With GTA 6, Rockstar Games is set to raise the bar for what is possible to achieve on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S much like the studio did with Red Dead Redemption 2, but this is likely coming at a price. Although the highly anticipated next entry in the series is rumored to feature a performance mode running at 60 FPS, it is extremely unlikely this is real, as, according to the tech experts at Digital Foundry, the level of detail shown in the latest footage would make it very difficult to scale everything down to allow for 60 frames per second gameplay.
"The key for me here is the reality of the game's CPU demands, which as we've seen from current-gen PC and console games with heavy simulation elements, are likely to be extensive. In RPGs, dense city locations are the most likely to drop frame-rates, and the GTA 6 world looks another level of magnitude more challenging than the likes of Dragon's Dogma 2 or Baldur's Gate 3," DF's William Judd said. "Add on the fact that you can traverse GTA 6 by ground, sea or air significantly faster than you can in either RPG, with vehicles that require their own computationally expensive physics, of the kind that normally forces console simulation games to 30fps, and 60fps feels like a bridge too far."
In addition, there are plenty of precedents when Rockstar Games did not offer 60 FPS gameplay. GTA 6's immediate predecessors all launched as 30 FPS games, as did the aforementioned Red Dead Redemption 2, and in some cases, even dropped below 30 FPS. As such, it's very likely Rockstar Games will prioritize fidelity above framerate this time around as well.
As mentioned above, leaks suggest that GTA 6 will feature a performance mode running at 60 FPS, but Digital Foundry is skeptical of them. "We have seen a few purported retailer "leaks" that detail separate quality and performance modes, but these are far from conclusive. After all, most PS5 and PS5 Pro titles do offer such modes, so any kind of boilerplate text (or indeed, an AI-written summary) would likely include that as a matter of course. These could also merely refer to a 30fps mode and a 40fps mode, or even a mode that constrains graphics slightly to hold a tighter 30fps lock versus one that pushes visuals harder but can drop below 30fps."
While one may think a 60 FPS mode could be achievable on PlayStation 5 Pro, the most powerful console available, this is unlikely as well. "It's worth bearing in mind that the console only offers a fractional CPU performance bump over base PS5, with most of its advantage deriving from better GPU horsepower, improved RT acceleration and support for PSSR upscaling. None of these features really shift the needle in terms of alleviating the CPU burden, so it looks much more likely that GTA 6 will ship with a 30fps or 40fps mode on PS5 Pro than a 60fps option," Judd said. The best possible compromise could be a 40 FPS mode.
Although this is just speculation, it is difficult to disagree with Digital Foundry's analysis. When a developer creates a procedural breakable glass system for their game, its priorities are quite clear. As such, there's no doubt that Rockstar Games is aiming for Grand Theft Auto VI to truly be one of the most stunning open-world games to date, something that could only be achieved on current console hardware with compromises in terms of performance.
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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