One of the biggest unresolved questions about Grand Theft Auto VI isn’t even about its storyline or map. It’s about how the game will actually play. Will GTA 6 finally manage to give us a silky-smooth 60FPS experience on consoles, or are we going to have to sacrifice visuals to enjoy those incredible Rockstar graphics at a decent speed?
Two Graphics Modes Are Being Rumoured
GTA 6 next-generation console owners will supposedly get to choose from two graphics options:
- Performance Mode
- Quality Mode
We’ve seen this setup before in plenty of PS5 and Xbox Series X games, and it makes sense for a game like GTA 6.
What Could Performance Mode Be All About?
If Rockstar plays it by the book as they do with other big-budget games, we’d expect Performance Mode to be all about giving players the smoothest possible experience, even if that means toning down the visuals.
Fans are looking at 60FPS, making for an enjoyable time driving, shooting and exploring the streets of Vice City. To get that, of course, they’ll probably have settings like:
- Ray-traced lighting
- Reflection quality
- Shadow detail
- Draw distance
- Internal rendering resolution
However, there is still no official confirmation that Performance Mode will actually reach a locked 60FPS.
Quality Mode Will Focus on Visuals
The second option is expected to be Quality Mode, which will likely target 30FPS while showcasing everything Rockstar’s new RAGE engine can offer. Players can expect features like:
- Higher-resolution textures
- Improved lighting
- Better reflections
- Full ray-traced global illumination
- Richer environmental detail
- More realistic shadows
Both official GTA 6 trailers were presented at 30FPS and highlighted incredibly detailed cities, beaches, swamps, and crowded streets. This suggests Rockstar considers these visuals to be the intended cinematic experience.
Why 60FPS Isn’t Guaranteed
Getting GTA 6 to run at 60FPS isn’t as simple as lowering a few graphics settings. The game appears to feature:
- Thousands of detailed objects
- Massive traffic systems
- Crowded city streets
- Advanced AI for pedestrians
- Dynamic weather
- Real-time reflections
- Complex physics
- Large open-world streaming
Every single one of these systems puts a bit more strain on the CPU and GPU, so it’s worth keeping in mind that those numbers might change come launch.
What About PS5 Pro and Xbox Series S?
The PS5 Pro is expected to provide the best console experience thanks to its stronger graphics hardware. If any console can offer a more stable high frame rate with enhanced visuals, it’s likely the PS5 Pro. Meanwhile:
- Xbox Series X should perform similarly to the standard PS5.
- Xbox Series S may require lower resolutions or fewer graphical effects and could primarily target 30FPS.
Rockstar will likely optimise each console separately to deliver the best balance between visuals and performance.
More Than Just Graphics
The retail listing also mentioned several next-generation features expected in GTA 6, including:
- Faster SSD loading times
- DualSense haptic feedback on PS5
- Multiple editions, including Standard, Special, and Collector’s Editions
While these features aren’t a direct shot at boosting GTA 6 Frame Rate, they do show that Rockstar is fully making the most of what modern console hardware has to offer.
Performance mode might aim for 60FPS or even go down to 40FPS to give us the smoothest possible gaming experience. Whereas Quality mode is probably going to bring us those jaw-dropping visuals Rockstar’s trailer promised at 30FPS.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will GTA 6 run at 60FPS on PS5 and Xbox Series X?
Rockstar hasn’t confirmed it yet, but Performance Mode is expected to target 60FPS. Quality Mode will likely run at 30FPS with better graphics.
What is the difference between Performance Mode and Quality Mode?
Performance Mode focuses on smoother gameplay, while Quality Mode delivers higher-resolution visuals, improved lighting, and ray tracing.
Will GTA 6 have the same frame rate on every console?
No. PS5 and Xbox Series X are expected to perform better, while Xbox Series S may use lower settings to maintain stable performance.
At the end of the day, though, players will get to decide for themselves whether they’d rather have action that just glides, or the most real-looking Vice City ever invented.