Grand Theft Auto 6 is unlikely to achieve a 60 frames per second performance target on its launch platforms, according to an analysis by Digital Foundry. The technical experts examined footage from the game's extended trailer, which appears to confirm a 30fps target for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions slated for November. This frame rate, while lower than many modern titles, seems to be a deliberate choice by Rockstar Games to maximize the game's visual fidelity.
Digital Foundry's deep dive suggests that Rockstar's focus was on enhancing visual detail within the constraints of a fixed 30fps. This approach reportedly allows for an unprecedented level of density, material quality, and world coherence. Specific improvements highlighted include advanced character rendering with realistic skin shading and significant upgrades to hair simulation. The analysis also speculates that the PlayStation 5 version targets a 1440p internal resolution, potentially employing DRS but without clear evidence of FSR 2 or TAA upscaling. While this may lead to some softness and aliasing on fine details, the footage showed no frame rate drops, indicating a stable performance.
The immense effort to balance CPU and GPU workloads for this detailed presentation makes a 60fps console version "extremely unlikely," Digital Foundry stated. Reaching a 16.7ms update rate would necessitate compromises that would likely impact the game's world or scale. The ambitious tuning for current-generation consoles leaves little room for performance gains to enable a higher frame rate down the line.
For a potential PC release, achieving 60fps may also present challenges. While PC hardware could support higher resolutions and advanced upscaling techniques like DLSS, the complex world simulation, tuned for console CPUs at 30fps, could create significant CPU bottlenecks. Digital Foundry suggests that only high-end processors, such as recent Ryzen X3D chips, might be sufficient to avoid performance issues on PC.