Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has explained why Grand Theft Auto VI is launching on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S first, with no PC version currently announced.
Speaking to Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier at iicon in Las Vegas, Zelnick said Rockstar is following its long-running console-first pattern because the studio wants to serve its “core consumer” first. The interview took place on April 28 and was widely reported by gaming outlets on May 4.
“Serving the core consumer”
When asked why GTA 6 isn’t getting a same-day PC release, Zelnick was direct.
“Rockstar always starts on console because I think with regard to a release like that you’re judged by serving the core,” he said. “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.”
In short: Rockstar still sees console players as the primary audience for a Grand Theft Auto launch.
Not because of a PlayStation marketing deal, Zelnick says
For years, fans have speculated that a PlayStation marketing deal was the real reason behind Rockstar’s console-first approach. Schreier put that theory to Zelnick directly.
“No,” Zelnick said. “I mean, historically Rockstar’s gone to console first.”
Zelnick acknowledged a PlayStation marketing deal, but said it was not the reason for the PC delay. The game is still launching on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S the same day. Earlier he also debunked the GTA VI Delay Rumors.
The PC numbers complicate the reasoning
The “core consumer” framing has drawn pushback because Zelnick himself made clear how big PC has become.
When he joined Take-Two in 2007, PC accounted for around 5% of NBA 2K sales. Today, he said, a big title can pull 45% to 50% of its sales from PC.
He framed the console-first approach as something specific to Rockstar, not a company-wide policy. Take-Two’s other studios, like 2K, regularly ship to PC and console at the same time.
Rockstar’s history fits the pattern
Whether the reasoning convinces fans or not, Rockstar’s track record matches it.
GTA 5 launched on PS3 and Xbox 360 in September 2013. The PC version didn’t arrive until April 2015 — roughly 18 months later.
Red Dead Redemption 2 made PC players wait about a year. The original Red Dead Redemption took 14 years to reach PC. Even GTA 5’s “expanded and enhanced” PS5 and Xbox Series version, released in March 2022, didn’t reach PC until March 2025.
A second sales cycle?
Zelnick hinted that the staggered approach may also serve a business purpose.
He noted that releasing on PC after console could create a second selling cycle, with some players possibly buying the game twice. “We’ll see how it works out,” he said.
Alleged leaked GTA Online figures, which Rockstar has not publicly verified, suggest the gap between platforms is real for Rockstar specifically. PS5 reportedly leads with around 3.4 million weekly players and about $4.4 million in weekly revenue, while PC trails with under 900,000 players and roughly $264,000 in weekly bookings.
What it means for PC players
Rockstar has not announced a PC version of GTA 6. There is no PC release date and no PC announcement.
Based on Rockstar’s past release pattern, a later PC version would not be surprising, but no timing or upgrade details have been announced.
For now, GTA 6 launches November 19, 2026, on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
