 development team, which has been working on the game for nearly a decade.
Perhaps by the time GTA 7 comes around, Rockstar will have a plan in place for a simultaneous launch across all platforms. But with GTA 6 less than a year away from release, it looks like PC players will still have to wait a little longer—just as they always have.
