AI-powered reverse-engineering tools could eventually make it much easier to transform console game binaries into portable code, potentially challenging Rockstar Games’ strategy of prioritizing console launches and delaying PC versions. Obbe Vermeij said the possibility could affect the company’s approach to Grand Theft Auto VI, although there is still no official announcement about a PC release date. A report suggests Rockstar is targeting the first quarter of 2027.
AI reverse engineering could change the PC-port equation
AI-powered reverse-engineering tools could rapidly convert console game binaries into code that is easier to port, using substantial computing power while requiring relatively little human effort. That could change the “PC can wait” calculation for Rockstar.
“If I were Rockstar, I would be worried that someone would take the PS5 version straight into AI and make it change to the PC version,” Vermeij told Rock Paper Shotgun.
Reverse-engineering a complex game such as Grand Theft Auto VI would not necessarily be as straightforward as the earlier, human-led decompilations of 3D GTA games. An AI coding system could struggle to reproduce every detail, including the game’s advanced weather system and its scripted sweating simulation. However, those challenges would not make the process impossible.
A costly and imperfect possibility
Vermeij speculated that reverse-engineering the console version of GTA VI could cost “tens of thousands of dollars in tokens.” The resulting port probably “won’t be as good as the next one,” but he said it could still be good enough for some prospective PC players.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if there was an effort to get it,” Vermeij said, suggesting that some people might try to obtain an unofficial port before Rockstar releases an official one.
“Previously, a lot of effort went into developing a game and it was impossible to plagiarize it, but now that has completely changed,” Vermeij said. “So, yeah, we’ll have to see how that goes over the next few years.”
No official PC release date yet
Rockstar has not announced an official release schedule for the PC version of Grand Theft Auto VI. However, a report suggests that the company is currently targeting the first quarter of 2027.
Source: arstechnica.com