A single job posting from a UK development studio has sparked rumors of a GTA 6 port for the Switch 2. While neither GTA 6 nor Rockstar Games is mentioned in the listing, the developer's track record of porting 'Red Dead Redemption' to the Nintendo Switch has drawn significant attention.
The job listing in question is for a "Senior Low-Level Graphics Programmer" posted by Double Eleven on September 3. The role involves designing a next-generation proprietary graphics engine, GPU-based rendering, and hardware ray tracing, with preferred qualifications stating that "Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 experience is a plus." On the 21st, over a month after its posting, the listing was highlighted by overseas community media outlets, spreading rumors of a GTA 6 port across social media.
The speculation is grounded in Double Eleven's track record. Double Eleven handled the Nintendo Switch port of 'Red Dead Redemption' in August 2023 and also participated in developing the Switch 2, PS5, and XSX|S versions released on December 2 last year. The fact that a studio with experience porting Rockstar's legacy titles to Nintendo platforms is recruiting Switch 2 developers coincided with GTA 6 being just one month away from launch.
Of course, it is difficult to directly connect the job listing to GTA 6. Double Eleven is a studio of over 400 employees that has collaborated with Obsidian, Mojang, Bethesda, Facepunch, and others in addition to Rockstar.
Statements from industry executives are also far from definitive. Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two Interactive, said during an earnings call in February last year that he expected to support the Switch 2, but stated in May of the same year that they do not bring every title to every platform and would evaluate on a title-by-title basis. Devon Pritchard, President of Nintendo of America, also drew the line regarding a Switch 2 version of GTA 6 in an interview with Variety on the 9th of this month, stating that "that's going to be a conversation for Take-Two and Rockstar, but nothing to announce on my end at this time".
Performance issues also remain. Digital Foundry analyzed that GTA 6 is "a step above" the performance capabilities of the Switch 2, noting that a port would be difficult without heavily scaling back ray-traced lighting and the CPU-heavy city simulation.
Conversely, there are also optimistic outlooks. In June, insider Nash Weedle, citing internal sources, claimed that technical hurdles had been overcome and that Rockstar brought in a subcontractor specializing in Switch 2 ports, aiming for a 2027 release of GTA 6. Insider Shpeshal_Nick, citing another source, noted that while he had not heard that a release was confirmed, he heard that Nintendo was working alongside Rockstar and Take-Two to make the port happen. The attention drawn to Double Eleven's recent job posting ties directly into these previous claims that a port specialist had been subcontracted.
Some analyses suggest that a port is not entirely impossible performance-wise. Because GTA 6 is launching on the relatively lower-spec XSS alongside the PS5, low-spec optimization is inevitable. Some argue that the Nintendo Switch 2, utilizing DLSS, is not drastically different in performance from the XSS, making a port feasible. The Nintendo Switch 2 releases of AAA games such as 'Cyberpunk 2077', 'Hogwarts Legacy', 'Final Fantasy VII Remake', 'Elden Ring', 'Monster Hunter Wilds', and 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4' also temper concerns regarding hardware specs.
Although not specifying GTA 6, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick stated that supporting the Switch 2 across Take-Two as a whole is a given, leaving the door open for further platform expansions. With the game launching on November 19 for PS5 and XSX|S, discussions surrounding expansions to PC and Switch 2 are expected to continue steadily.
