What can we expect from the GTA VI PC version (release date, new features, online, etc.)?
, by Chris
We’re now in the final stretch before the release of GTA VI, scheduled for November 19. Only 13 days remain until we can finally launch the game, and only four days until preloading becomes available on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S (make sure you have enough free space though, as the game will require 212 GB of storage to install). In just 13 days, millions of players will finally be able to experience the adventures of Jason and Lucia, as well as explore the wild region of Leonida... but millions of others will be left out of the journey.
Indeed, the game has been announced for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, but there’s still no sign of a potential PC version. Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two Interactive (the company that owns Rockstar Games), has already confirmed that Rockstar will go wherever the players are. He also highlighted that the GTA franchise has always been a huge success on PC. This seems to suggest that, yes, a PC version is in the works, but it’s still too early to discuss or officially announce it.
So, what’s the latest on the PC version? Will we have to wait long to get our hands on what many players consider the ultimate version of the game? In this editorial, we’ll take a closer look at the subject and explore what we can realistically expect from this new version of GTA VI.
Is GTA VI coming to PC for sure?
Yes. Historically, almost every Rockstar game has eventually made its way to PC. Out of the 15 entries in the GTA franchise, only four have never been released on the platform:
- GTA: Advance (2004)
- GTA: Liberty City Stories (2005)
- GTA: Vice City Stories (2006)
- GTA: Chinatown Wars (2009)
These four titles are handheld games specifically designed for their respective platforms. Every other entry has eventually made it to PC. The success of GTA V and GTA Online, combined with the rise of roleplay (RP), which led Rockstar Games to acquire the Cfx teams responsible for FiveM and RedM (the RP projects for GTA Online and Red Dead Online), further reinforces the idea that **GTA VI **and GTA Online V.2 will also arrive on PC at a later date.
Furthermore, Rockstar recently rolled out a major update to its Rockstar Launcher. For many players, this is a sign that the company is getting ready for the arrival of GTA VI on PC, and that it could happen relatively soon.
Why is GTA VI not coming to PC on Day One?
Once again, it's worth remembering that Rockstar Games has historically been a console-focused studio. Of the roughly 50 games it has released, a significant number have never made it to PC. Between 1998 and 2016, Rockstar Games operated several studios that worked independently. Each studio had its own franchises, areas of expertise and specialisations.
- Rockstar North: GTA, Manhunt
- Rockstar San Diego: Smuggler’s Run, Midnight Club, Red Dead, Table Tennis, and the RAGE engine
- Rockstar Leeds: The handheld games (GTA Liberty City Stories, GTA Vice City Stories, Beaterator...)
- Rockstar Toronto: The Warriors
- Rockstar New England: Max Payne, Bully
Since 2016, following the end of GTA V's production and the beginning of Red Dead Redemption II's, Rockstar Games has brought all these studios together under the Rockstar Studios label. Since then, all studios have been working together on the same games and projects.
Rockstar San Diego, one of Rockstar's most important studios, was exclusively focused on console development. None of its games had ever been released on PC (Red Dead Revolver, the Midnight Club games, the Smuggler’s Run titles, and even the first Red Dead Redemption). It wasn't until the studios were brought together that Red Dead Redemption II became, in 2019, the first San Diego game to make its way to PC.
As a result, until 2018/2019, Rockstar was hardly an expert when it came to developing games for PC. Optimisation was a major challenge, particularly between 2005 and 2013. It was with the release of GTA V that the company began to specialise in this area. Nevertheless, most Rockstar games, especially in recent years, have eventually arrived on PC.
However, PC releases have never been a priority. The majority of Rockstar's players and fans are on consoles, particularly PlayStation. As Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two, recently confirmed, Rockstar and Take-Two go wherever the players are, following a clear order of priorities. Releasing a finished, bug-free game on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S comes first. PC ports and optimisation come afterwards. That's precisely why GTA VI won't be available on the platform on Day One.
When is GTA VI coming to PC?
Looking back at previous releases, Rockstar games have arrived on PC between 3 and 15 months after their console launches:
- Max Payne 3, 3 weeks later on PC (June 1, 2012)
- L.A. Noire, 6 months later on PC (November 11, 2011)
- GTA IV, 8 months later on PC (December 3, 2008)
- Red Dead Redemption II, 13 months later on PC (November 5, 2019)
- GTA V, 18 months later on PC (April 14, 2015)
- Red Dead Redemption, 14 years later on PC (October 29, 2024)
- Midnight Club Los Angeles, which never came to PC
According to various reports, industry experts and former Rockstar Games employees, the PC release of GTA VI will be a thing much sooner than those of GTA V or Red Dead Redemption II. Some sources, including GamesBeat, suggest that the PC version of GTA VI could launch between January and June 2027. In other words, between 2 and 8 months after the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions hit the market.
What can we expect from the PC version?
Unlike consoles, PC gaming comes with virtually no limitations when it comes to hardware restrictions and raw performance. As a result, we can expect GTA VI to arrive with native 4K resolution support, a 60 FPS mode, unlocked frame rates and even more advanced ray tracing. In short, the ultimate version of the game. However, this also represents a massive challenge for Rockstar.
PC players are used to high-quality games, free of bugs and featuring excellent optimisation and outstanding technical polish. Naturally, they expect even more. Rockstar will therefore need to deliver an almost flawless product. The game will also need to be exceptionally well optimised to run on as many hardware configurations as possible, from mid-range systems to high-end gaming rigs. It will also have to support the wide variety of components that can make up a gaming PC. This makes the task considerably more demanding and explains why Rockstar has decided to prioritise consoles.
When it comes to content, PC players can also look forward to new features and additional surprises to reward them for their patience. As of today (November 6, 2026), GTA Online V2 has yet to be announced. This means GTA VI will initially be a single-player-only experience.
We can expect the PC version to arrive relatively quickly, allowing the Online mode to launch simultaneously on this platform and consoles. This would give the game a second lease of life and potentially trigger another massive wave of excitement across the video game industry.
Rockstar Games will also likely roll out a new version of its official RP experience. Last September, Rockstar Games launched its very first official server with NoPixel V. Rockstar considers NoPixel to be the multiplayer mode of GTA V. According to Rockstar Games:
- GTA V was a single-player game with no multiplayer component when it launched in 2013.
- GTA Online is an online platform connected to the GTA V universe. However, it isn't the multiplayer mode of the latter. GTA Online has its own logo, registered trademark and website. It is connected to GTA V, yes, but that doesn't make it its multiplayer mode.
- NoPixel V is the first multiplayer mode for GTA V, released 13 years after the game's launch.
NoPixel V is Rockstar's first official RP server, transforming Los Santos and introducing a huge range of brand-new features. All signs suggest that launching NoPixel now is a test run ahead of the arrival of GTA VI on PC and NoPixel VI.
In short...
We already know that Rockstar has made it clear: GTA VI is designed and built to last for many years, potentially almost as long as GTA V. More than a decade... While Rockstar's next game could come out much sooner than GTA VI (the first game to come out since Red Dead Redemption II in 2018), the next GTA doesn't appear to be coming out soon after. As a result, whether on PC or consoles, GTA VI is set to keep players around the world busy for countless hours. But there's no doubt about it: the sooner it arrives, the better.
There is little doubt that GTA VI will eventually make its way to PC, and development of this version is already at an advanced stage. The same could be said of the PS6 and Xbox Helix versions. PC players simply need to be a little more patient. All in all, everything suggests that the ultimate version of GTA VI could come out in less than a year!