Published: May 6, 2026 
The GTA 6 PC release delay is official, and Take-Two's CEO finally has an explanation for it. GTA 6 is launching on November 19, 2026, and if you are both a big fan of GTA and a PC gamer, you already know the deal. You're not invited to the party. Not yet, anyway. Strauss Zelnick has finally explained why, and while his answer makes some sense on paper, it may not fully convince players in 2026.
Take-Two CEO Explains Why GTA 6 Isn't Coming to PC at Launch
In a recent interview with Bloomberg's Jason Schreier at the Interactive Innovation Conference in Las Vegas, Zelnick was asked the question every PC gamer wants answered: Why isn't GTA 6 coming to PC on day one?
His answer was: "Rockstar always starts on console because I think with regard to a release like that, you're judged by serving the core," Zelnick said. His point was that’s where most of its main players are. So, Rockstar needs to focus on its biggest audience first before expanding to everyone else.
He also pushed back on a popular fan theory that PlayStation has a deal to keep GTA 6 off PC at launch. According to Zelnick, Sony has nothing to do with it. He said Rockstar is simply following the same release pattern it has used for years. Games like GTA 4, GTA 5, Red Dead Redemption, and Red Dead Redemption 2 all launched on consoles first before coming to PC later. So yes, it's a pattern. But does that make it right?
The PC Gaming Landscape Has Changed A Lot
When GTA 5 launched back in 2013, console gaming was clearly much bigger and much more dominant than PC gaming. But things look very different now.
In the same interview, Strauss Zelnick himself pointed out that PC made up only about 5% of sales for NBA games in 2007. Now, he believes PC could make up around 45% to 50% of sales for a huge game like GTA 6.
That’s a great jump and shows how much the gaming market has changed. According to Newzoo's 2026 PC and Console Gaming Report, the total PC and console market is projected to hit $103.7 billion by 2028, and here's the part that should make Rockstar pay attention: PC is growing faster.
The same report shows PC revenue is expected to grow at 6.6% per year compared to console's 4.4%, meaning PC is on track to overtake consoles as the highest-earning platform by 2028. To put that in perspective, here is how the PC and console gaming compare right now:
| Key Comparison | PC | Console |
|---|---|---|
| Share of gamers (2025) | 42% | 55% |
| Share of gaming money (2024) | 43% | 57% |
| Revenue growth rate to 2028 | 6.6% per year | 4.4% per year |
| Games launched on it day one | Growing | Still the priority |
| Biggest growth drivers | Gen Z, Gen Alpha, Asia | Nintendo, GTA 6, subscriptions |
The gap between PC and console is getting much smaller, and by 2028, PC is actually projected to earn more money than consoles.
The Reason Many Players Are Talking About
Now let's talk about this. Rockstar says tradition is the main reason for launching on consoles first, but many players think there could be more to it. A lot of fans believe Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive may be trying to stretch out sales by selling the game twice.
When GTA 5 launched on PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2013, millions bought it. Then, Rockstar released a polished-up version for PS4 and Xbox One in 2014, and people bought it again. When the PC version finally dropped in 2015, even more people picked it up. That's three waves of sales from the same game.
Some players think GTA 6 could follow a similar pattern. Console players buy it in November 2026. PC players, who have been waiting and watching everyone else play for months, eventually cave and buy it when the PC version drops, potentially in early 2027.
It makes sense as a business strategy, but it can still be frustrating if you're someone who games only on PC and has no interest in buying a console just to play GTA 6 at launch.
We completely understand that supporting your main audience is a good thing. We are not arguing against that. But in 2026, other massive titles launch simultaneously on PC and console without any problems. If Rockstar can build one of the most complex open-world games ever created, it surely can handle shipping on PC at the same time as consoles. PC players are not asking for special treatment. They just want to play GTA 6 when everyone else does. That should not be too much to ask. Don't you think?
