By Sagar V. Mankar For years, fans have speculated about Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto 5 (GTA 5) making its way to the Nintendo Switch. However, recent leaks from the game’s source code indicate that this much-anticipated port may never materialize.
A Decade of Speculation: GTA 5 and the Nintendo Switch
GTA 5 marked its 10th anniversary on September 17, a milestone that reignited discussions about a potential Switch port. Over the years, data miners and gaming enthusiasts have speculated that Rockstar might be working on adapting GTA 5 for the hybrid console. The company’s success in porting other RAGE-engine games, such as L.A. Noire and Red Dead Redemption, to the Switch added fuel to these rumors.
However, new revelations from the leaked source code paint a different picture. Despite years of hope, it appears that Rockstar’s plans for a Switch version of GTA 5 were never as advanced as many believed.
Leaked Source Code: A Search for Evidence
A Reddit user known as RafaelSwi analyzed the leaked source code of GTA 5, searching for any substantial evidence of a Switch port. Their findings revealed only two direct references to the Nintendo Switch and a few more to its codename, NX64. Unfortunately, these references were not related to any actual development efforts for the console.
Instead, the mentions of the Switch in the code were tied to utility functions and objects unrelated to porting GTA 5. This suggests that while the idea of a Switch version may have been entertained, it was likely abandoned early in the process.
The Challenges of Porting GTA 5 to the Switch
The findings from RafaelSwi’s analysis point to significant technical challenges. GTA 5’s original design relied on the capabilities of more powerful CPUs and GPUs found in the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PCs. Attempting to run the game on the Nintendo Switch’s Nvidia Tegra X1 chip—which uses ARM architecture—would have required substantial modifications to Rockstar’s RAGE engine.
This complexity might explain why Rockstar decided against pursuing a Switch port. RafaelSwi theorized that the company may have abandoned the idea after assessing the technical limitations of the console.
Looking Ahead: Hope for the Next Generation?
Despite the disappointment surrounding GTA 5, the release of Red Dead Redemption for the Switch in August 2023 shows that Rockstar hasn’t entirely ruled out Nintendo platforms. Additionally, rumors of a next-generation “Switch 2” console, expected around 2024, have sparked new hope among fans.
For Rockstar to consider GTA 5—or even GTA 6—for the Switch 2, the console would need a substantial boost in processing power to handle the demands of modern games. However, given Nintendo’s history of prioritizing innovation over raw performance, expectations should remain tempered.
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