Originally meant to release alongside the next-gen console versions of Grand Theft Auto V, the game’s PC version was delayed, ultimately pushed back to next week, April 14th. As the date quickly approaches, Rockstar has opened up about just what it is that has made the port take so long.
Speaking with Gamespot, John Macpherson, lead gameplay designer at Rockstar Toronto detailed some of the things Rockstar wanted to do with the PC version. “We want each version of the game to be the best it can possibly be… With each version adding features and requiring the focus of the same key people, that takes time. However, the result is a PC version that draws from a huge pool of knowledge inside the team to deliver a game of the highest possible quality in every way.”
Rockstar North also said, “Our focus was to make the game run well on a wide range of hardware so that as many people could experience the game as possible… In order to do that we spent a lot of time working on making various different aspects of the game scalable and accessible to the player. There are over 25 parameters you can tweak that can optimize graphics and performance.”
Technical director Alex Hadjadj added, “The most striking aspect is the ability to run the game at 60 frames per second, and to view the game in 4k resolution… Other improvements are more subtle–the addition of the population density slider means players can alter the traffic population of the city. Also, when pushing settings at the high end, a lot of the effects in the game, like reflections, skins, or depth of field are more subtle and realistic than on console versions.”
Rockstar recently released a 60fps trailer for GTA V’s PC version, and revealed the PC version will take a hefty 65 GB. Are you excited for the graphical behemoth that is GTA V on PC? Let us know in the comments.