Former GTA 6 Developer Explains Why a Switch 2 Port Might Not Make Sense

If you've been wondering whether Grand Theft Auto 6 could eventually make its way to Nintendo Switch 2, one former Rockstar developer has offered a rather skeptical take. Jérémy Hartvick, who previously worked on GTA 6, doesn't think a Switch 2 version makes much sense right now, particularly because he isn't convinced that the Switch audience overlaps enough with the audience Rockstar is targeting with its next Grand Theft Auto game.

During an interview with Kiwi Talks, Hartvick was asked about the possibility of GTA 6 being ported to Nintendo's latest console. His initial response was pretty straightforward. He doesn't believe it makes much sense because he's not sure the audience for GTA 6 is really the same audience that buys Nintendo's hardware.

His reasoning is that if you're already a big GTA fan, you'll probably buy whichever console GTA 6 releases on.

Alternatively, you'll simply pick up the PC version if Rockstar eventually brings the game to PC. From that perspective, creating another version specifically for Switch 2 could potentially be an unnecessary risk.

However, that argument gets harder to make when you look at how Nintendo's audience has changed over the years. There was a time when you could reasonably argue that Nintendo consoles and Rockstar's games targeted completely different groups of players. But the Switch and now the Switch 2 have changed that to some extent.

You only have to look at games such as Cyberpunk 2077. CD Projekt's open-world RPG is available on Nintendo Switch 2 and has become one of the console's notable third-party games. The Witcher 3 also made its way to the original Switch back in 2019, showing that large-scale third-party games can find an audience on Nintendo hardware.

Rockstar has also spent years supporting Nintendo systems, which makes it hard to maintain the idea of completely separating Nintendo players from its audience.

Several Rockstar games have already appeared on the original Switch. You have Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition, which brought upgraded versions of the PlayStation 2-era GTA games to Nintendo's console. LA Noire also made the jump to Switch, giving Nintendo players access to Rockstar's detective-focused open-world game set in 1940s Los Angeles.

Then there's Red Dead Redemption. Rockstar brought the original game to Nintendo Switch around 2023, and the port was generally well optimized. It ran smoothly on the hardware, and Rockstar later went even further with a Switch 2 version.

The newer version of Red Dead Redemption takes advantage of the additional hardware by running at 60 frames per second and offering a higher resolution. That makes it harder to argue that Rockstar simply doesn't consider Nintendo hardware suitable for its games.

There's also the fact that Rockstar isn't completely independent when it comes to major business decisions. The studio is owned by Take-Two Interactive, and Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has previously spoken positively about Nintendo Switch 2.

Of course, comments from executives can sometimes be little more than standard business messaging, but Take-Two has also backed up some of that support with actual releases. Several of the company's games have appeared on Nintendo's latest hardware, including the WWE 2K games, NBA 2K, PGA titles, and Red Dead Redemption.

That doesn't automatically mean GTA 6 is coming to Switch 2, but it does show that Take-Two is willing to put major games on Nintendo's hardware when the circumstances make sense.

There's another piece of the puzzle, too. Leaker Nate the Hate has repeatedly claimed that Red Dead Redemption 2 is coming to Nintendo Switch 2. If that happens, it would be another significant example of a technically demanding Rockstar game coming to the platform. So, if Red Dead Redemption 2 does eventually arrive on the system, it would make the argument for Rockstar supporting Switch 2 even harder to dismiss.

Still, Hartvick's argument isn't necessarily that Rockstar will never bring GTA 6 to Switch 2. His concern is whether it would be worthwhile, especially since GTA 6 could sell the console on its own.

As Hartvick explained during the discussion, GTA 6 is the kind of game that could convince people to buy a console specifically to play it.

That raises an obvious question for Rockstar: why take the added risk of creating a version that might require significant technical compromises when players are already willing to buy a PS5 or Xbox Series X|S to experience the game?

A Switch 2 version could require Rockstar to make compromises, depending on what the hardware can handle. GTA 6 is expected to be extremely demanding, and delivering the same experience on significantly different hardware could require substantial additional development work.

The conversation also turned toward the current state of the games industry and how expensive game development has become. At first, that might make a Switch 2 version sound even less likely, but Rockstar is in a somewhat unusual position thanks to the enormous commercial success of GTA 5.

Grand Theft Auto 5 has generated billions of dollars over the years, and GTA Online has continued to provide Take-Two and Rockstar with a major revenue stream. That gives the company considerably more financial breathing room than many other developers have when deciding where to release a game.

Hartvick did, however, slightly walk back his original comments when the discussion continued. He clarified that he doesn't think a GTA 6 port for Nintendo Switch 2 would be completely ridiculous. Instead, he simply doesn't believe Rockstar would make that decision right now.

That distinction is important. He's not saying that the technical possibility doesn't exist. He's saying that, based on what he knows, he doesn't expect Rockstar to make that call at this point.

You also have to consider when Hartvick worked at Rockstar. He hasn't been with the company since 2020, meaning he's been away from the studio for several years. His previous experience obviously gives him some understanding of how the company operates, but that doesn't mean he knows Rockstar's current internal plans.

Thus, you can read his comments as an informed perspective from someone who has worked on GTA 6, but not as confirmation of what Rockstar is working on now. He could make educated guesses based on his experience, but he isn't necessarily any more aware of the studio's current decisions than anyone else outside the company.

Hartvick also mentioned cloud gaming as another possible way GTA 6 could eventually reach Switch 2.

That's technically an option, although cloud versions haven't exactly convinced everyone. Resident Evil 2, for example, has been available on Nintendo Switch through the cloud. Despite being an extremely popular game, the cloud version hasn't generated the same kind of excitement as a native release would. The main problem is obvious: you're relying on an internet connection to stream the game, rather than actually running it on the console.

A similar concern applies to other cloud releases. If you've ever tried streaming games through a console, you've probably experienced the problems that can come with it. Latency, connection quality, image compression, and inconsistent performance can all get in the way.

Even Resident Evil Village's cloud version on Switch has been used as an example of why some players aren't interested in this approach. For players who want GTA 6 on Switch 2, a cloud version would therefore probably be a very different proposition from having the game installed and running natively.

Another game could make the discussion even more interesting.

Crimson Desert, an ambitious open-world title with a large scope and demanding visuals, is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 according to the game's developers, although a formal announcement has reportedly not been made yet. If a game of that scale can run on Nintendo's new hardware, it naturally raises questions about what other developers could achieve on the console.

For now, though, there is no confirmed Nintendo Switch 2 version of GTA 6. Hartvick's comments provide some insight into why such a port might not currently be part of Rockstar's plans, but his departure from the company in 2020 also means you shouldn't treat his opinion as an inside confirmation of what Rockstar is doing today.

GTA 6 is still officially headed to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, while Rockstar has yet to announce a PC version. Whether Nintendo's Switch 2 eventually joins that list remains an open question.