With Grand Theft Auto 6 set to launch on consoles before PC, many fans have questioned why Rockstar continues to delay its PC releases. According to former Rockstar Games producer John Ricchio, the answer isn’t that the studio ignores PC players—it comes down to development priorities and resource allocation.
Speaking in an interview with Reece “Kiwi Talkz” Reilly on YouTube, Ricchio, who worked at Rockstar from 2003 to 2014 and contributed to Grand Theft Auto V, Red Dead Redemption, and Max Payne 3, explained that creating a PC version often means diverting developers away from other projects.
“It’s not even that we don’t care about PC. It was just like, is it worth spending time getting a PC port going versus working on GTA 5?”
Rockstar focuses on consoles before expanding to PC
Ricchio explained that Rockstar has historically preferred developing for consoles first because it is easier to expand to more capable hardware later than to scale a PC-first project back for consoles.
He noted that years ago, hardware differences between PCs and consoles made the process even more challenging, although that gap has narrowed significantly with modern systems like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Even so, he emphasized that every development decision comes with trade-offs.
“If you’re working on that, you’re not working on something else usually. Are you spending money on that? You’re not spending money on something else.”
According to Ricchio, these conversations—not platform bias—have traditionally shaped Rockstar’s release strategy.
Past Rockstar projects followed a similar pattern
Ricchio also revealed that Red Dead Redemption had a working PC build very early in development, despite the game’s PC version not arriving until 14 years after its original console release. That example, he said, demonstrates that Rockstar often evaluates PC versions internally but ultimately prioritizes projects that offer greater immediate value.
He stressed that Rockstar is “not anti any platform,” explaining that the studio instead evaluates whether investing the necessary time and resources into a port makes business sense.
“There has to be enough of a business reason to do some of those ports, or it has to be super easy to do.”
Rockstar has officially confirmed that GTA 6 will launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with no PC release announced alongside the console versions. While Ricchio no longer works at Rockstar and did not comment on GTA 6’s internal development, his remarks offer insight into the philosophy that has guided the company’s platform strategy for years.
Given Rockstar’s history with titles such as GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2, many industry observers still expect GTA 6 to arrive on PC eventually, though likely after the initial console launch.
