Fans of Grand Theft Auto have waited a long time for GTA 6. In fact, the wait for some began shortly after GTA 5 was released, during the PS3 and Xbox 360 generations in 2013. Since then, an entire generation – the PS4 and Xbox One generation – has passed, and we are approaching the midpoint of the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S generation, but there is still no sign of Grand Theft Auto 6. However, the majority of reports concur that the agonizing wait is nearly over.
Long ago, we reported that the game would be revealed later this year, with a tentative release date of 2024. However, it is common knowledge that Rockstar Games delays its games. Both GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 were scheduled to be released a year prior to their actual release dates. In other words, if the scheduled release date is 2024, the game will not be available until 2025. This is consistent with what industry expert Tom Henderson says in a new report.
According to Henderson, the release of the game will be limited to current-generation consoles. In other words, PS4 and Xbox One gamers will be excluded. Rockstar Games and its parent company, Take-Two Interactive, have aimed to release Grand Theft Auto 6 around the midpoint of the current generation for quite some time in order to ensure that the install base is large enough to justify its release. All of this makes sense, but it raises the question of whether GTA 6 will be as profitable as GTA 5.
The release of Grand Theft Auto V coincided with the end of the PS3 and Xbox 360 generations, when the install base was enormous. However, the game was instrumental in moving early units of the PS4 and Xbox One when it was ported, and if GTA 6 is to reach the sales heights of its predecessor, the same will need to be true for the current-generation consoles.
The fact that the game is only current-generation isn’t a big deal to most people. You have a few years to acquire a PS5 or Xbox Series X|S if you do not already own one. However, this is bad news for those in smaller and developing markets around the world, as they will likely miss out on the game at launch and until PS5 and Xbox Series X|S are more readily available in their respective region.
