GTA 5 for Android: Why fans should not get expectations high regarding mobile release

GTA 5 has been re-released again as an updated edition for the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles. Rumors also suggest a PC release of this latest edition coming quite soon. However, there is no speculation of a mobile release, nor is it likely to ever come out.

This is because the game isn't quite suitable for a mobile audience. It would also be quite challenging to port GTA 5 to phones.

---

Why GTA 5 is unlikely to ever come out on mobiles

GTA 5 is an AAA title that took years of development and millions of dollars to pull off. Developing such a massive game for mobiles, although not necessarily impossible, is not feasible. The price would have to be as high as an AAA game on PCs and consoles.

This would be much higher than some of the most expensive titles currently available on phones. As a result, few mobile gamers would be willing to buy it, leading to a substantial loss for Rockstar and Take-Two.

---

Pricing issues

However, some players might argue that it wouldn't have to be that expensive since it would only be a port. There's a catch to this too.

The GTA fanbase on mobile is unlikely to be willing to spend any more than what the other titles from the franchise cost on mobiles.

Meanwhile, Grand Theft Auto 5 would undoubtedly have to be a bit more expensive than any other game by Rockstar on the Android and iOS stores. As the only HD Universe game on smartphones, the higher pricing would be justified.

---

Development issues

Apart from pricing, there's also the hurdle of pulling off such a gargantuan task. Rockstar isn't quite experienced in developing mobile games. Most of their mobile ports were made by Grove Street Games, and most of these titles, especially the GTA offerings, are pretty buggy.

The game takes around 100 GB of disk space on PCs, and porting such a massive title to mobile seems nearly impossible with the current hardware level. There are also graphical limitations, which would require the game to be watered down quite a bit just to run on smartphones.

This is also why ports of other major AAA titles like PUBG had to be downgraded in terms of graphics and physics. The mobile version of Final Fantasy XV, for example, had to be completely reworked with a cartoonish graphical design.

Rockstar might also have to choose between keeping the Story Mode or the Online Mode, as having both would be too much for devices to handle. Over the last decade, the latter has been the primary means of making money for Rockstar and Take-Two.

Hence, they would be unwilling to launch the game on mobile with just one of the two modes available, as it wouldn't be profitable enough.