Could AI clones of GTA VI force a quicker official PC port?
Vermeij says AI reverse-engineering tools could let someone quickly convert the console version of Grand Theft Auto VI for PC. Rockstar might therefore try to bring the console and PC releases closer together.
AI-powered reverse-engineering tools that turn a console game's binary into easily portable code could change how Rockstar, the studio behind the Grand Theft Auto series, handles its major 3D releases. So far the company has put console launches ahead of PC ports, but the upcoming Grand Theft Auto VI may call that approach into question.
Concern over the PS5 version being converted
Speaking to Rock Paper Shotgun, Vermeij said that in Rockstar's position he would worry that someone could take the PlayStation 5 version and use AI to turn it into a PC version. He acknowledged that decompiling a game this complex would not be as simple as the earlier, human-led decompilations of the early 3D GTA games. An AI tool might struggle to capture details such as the game's advanced weather systems and scripted sweat simulations, but that does not make it impossible.
Cost and quality
Vermeij speculated that reverse-engineering the console version could cost "tens of thousands of dollars in tokens", and that the resulting port probably would not match Rockstar's own work. Even so, he said it would likely be good enough for some PC players, and that he would not be surprised if there were an effort to bring the releases closer together.
"There's so much effort in developing the game that it was not possible to rip it off, and that's completely changed now," Vermeij said. He added that the next couple of years will show how this plays out.
Rockstar has made no official announcement about timing for the PC version. Reports suggest the company is aiming for the first quarter of 2027.
