Take-Two Interactive's chief executive, Strauss Zelnick, shared insights in a Bloomberg interview about the forthcoming Grand Theft Auto 6 from its Rockstar Games division. He emphasized that personal computers do not represent the primary audience for the title.
Rockstar prioritizes console launches to effectively target its main player base, according to Zelnick. He explained, 'Rockstar always starts on console because with a release like that, you’re judged by serving the core. Like really serving the core consumer. If your core consumer isn’t there, if they’re not served first and best, you kind of don’t hit your other consumers… Historically, Rockstar’s gone to console first.'
The pattern of Rockstar titles appearing on consoles ahead of PCs has frustrated gamers for a long time. While porting efforts make sense for modest studios, grand-scale projects like Grand Theft Auto defy such constraints. The fifth installment has moved more than 200 million units worldwide and continues to perform strongly in sales rankings over a decade later, spanning multiple console eras. Projections place the development budget for GTA 6 above $1 billion, rendering any resource limitations implausible.
Modern game creation tools and hardware have simplified simultaneous releases across platforms. The Xbox Series X and S, along with the PlayStation 5, rely on AMD processors akin to those in PCs, incorporating minor console-specific elements. Engines such as Unreal Engine 5 and Unity facilitate swift adaptation for desktops, consoles, and devices like the Nintendo Switch, which uses Arm architecture. Moreover, ports of Rockstar's titles, including GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2, deliver superior visuals and additional features, demonstrating the feasibility of PC versions without excessive added effort.
Zelnick's comments on evolving market dynamics challenge the notion of a console-dominant core. He noted that upon establishing the company in 2007, PC accounted for roughly 5 percent of sales for sports games like NBA 2K. Today, that figure reaches 45 to 50 percent, despite such titles benefiting from console-based social play in home settings. Take-Two and Rockstar have not disclosed platform-specific figures for GTA 5 or Red Dead Redemption 2, though the latter ranks 34th on Steam's weekly top sellers, surpassing the more recent blockbuster Baldur’s Gate 3.
Determining the primary market for Grand Theft Auto in 2026 remains unclear based on available information from Take-Two. Internal Rockstar leaks reveal that the PlayStation 5 captures more than 50 percent of in-game transactions in GTA Online, the multiplayer extension of GTA 5. The mode generates approximately $9 million weekly for Rockstar through purchases and other streams, with PC contributing only about $250,000.
These figures align with consoles driving the bulk of revenue. However, additional leaked statistics show GTA 5 achieving over 34 million PC sales from June 2021 to March 2026, comprising around 46 percent of overall platform totals.
The age of GTA 5 complicates direct comparisons, as many console owners from earlier generations already possess it, even on newer hardware. Nevertheless, evidence strongly suggests that a simultaneous PC launch for GTA 6 alongside its scheduled PlayStation and Xbox debut would result in enormous sales among desktop users.
Industry observers suggest Rockstar postpones PC editions by at least a year to maximize purchases from individuals owning both console and PC setups, allowing for sequential acquisitions. As Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier puts it, this strategy yields 'two bites at the apple.' Despite ongoing complaints, PC players consistently purchase these delayed releases.
For PC enthusiasts disappointed by the prospect of acquiring a console for early access to GTA 6, there are upsides to the wait. Rockstar's PC ports typically resolve many launch issues, incorporate refinements, and add enhancements such as improved graphics and the first-person perspective introduced in GTA 5's 2015 desktop edition. In the interim, vast libraries of other titles on platforms like Steam provide ample alternatives.