Why GTA 6 should have been releasing on PS4 and Xbox One

Rockstar Games announced GTA 6 only for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, which has certainly upset many gamers (including PC, PS4, and Xbox One players). The studio has maintained radio silence since the release of the first trailer and there is still no sign of the game releasing on other platforms.

However, many want Rockstar Games to release GTA 6 on the PS4 and Xbox One. This article briefly discusses why the upcoming game should have been released on old-gen consoles as well.

Note: Aspects of this article is subjective and reflect the writer’s opinions.

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Reasons why Rockstar Games should release GTA 6 on PS4 and Xbox One

Rockstar Games is only focusing on current-gen consoles for Grand Theft Auto 6’s release (Image via Rockstar Games)

Even though the PS4 and Xbox One will be 12 years old when GTA 6 releases, these are still powerful consoles that can handle many demanding games.

Many players believe that since the old-gen gaming consoles cannot handle Grand Theft Auto 5 and its multiplayer version properly, they will not be able to run Grand Theft Auto 6 as well. However, this is an optimization-related issue that Rockstar Games can easily iron out.

Moreover, the specs of the Xbox Series S are relatively weak compared to the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. If it can handle the intense gameplay features of Grand Theft Auto 6, then there is no reason that the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One will not be able to handle the game.

It is also worth noting that Rockstar Games released Red Dead Redemption 2 on PS4 and Xbox One in 2018. This game is both graphically and gameplay-wise more demanding than Grand Theft Auto 5. Yet, the title still runs smoothly on the old-gen consoles without any issues. Therefore, we can expect that the developer can surely optimize GTA 6 for the old-generation gaming consoles.

Apart from Red Dead Redemption 2, many other popular AAA titles, such as Uncharted 4, Just Cause 4, Ghost Recon Wildlands, etc., are actively running on old-gen consoles and have sizable player bases. Therefore, Rockstar Games should not leave a huge chunk of players for the current-gen consoles.

Both Rockstar and Take-Two Interactive (its parent company) have high business goals from GTA 6, and releasing the game on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One will help the companies achieve their goals.

While Rockstar is trying its best to lure players to the current-gen consoles, according to a July 2024 report by Ampere Games - Analytics, a huge number of Grand Theft Auto Online players are still on PlayStation 4. In that case, the gaming studio should reconsider its releasing platforms before the Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer 2.