Rockstar Games launched GTA 6 pre-orders with a shocking revelation that the game would be digital only, and no discs would be produced for it. If that’s not enough, the game is only available for current-generation consoles right now. This has fans more worried about whether GTA 6 will launch on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
What Platforms Did Rockstar Confirm for GTA 6?
Rockstar has only confirmed and opened pre-orders for two platforms at the time of this writing. The game developer and publisher announced that GTA 6 would be launched for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. There was no official confirmation for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. While the old generation consoles may not be supported, there is a history behind Rockstar releasing GTA titles for PC later than console variants.
Fans have been asking about support for all three platforms ever since GTA 6 pre-orders went live. PC obviously has one of the largest player bases, and GTA has a massive fan following, which explains why they want GTA 6 to be released on Windows. PS4 and Xbox One also have a strong player base, and they are worried that GTA 6 won’t be released on older generation consoles.
Rockstar Is Known to Release PC Versions Later
GTA 6 will launch on November 19, 2026, for the supported consoles, but Rockstar hasn’t confirmed anything about a PC release. The developer also hasn’t yet published the PC system requirements or a PC store page. However, this isn’t a cause for worry, as Rockstar follows a console-first release strategy. Take-Two has stated that this strategy is used because Rockstar wants to serve its console fans before launching on other platforms.
This strategy also allows Rockstar to focus on two hardware rather than a mix of GPUs, CPUs, and drivers, as PC have endless possibilities. Rockstar has followed this since the late 2000s. The GTA IV console version was released in April 2008, followed by a PC launch in December 2008. GTA V was also released for PS3 and Xbox 360 in September 2013, while the PC variant launched in 2015. This also isn’t a policy just for the GTA franchise, as Red Dead Redemption 2 also saw a console release in October 2018, and the PC variant was released 13 months later, in November 2019.
There is also speculation that Rockstar follows this pattern to double-dip. There is a possibility that fans may want to play the game on launch, which may prompt some to buy the console variant. They may also buy the PC variant when it’s ultimately released. But this is just something the community thinks, and remains unverified.
Why GTA 6 Is Unlikely to Launch on PS4 and Xbox One
The reason for PC and older generation consoles not being announced is likely different. While PC may get a delayed release, which is a pattern, PS4 and Xbox One are unlikely to get GTA 6 at all. The logic behind this is simple: PS4 and Xbox One are both more than a decade old and have significantly older hardware. Some reports suggest GTA 6 is so power hungry that even the PS5 will only be able to run the game at 30 FPS. The older generation consoles are substantially underpowered, with an AMD Jaguar CPU, slower HDDs, and less RAM.
The PS4 and Xbox One’s weaker CPU means the consoles won’t be able to simulate the NPCs, weather, driving AI, and other elements sufficiently. The slower HDD is an issue because GTA 6 will constantly stream roads, NPCs, and other elements instead of loading them all at once. Current generation consoles have switched to faster SSDs, and older hard drives won’t be quick enough to feed the data, and performance will suffer. More RAM allows Rockstar to add more NPCs, cars, and other elements. The older generation consoles have significantly less RAM, which means the game likely won’t perform optimally.
It’s unlikely that Rockstar would want to compromise on all the elements that will be affected by the weaker spec older generation consoles, given how ambitious the developer is about the game. This is why it’s unlikely for GTA 6 to launch on the PS4 and Xbox One.
What Players Should Expect Next?
The most important thing for fans right now is to wait for the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S GTA 6 release. Once the game is released for the current generation consoles, PC players will likely see a launch announcement in the next several months if Rockstar follows its historic pattern. This is based on Rockstar’s previous releases, and the developer hasn’t officially confirmed that the game will launch on PC. However, not releasing GTA 6 would be a missed opportunity, so it’s unlikely that Rockstar would remove support for such a popular platform.
PS4 and Xbox One players can hope that Rockstar announces something for the older generation consoles, but it’s highly unlikely that the developer would compromise so much on the game. Reports and the game’s trailers have showcased how much effort has been put into GTA 6, so the developer likely won’t release it if the hardware can’t handle the game’s potential.
