According to a new analysis shared online today, the comprehensive implementation of ray-traced global illumination in the recently released Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced Edition is likely a preview of the Grand Theft Auto VI features.
The tech experts at Digital Foundry released earlier today their analysis of the new version of the fifth entry in the series by Rockstar Games released on PC this month, providing a good look at the new features and how they compare with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions of the game. The feature that sets the new PC version of the game apart from every other is the comprehensive implementation of ray-traced global illumination, which, by itself, suggests that this tech is being developed for Grand Theft Auto VI and has been backported to its predecessor. Usually, when a developer implements platform-exclusive ray tracing features, it does so in a limited fashion, as highlighted by games like Dying Light 2, where RTGI works only for the sun, or in The Witcher 3, where RTGI does not work on a per-pixel basis but only applies to the world with probes, causing visual artifacts.
In Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced Edition, on the other hand, RTGI not only works on a per-pixel basis, but it also features stable and coherent bounce lighting from any random light, which is not easy to implement and requires a lot of work. The same tech, in addition to emitting materials, is featured prominently in the Grand Theft Auto VI trailer, further suggesting that the Enhanced Edition new features are a preview of the tech that will be featured in the next entry in the series launching later this year.
If the same Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced Edition RTGI tech will be featured in the next entry in the series, Digital Foundry believes how the Enhanced Edition runs could be indicative of the performance that should be expected on base consoles for the sequel. While the tech is cleverly optimized and is not particularly heavy on the GPU, it is heavy on the CPU, and a Ryzen 5 3600 CPU, a CPU comparable to that of the base current generation consoles, cannot run the game at a steady 60 FPS at 1440p resolution and NVIDIA DLSS at Quality mode. This, in addition to the reveal trailer running at 30 FPS, further suggests that Grand Theft Auto VI will be limited to 30 FPS on base consoles, as many believe it will.
Ray-traced global illumination is only one of the new features introduced in Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced Edition. You can learn more about this new version of the game by checking out Alessio's piece.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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