We’ve had our extended look at Grand Theft Auto 6 – did you notice? – and one of the reactions I saw from readers during our live report was about frame-rate. In short, some people said it looked noticeably low. Perhaps that’s to be expected given it was captured on a base PS5, but it does raise the bigger question of what frame-rate GTA 6 runs at on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, how that might change for the PS5 Pro, and whether it offers optional Performance and Quality modes for any of those platforms.
The answer, according to Rockstar North co-studio head Rob Nelson, is 30 FPS – that’s what he told Portuguese outlet Flow Games reporter Davy Jones (via GamesRadar+). But the situation regarding a 60 FPS option, which is usually the Performance mode, is less clear.
“According to the director, it is still necessary to consult the technical team to determine if there will be a 60 FPS option at launch (or in the future),” Flow Games reported (translated via Google). “He also emphasises that he does not currently have details on resolution and other technical qualities, such as the use of Ray Tracing, but the performance, for now, is 30 FPS.”
If yesterday’s extended look trailer communicated anything about GTA 6, it’s that the game is as visually luxurious as any we’ve seen. That it’s demanding for current-gen console hardware is a given, and also somewhat standard for the series – GTA 5 originally ran at 30 FPS on the base PS4 and Xbox One, and the PS3 and Xbox 360 it launched on.
Where this leaves the less-powerful Xbox Series S, of course, we don’t know, nor do we know what gains PlayStation 5 Pro owners can expect. We have contacted Rockstar for clarification. But adjustable frame-rates and optional Performance and Quality modes have become industry standard in recent years. We saw Rebel Wolves recently make a last-minute change to offer a 60fps Performance mode in The Blood of Dawnwalker, for example, after backlash to the news it would only target 40 FPS.
Yesterday’s GTA 6 bonanza revealed a wealth of new information about the game, such as a changed Wanted system, a changed carjacking system, a new romance system, a huge game world, and a list of in-game activities that would make Centre Parcs blush. This is what a billion dollars gets you, observed Chris Donlan, though as Chris Tapsell pointed out, this push towards realism and away from easy-going fun is a huge risk for the series – even if, he argued, it’s ultimately right that it takes it.
It’s a big and exciting moment for Rockstar after a week of leaked GTA 6 videos. But there’s a bitter edge to the hype as dozens of employees fired recently by Rockstar North continue to battle the company in employment tribunals for alleged union-busting.
