GTA VI PC Release Delay: Gamers Divided on Whether To Wait or Switch

PC Gaming fans saw a glimmer of hope with the release window announcement for "Grand Theft Auto VI" (GTA 6), but the gamers were disappointed that the date applies only to consoles.

The PC vs. console debate is a constant topic among gamers. Still, major releases like the recently announced "GTA 6" often reignite the controversy, particularly for fans who prefer the PC platform.

While nothing final, past leaks suggest Rockstar Games will release "GTA VI" for PC in Q1 2026. On the other hand, the console (Xbox and PlayStation) release is scheduled for Q1 2025. This is not the first PC delay for the fan-favourite series.

To recap, "Grand Theft Auto V" launched on consoles in 2013, but PC gamers had to wait until 2015, a nearly two-year gap. Further fueling speculation about a potential PC release delay, a user claiming to be a former QA tester for Rockstar in 2019 allegedthat "GTA VI" might be a timed PlayStation 5 exclusive.

Some frustrated PC gamers are exploring alternative options, including purchasing a console. "I'm literally buying twice. I'm a PC gamer, but I'm buying a PS5 to play GTA6 Day 1. Then when it comes to PC, I'm buying it again," the Redditor wrote.

Will PC players have to wait again?

According to Rockstar Games, anticipation is high for Grand Theft Auto VI, which is slated for release sometime in 2025. While console gamers could have the highly anticipated title within a year, PC players might face a longer wait, echoing a similar pattern with previous entries in the series.

Discontent simmered among PC gamers on the r/GTA6 subreddit, with one user communicating dismay over the possibility of a delayed release. Expressing their disappointment with a meme, the user wrote, "Please tell me it's not only me."

In the meme, Spongebob Squarepants and Patrick are seen gleefully holding copies of "Grand Theft Auto VI," while Squidward, presumably representing PC gamers, looks on longingly from his window.

While a PC release date remains unconfirmed, some gamers are taking a relaxed approach. One reply on the forum stated a willingness to wait, similar to the experience with "GTA V." The user noted, "There are plenty of other games to play in the meantime (or even stuff outside of gaming)."

A year of waiting or console switch?

The user concluded by expressing their resolve to wait for the PC release, even if it means missing out initially. Amid the lack of official confirmation regarding the "GTA 6" PC release, a former developer at Rockstar last year tried to explain why the much-awaited game is coming to PC after it arrives on consoles.

Notably, the former developer urged PC gamers to give the studio the "benefit of the doubt" over its disfavoured launch plans. Mike York, who worked as an animator at Rockstar New England for six years, helping to build "GTA 5" and "Red Dead Redemption 2" before leaving the company in 2017, moved to explain the potential thinking behind Rockstar's decision.

"The reason a PC port comes later and not the first thing that comes out is that they want to prioritise what sells," York said. "Most of the time, especially in the past, PlayStation was the big seller. PlayStation was the console to have. For the most part, it sold more than any other console. Everybody's playing PlayStation."

For "GTA," Rockstar prioritised the PS3 and built the Xbox 360 port simultaneously before getting to the PC version post-launch. Before arriving on PS4 and Xbox One in November 2014, "GTA 5" was launched on PS3 and Xbox 360 in September 2013. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S versions also launched in March 2022.

While Rockstar Games is still mum on the exact release date of "GTA 6," the rumour mill is churning out all sorts of speculations surrounding the studio's upcoming game. For instance, the word on the street, "GTA 6," will be the steepest-priced game in history.