What if the most anticipated video game of the decade ended up in your backpack? The idea seems crazy, and yet… converging signals suggest the possibility that GTA 6 could one day run on Nintendo Switch 2. A colossal technical challenge, but which is the subject of concrete tests at Rockstar according to several credible sources. So, simple mirage or thoughtful strategy?
For several months, Nintendo’s hybrid console has already established itself as a future heavyweight on the market. And its revised architecture, particularly with the integration of Nvidia’s DLSS, could offer an unexpected gateway to hosting a game as massive as GTA 6. Provided you know how to make the right compromises.
Tests in progress at Rockstar: a first strong signal
The information did not fall on deaf ears. According to insider NateTheHate, Rockstar Games has already launched internal trials to measure the feasibility of the project. “I said a while ago that Rockstar was doing testing to port the game to Switch 2. But testing doesn’t always equate to release. I know there was an effort to see if they can port the game to the platform.”
In the industry, this type of testing is common, especially for AAA titles. But rarely for games of such graphic ambition on such compact consoles. This simple fact demonstrates the strategic interest that the Switch 2 represents for a publisher like Rockstar.
Optimistic GPU, CPU under pressure: the technical limits of the Switch 2
Despite its technological leap compared to the first generation, the Switch 2 remains well below home consoles in terms of raw power. The main weak point remains the CPU, whose performance could limit the richness of the AI, the traffic density and the physical effects of GTA 6.
As tests of other ambitious games like Assassin’s Creed Shadows indicate, the console’s processor can quickly reach its limits. If Rockstar decides to go further, it will have to make numerous concessions: simplified AI, reduction in the number of NPCs, framerate capped at 30 fps… with the support of saving technology.
DLSS, the technological pillar of possible porting
The key to this challenge might well be called DLSS. Natively integrated into the Switch 2 thanks to Nvidia, this upscaling system would allow GTA 6 to be displayed at a high resolution without overloading the GPU. The idea: run the game internally at a low resolution (720p or less), then upscale it in real time with stable and fluid rendering.
As an MCETV analysis points out: “On a hybrid console, each watt counts as much as each frame.” A philosophy that sums up the complexity of the equation well. Ray tracing, if present, would remain limited to a few targeted effects. The graphic rendering would be suitable, but the main thing is elsewhere: making such an ambitious title playable in a portable format.
Why Rockstar might really give it a try
Beyond the technique, it is above all the economic aspect which could tip the scales. With an installed base that promises to be massive and a public eager for mobile games, the Switch 2 offers Rockstar the opportunity to sell even more copies of GTA 6, perhaps even several times per player.
The idea of a deferred port in 2027, after the PS5 and Xbox Series releases, would allow the publisher to refine its optimization while capitalizing on the “double purchase” effect. The success of the Steam Deck has already proven that gamers are willing to make visual concessions to take their favorite open world with them anywhere.