Grand Theft Auto 6 is probably the most-wanted game coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S… in more than one sense. The GTA 6 release date is highly anticipated, with the hype train continuing to locomate since Rockstar Games dropped the open-world sequel’s debut trailer last December. Its predecessor is one of my favorite games ever, so I’m very much on the choo-choo.
With reports that Sony is planning for GTA 6 on PS5 Pro amidst a market of declining PS5 hardware sales (thanks, NotebookCheck) I’ve been thinking about how many times I’ve replayed its predecessor. Granted, this story is very much a rumor considering the console hasn’t even been announced yet, but “too many” is the short answer. At last count I have at least four 100% playthroughs of Franklin, Michael and Trevor’s Los Santos sandbox across PS3, PS4, PC and most recently PS5.
My Future Deathbed Self already regrets that decision, but I know I’ll always be obsessed with one of the most successful video games of all time. I’m also extremely glad the current-generation PS5 and Xbox Series X versions exist. Not only are the addition of ray traced reflections a tasty criminal cherry on top, it’s also a rare example of GTA hitting 60 frames per second on consoles.
With the PS5 entering the "last stage of its life cycle", 60 fps is a visual feature I appreciate more and more.
With the PS5 Pro release date reportedly “on the way soon” and Sony admitting the PS5 is entering the “latter stage of its life cycle," 60 fps is a visual feature I appreciate more and more. Though I realize tens of millions of future GTA 6 players won’t consider frame rates to be that important, for hardcore fans of the pastime, I’d argue the standardization of 60 fps performance modes have been the best thing to happen on PS5 and Xbox Series X. It reduces input lag and immediately makes first-person shooters and racing games in particular a lot smoother to play.
While I’ve become more accepting of 30 frame rate caps over the last year thanks to the brilliant Steam Deck OLED, I always choose performance modes on the main two consoles when they’re available. Part of that is because I own one of the best OLED TVs for gaming that happens to do a brilliant job with image upsampling, so much so even sub-1080p Nintendo Switch games look good on a 77-inch 4K screen. Frame rates have become even more important to me as a result and unless a game’s anti-aliasing is terrible and shows lots of “jaggies," I don’t really obsess over resolution in modern titles.
I would like GTA 6 to support native 4K, yet I realize that’s something I’ll probably only get to experience when the PC version comes out a year after the consoles knowing Rockstar’s record. Even then it won’t be “proper 4K” and I’ll most likely be using Nvidia DLSS or another super sampling method.
The Grand tour
By contrast, it’s far more important to me that I have access to a 60 fps mode when the game launches. I don’t think third-person sandbox titles 100% need them, but when they’re done properly, I freakin’ love developers who target 60 frames per second over higher resolutions.
For my money, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 on PS5 is the current poster child for how amazing 60 fps gameplay feels without overly compromising image quality. If GTA 6 handles even remotely as smoothly as the superhero sandbox — unlikely, seeing as Rockstar favors quite heavy character animations — I’d be delighted.
I think 60 frames per second could be out of reach for the PS5 and Xbox Series X, however. The GTA 6 trailer exhibits some of the most detailed character models and environments I’ve ever seen (even by Rockstar’s standards, the updated take on the Miami-based Vice City is incredibly cinematic).
Games in 2024 are already pushing current hardware to the limit, with a decent chunk of titles having to rely on users’ VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) features on their TVs to smooth out frame rate dips that can often plunge into the 40s when 60 fps is targeted.
Pro big or Pro home
I think GTA 6 at 60 fps could be out of reach of the PS5 and Xbox Series X.
Just look at Elden Ring. One of the best games of the past five years and technically the smoothest way to play it is by running the PS4 Pro version through PS5 because the current-gen versions are pretty damn choppy. It’s not a great look but at the same time it hasn’t stopped the challenging open-world wonder from becoming the best selling FromSoftware game ever made. No doubt the newly teased Elden Ring DLC will do gangbusters, too.
PS5 Pro needs a compelling sales pitch to justify its existence, especially when you consider Xbox Series S continues to outsell the Xbox Series X. Microsoft is pivoting towards power with the next Xbox looking to provide the “largest technical leap ever” over existing hardware. While I expect PS5 Pro to launch a lot sooner than whatever that console ends up being named, Sony won’t want a late in the generation, updated machine to get bodied by a rival publisher if there ends up being a big gap between it and the PS6.
PS5 Pro and any version of GTA 6 that launches for it should have a 60 fps performance mode to maximize the chances of it feeling like a potentially game-changing upgrade over the PS5 edition. There’s only ever been a very small market for 8K TVs (it's increasingly silly that the PS5 launched with an 8K label on the box), so the idea of a Pro console prioritizing such a ludicrous resolution makes no sense, despite ongoing rumors. Regardless of how many teraflops the PS5 Pro has or how powerful its likely AMD APU proves to be, 60 fps gaming has to be its target and the next GTA should be no exception.
