GTA Online PC: Why Rockstar should focus on making it equal to the other next-gen ports

PC master race is anything but valid when it comes to GTA Online. The PC version is currently behind the next-gen consoles in terms of features. There are no HSW upgrades, new official graphics, or even GTA+ in the former port. While it might seem small at first glance, gamers should know some past precedence regarding older versions of this game. The PC port of GTA Online is on the level of the PS4 and Xbox One, two ten-year-old consoles.

There are rumors that Rockstar will drop support for the two latter platforms. Based on what happened to this game's old PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, it's not as if this information is unfounded, either.

Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective.

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Why Rockstar should make the PC port of GTA Online much better than it currently is

Let's start with the rumors regarding the old-gen consoles being dropped. Tez2 stated that the fantastic PS5 sales could incentivize Rockstar to drop support for the PS4 and Xbox One ports of GTA Online. Remember, the PC version is virtually identical in terms of features to those two old consoles.

This game's PS4 and Xbox One versions have existed since November 18, 2014. Shortly after, support for new significant updates on the PS3 and Xbox 360 ended on July 8, 2015. Those ancient consoles would be in maintenance mode for the upcoming years before shutting down on December 16, 2021.

There is historical precedence for Rockstar Games dropping support for old consoles in favor of new ones. Ergo, it's possible that they could leave the PS4 and Xbox One ports in maintenance mode in the future.

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Why this matters for PC players

This port could be much better (Image via Rockstar Games)

The PC port is behind the times in several ways, not because of hardware. It would only be logical for Rockstar Games to improve this version of the game to match the modern consoles, especially since the player base is still relatively large. On Steamcharts, about 89,000~150,000 people can play Grand Theft Auto V at any given time, with a significant portion likely playing GTA Online.

It would be odd if this particular port still couldn't have HSW modifications, GTA+, and other exclusive next-gen features when the hardware can run them. The player base is also there, yet there is another major problem.

GTA Online's anti-cheat software is notoriously bad, often leading to many players having mod menus active. Rockstar Games occasionally does a patch where everything breaks for a while, but the cheaters always return.

Many players on this platform hate how prevalent mods are here. It is nice that some game-breaking exploits aren't as famous as they used to be, although that doesn't mean they can't return. After all, there have been incidents in the past where Rockstar Games fixed an issue, and it came back later.

This problem, coupled with lacking some modern features, makes playing GTA Online on a computer not as worthwhile as it could be. There are currently no leaks or official news regarding this port getting any significant improvements in the future.