The excitement surrounding the long-awaited Grand Theft Auto VI was recently tempered by the confirmation of a release date delay, pushing its expected launch into the Fall of 2026. While console players on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S have a new window to look forward to, one segment of the gaming community was left particularly disheartened: the PC gaming audience. With Rockstar Games yet to even confirm a Windows version, a new interview with Take-Two Interactive's CEO suggests the company is acutely aware of the lucrative market it is choosing to initially ignore.
In a recent appearance on CNBC's Squawk Box, Strauss Zelnick, the CEO of Rockstar's parent company Take-Two Interactive, discussed the evolving dynamics of the gaming industry. His comments highlighted a significant trend that makes the absence of a day-one PC release for GTA 6 all the more notable.
“I think it’s moving towards PC and business is moving towards open rather than closed,” Zelnick stated, offering a high-level assessment of the market's direction. This insight from the head of one of gaming's largest publishers isn't just corporate speculation; it's being validated by industry data.
You can watch the full interview where Zelnick expands on these ideas here on CNBC.
This industry shift is backed by hard numbers. A recent report from market analysts Newzoo and Circana, shared by PC Gamer, has tracked a noticeable slowdown in console adoption rates following the post-pandemic boom of 2021. In contrast, the PC gaming sector, encompassing both desktop and laptop gaming, has not only held strong but continued to thrive, being labeled a "bright spot" in a challenging global market.
The Blurring Lines Between Platforms
The traditional walls between PC and console ecosystems are beginning to crumble, making Zelnick's "open vs. closed" comment particularly prescient.
- Microsoft's Unified Vision: Microsoft has been at the forefront of this, steadily merging its Xbox and Windows platforms. The company's partnership on handhelds like the Asus ROG Ally, which runs a full Windows OS, signals a future where its gaming hardware is fundamentally PC-based.
- Valve's Living Room Push: Valve continues its mission to bring PC gaming to the television, with its recently unveiled Steam Machine designed to make accessing a vast library of PC titles from the couch more convenient than ever.
- PlayStation's Cross-Buy Experiments: Even Sony, the champion of console exclusivity, is dipping its toes into the water. Rumors persist of a cross-buy feature that would allow gamers to purchase a title once and play it on both PS5 and PC, acknowledging the value of a multiplatform approach.
The Console Landscape When GTA 6 Finally Arrives
By the time GTA 6 is expected to hit shelves in Fall 2026, the console market will look different. The Xbox Series X may be nearing the end of its lifecycle and could be even harder to find on retail shelves. Without a confirmed port for the rumored Nintendo Switch 2, the game will essentially be a major attraction for the PS5.
Given these circumstances and the booming PC market, Rockstar's decision to potentially delay the PC version has been met with criticism. The fan reaction has been palpable, with discussions and disappointment spreading rapidly across social media platforms like the Rockstar Spaces community on X.
Despite this, the company's strategy is rooted in its history. Rockstar Games has a long-standing pattern of launching its flagship titles on consoles first, followed by a polished PC release months or even years later.
- Grand Theft Auto V launched on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in September 2013 but didn't arrive on PC until April 2015—a gap of over 18 months.
- Red Dead Redemption 2 had a shorter, but still significant, gap, releasing on consoles in October 2018 and coming to PC the following November.
It's widely believed that this staggered approach allows the studio to focus on optimizing the complex console versions before undertaking the vast and variable hardware landscape of the PC market.
While critics argue it's time for Rockstar to modernize its release strategy to match the industry's shift, the financial incentive to do so may not be pressing enough. Even as the PC user base expands, revenue from the PlayStation 5 remains incredibly strong. Most industry analysts do not forecast that this staggered release will put a dent in the title's anticipated record-shattering sales. For now, PC gamers will have to hold onto hope—and Zelnick's words—that their preferred platform is very much on the publisher's radar, even if they have to wait a little longer to explore the streets of Vice City.