The full source code for Grand Theft Auto 5 (GTA 5) leaked online in late December, along with other files from Rockstar.
Since the release of Nintendo’s hybrid console in early 2017, there have been rumors about a possible GTA 5 port for the Switch. The fact that other Rockstar games like L.A. Noire and Red Dead Redemption made it to the Switch fueled these rumors.
An analysis of the game’s source code by Reddit user RafaelSwi revealed only two references to the Nintendo Switch and a few more to the console’s NX64 codename. These references were tied to utility functions and objects, suggesting that GTA 5 was never close to running on the Switch’s Nvidia Tegra X1-powered ARM system-on-chip architecture.
RafaelSwi speculated that Rockstar might have initially considered bringing the game to the Switch, but likely scrapped the plans after the announcement that the Wii U successor would use the 64-bit ARM architecture
As of August 2023, the Switch port of Red Dead Redemption is the only game using the RAGE engine that has made it to the Nintendo console. RafaelSwi concluded that trying to run GTA 5 on the Switch before the engine was ported would have been a waste of time.
It remains to be seen whether GTA 5 will make it to Nintendo hardware with the rumored 2024 launch of the Switch successor. However, given the recent precedent, fans should not hold their breath for GTA 6 on the Switch 2.
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