Grand Theft Auto VI looks incredibly detailed in the new Extended Look. Rockstar showed dense streets, highly detailed characters, realistic animations and a huge amount of activity happening around the player. But delivering all of this on current-generation consoles appears to come with a major compromise.
GTA 6 is currently targeting 30 FPS on the PlayStation 5. The information comes from Brazilian creator Davy Jones, who visited Rockstar North in July and discussed the game with Rockstar North co-studio head Rob Nelson. According to the details shared from that visit, the game was running at 30 FPS on PS5.
This is not the same as Rockstar officially announcing a 30 FPS lock for the final game. The studio has not confirmed whether GTA 6 will have a separate performance mode or whether a higher frame-rate option will be available after launch. Nelson reportedly said he would need to check with the technical team before commenting on a possible 60 FPS mode.
That makes the situation more interesting for PS5 Pro owners.
The Extended Look was captured on the standard PS5, so the footage does not tell us how the game will perform on Sony’s more powerful console. Rockstar has also not confirmed a specific frame-rate target for the PS5 Pro version.
The Pro has more GPU power, but that does not automatically mean GTA 6 can run at 60 FPS. A game like GTA 6 has to process far more than its graphics. The CPU also has to handle traffic, pedestrians, physics, AI and the many systems running across the open world.
This is why simply reducing image quality may not be enough to double the frame rate. Analysts have also pointed to the CPU demands of GTA 6 as one of the biggest obstacles to achieving 60 FPS on current consoles.
For PS5 Pro players, the extra hardware could instead be used to improve resolution, image quality, lighting or other visual features. But until Rockstar provides the final specifications, there is no way to say whether the Pro will offer a 60 FPS mode.
There is another disappointment for players who enjoyed GTA V in first person.
GTA 6 will not have a full first-person mode at launch. Players can still see certain first-person views while aiming weapons, but the game will not let you switch the entire experience to first person for activities such as walking and driving.
Rockstar appears to have prioritised its third-person experience instead. This makes sense when you look at how much more detailed Jason and Lucia’s animations have become. Rockstar is putting considerable effort into how the characters move, interact with objects and respond to the world.
That does not rule out first-person gameplay being added later. GTA V eventually received its first-person mode when Rockstar brought the game to PS4, Xbox One and PC. However, Rockstar has not confirmed a similar update for GTA 6.
