The gaming landscape is shifting fast, and even major publishers are starting to acknowledge it openly. Case in point: Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick, who recently told CNBC’s Squawk Box that the industry is trending toward open ecosystems and PC-centric models — all while GTA 6 is still locked to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S for its 2026 launch.
“I think it’s moving towards PC and business is moving towards open rather than closed,” Zelnick said. Yet despite that, he stressed that console-style gaming itself isn’t going anywhere: “But if you define console as the property, not the system, then the notion of a very rich game that you engage in for many hours that you play on a big screen — that’s never going away.”
It’s an interesting stance, especially at a moment when the definition of “console” is blurring more than ever. Microsoft is reportedly gearing up to launch a hybrid machine that essentially doubles as a PC, while Sony appears committed to a more traditional PS6. Nintendo, as usual, is doing its own thing — buoyed by exclusives and its tried-and-true hardware strategy.
Valve Jumps Back In: The Steam Machine Returns
Zelnick’s comments landed just as Valve officially unveiled its next-gen Steam Machine, paired with a new Steam Controller. This iteration is a compact, cube-shaped living-room-friendly PC running SteamOS, clearly designed to poach some of the territory consoles once dominated.
Curiously, Xbox leadership didn’t seem threatened. Phil Spencer welcomed the announcement on social media, saying:
“Gaming moves forward when players and developers have more ways to play and create, especially across open platforms… Expanding access across PC, console, and handheld devices reflects a future built on choice, core values that have guided Xbox’s vision from the start. As one of the largest publishers on Steam, we welcome new options for players to access games everywhere. Congrats on today’s announce.”
It’s a strikingly open-armed response, given the rumors swirling around Microsoft’s own next-gen plans — plans that sound closer to a Windows PC than any Xbox before it.
The Next Xbox: Basically a PC?
A recent report suggested the next Xbox will be a PC/console hybrid capable of running PlayStation’s PC releases via Steam — meaning God of War, Spider-Man, Ghost of Tsushima, and essentially the entire PC catalog would run natively. Windows Central added that players could either remain inside the Xbox UI or “exit to Windows,” making the system behave like a full Windows PC, complete with access to Battle.net, Riot’s launcher, and more.
Asked about the company’s direction, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella offered a not-so-subtle nod toward that future:
“Remember, the biggest gaming business is the Windows business… we want to be everywhere, in every platform.”
He went on:
“It’s kind of funny that people think about the console-PC as two different things… I kind of want to revisit some of that conventional wisdom.”
Even so, Nadella defended the console identity:
“But at the end of the day, console has an experience that is unparalleled… So I’m really looking forward to the next console, the next PC gaming.”
Valve’s Perspective: Steam Machine Is Just a PC
In a pre-reveal conversation with IGN, Valve engineers Pierre-Loup Griffais and Yazan Aldehayyat were asked whether the PC is becoming the natural evolution of the console. Their responses were classic Valve: PC-first, console-agnostic.
Griffais explained:
“When we think about what to work on next… everything we do is informed by what’s happening on the PC gaming side of things… it seems like people seem to be recognizing that there’s quite a bit of value in a more PC-like experience and the customizability and all that.”
Aldehayyat was even more direct:
“As far as we’re concerned the Steam Machine is a PC… We’re just trying to give you more options.”
The device is targeting a 2026 release window, with pricing still under wraps — though Valve promises something “really competitive.”
And What About GTA 6 on PC?
PC players are understandably antsy about GTA 6. After its delay to November 2026, many fear the PC port won’t arrive until late 2027 or even 2028. Does Take-Two’s newfound enthusiasm for PC mean Rockstar will accelerate its timeline?
Maybe… but probably not.
When Zelnick was asked last year whether the absence of a PC announcement was final, he responded with peak corporate ambiguity:
“Well, the lack of an announcement is not something that could be set in stone as near as I could tell… It doesn’t seem to me that either would be set in stone.”
He added that Rockstar follows a familiar release strategy and “will make more announcements in due time,” emphasizing that Take-Two’s broader philosophy is to “be where the consumer is.”
Rockstar fans, of course, know the drill. The company rarely launches on PC day-and-date, regardless of scale or demand. And despite hopes that GTA 6 would break that pattern, the studio seems content to continue staggering its releases.
One thing’s certain: the game will hit PC eventually. The only real question is how long Rockstar intends to make PC players wait for what could be the biggest entertainment launch in history.
