Ex-Rockstar Animator Discusses Reasons Behind Delayed PC Releases of Rockstar Titles

Certainly, one might level the argument that Rockstar, given their considerable skill set, ought to simultaneously release titles on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. However, a former Rockstar employee has offered insights into why the studio typically postpones its major game releases on PC.

Mike York, a former Lead Animator at Rockstar New England with six years of experience on projects like Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2, shared his thoughts in a video:

"Everyone should bear in mind a key point: the protracted development time for a PC version is largely due to the distinct architecture and various components involved. The developers must account for a wide range of potential scenarios. For consoles like PlayStation and Xbox, each system is equipped with identical graphics cards and internal architecture, which is consistent across millions of units. PCs, on the other hand, vary greatly. Each user may have a unique configuration, with different CPUs, GPUs, and memory usage, which can affect game performance in countless ways. It's a bit complex to articulate, but that's the essence of the challenge."

York emphasized that the PC platform requires more thorough testing, possibly explaining the frequent occurrence of technical problems and inconsistent performance in PC versions. He illustrated this point with a reference to the issues encountered in this year's release of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor on PC.

"The testing required for PC releases is more extensive than for consoles. Consider the significant amount of testing already necessary to ensure functionality, then recognize that PC complexity mandates even more. Developers must evaluate the game across a multitude of hardware setups, dealing with numerous GPU varieties, for instance, not just one or two, but potentially scores of different configurations. It's impossible to anticipate and test for every possible user scenario, as there's a vast range of PC configurations available globally. Even after extensive in-house testing with perhaps a thousand testers, the game could still exhibit unforeseen issues once it's released to millions of diverse PC setups. Testing can only cover so much ground."