GTA 6 Could Run at 60FPS on PS5 Pro, but Technical Limitations Might Force Rockstar to Make Compromises

One of the biggest talking points going into the release of Grand Theft Auto 6 has been the game's performance on current-gen consoles, especially after new discussions suggested the game could potentially run at 60FPS on the PlayStation 5 Pro. Rockstar Games is said to be working with PlayStation engineers to make the experience work better for the console’s upgraded hardware.

The game is said to be running at 60 FPS across a range of graphical settings on the PS5 Pro, but these are claims the company has not confirmed. If true, this information could mean that players buying the more powerful PlayStation console will get a noticeable performance edge over the standard PS5 and possibly the XBOX Series X.

There are also indications that GTA 6 may launch with multiple graphical options on the PS5 Pro, including dedicated performance and quality modes.

This will allow you to choose between smoother gameplay or better visual fidelity, depending on your preference. But there's no official confirmation yet as to exactly what Rockstar has achieved with the upgraded hardware. The PS5 Pro Enhanced badge is already visible on the game’s store listing, but the company hasn’t revealed what players can expect exactly.

One of the biggest questions about the PS5 Pro is whether its hardware can actually deliver a consistent 60FPS experience in a game as demanding as GTA 6. Some developers and industry commentators believe Rockstar could add a higher frame rate option, especially because Sony has a big commercial incentive to differentiate the PS5 Pro version. 

The talk also raised questions about what the XBOX Series X version will look like. If Sony can secure a dedicated performance mode for its upgraded console, then GTA 6 could run better on the PS5 Pro than on Microsoft’s hardware. However, there is no concrete information to confirm that the XBOX version will be locked to 30 FPS or have a substantial downgrade in graphical settings. 

Another important point is regarding the PS5 Pro Enhanced certification. GTA 6 already has this badge on its PlayStation Store listing, meaning the game fulfills Sony’s enhanced requirements. That doesn’t mean Rockstar has to automatically add a 60FPS mode, though. The certification can also translate into giant improvements in resolution, ray tracing, and other graphical features, while still maintaining the original 30 FPS target.

This means another option for Rockstar—they could decide to focus on better graphics instead of higher frame rates. For example, the PS5 Pro version could have better resolution and better ray tracing while still being 30 FPS. Sony’s requirements reportedly allow for major graphical improvements, so a sharper image and better lighting could be enough to justify the enhanced title.

It gets even more compelling when you take into account the gameplay footage Rockstar has already shown.

Some of the previously released footage was recorded on the regular PS5 and not the PS5 Pro. This is big news, as the visuals already have impressive traffic density, packed streets, and detailed environments on hardware that many players already have. If the standard console can achieve that level of visual fidelity, then the PS5 Pro could potentially utilize its additional graphical resources to prioritize smoother performance instead of just higher image quality.

But that doesn't mean the upgraded console can automatically double the frame rate. The PS5 Pro sports a much beefier graphics processor, but its CPU is still pretty darn close to the one in the standard PS5. And this is where a problem arises, because GTA 6 has to handle more than just graphics.

This scenario is where the hardware constraints really come into play. Developers are unable to just reduce reflections or improve image reconstruction if the processor is already struggling to manage traffic and pedestrian behavior. Sony’s PSSR technology can help to reconstruct images at higher resolutions, but it can’t overcome every performance limitation. 

In contrast, Rockstar has a lot of control over how the game uses the available hardware. Its developers are able to test demanding spots repeatedly, pinpoint performance bottlenecks, and tweak various systems to make them more efficient. For example, you might not need to process pedestrians far away to the same level of detail as the drivers immediately around your car. 

A dedicated performance mode may therefore be a reasonable compromise. Rockstar could lower the internal resolution and have PSSR reconstruct the image and reduce some of the ray-tracing effects to free up some more resources. You could then choose between a quality mode designed to deliver the best visual presentation and a performance mode that prioritizes smoother driving and camera movement. 

The size and complexity of GTA 6 have also become part of the discussion.

Rumors about the game have suggested that it might include hundreds of shops to enter, shopping malls, elevators, underwater locations, relationship systems, and character weight changes. Some reports have even gone as far as to compare the game’s overall scope to Red Dead Redemption 2. 

This also demonstrates why a performance mode needs to be stable in demanding situations and not just hit 60FPS in less complicated environments. You could easily achieve better frame rates if you were driving down an empty beach, but that wouldn’t prove that the console could keep the same performance in a busy police chase. The other thing to look at is Rockstar’s development schedule. Some recent statements about the development of the game have indicated that the team is still working on some missions and features. But that doesn’t mean another delay is in store; the game could still be on track for its scheduled release. 

And then there is the issue of priorities. Rockstar could use that development time to improve frame rates, but it might instead focus on making sure missions, features, and other gameplay systems work properly. The launch of Cyberpunk 2077 demonstrated how important a stable release can be, particularly when millions of players experience a game simultaneously. 

However, given Rockstar’s track record, it’s difficult to see a 60FPS option coming right away.

GTA 5 didn’t even get an official 60 FPS console option until it came out on PlayStation 5 and XBOX Series X|S. Another example is Red Dead Redemption 2, where players have been asking for a higher frame rate option for years without success. Even if the PS5 Pro has the theoretical power to run GTA 6 at 60FPS, Rockstar still has to think about if adding that option is worth the additional development effort.

Now a different possibility has crept into the conversation, with some industry commentators suggesting the PS5 Pro could instead target 40FPS. It would be somewhere between the traditional targets of 30 FPS and 60 FPS, so you get a smoother experience without requiring the same processing resources as a full 60 FPS mode. 

This could be particularly useful if the PS5 Pro has trouble running at 60FPS due to CPU limitations. For example, a demanding scene that requires approximately 22 milliseconds to render would be over the allowance of 17 milliseconds for 60 FPS. But it would still fit inside the 25 milliseconds available at 40 FPS. So that means the alternative could be a viable compromise for Rockstar if full performance mode is too demanding.

The discussion about the PS5 Pro’s hardware also hints at why Sony decided to upgrade its graphics processor instead of giving the CPU a major boost. The console boasts enhancements to memory, storage, and graphics performance, with its processor being quite close to the standard PS5. 

The importance of machine learning and ray tracing for console games will likely increase in the future too.

As the cost of manufacturing hardware increases, traditional rendering improvements become more expensive. This makes technologies like PSSR more valuable. Such features allow developers to boost visual quality and rendering efficiency without relying solely on larger graphics processors. But they still can’t get away from all the CPU performance limitations.

Whether the PS5 Pro will be able to run GTA 6 at 60FPS remains to be seen. Digital Foundry also pointed out the difficulties, especially with the game’s lighting, ray tracing, amount of traffic, and crowded environments. Lowering graphical settings could provide a performance mode, but Rockstar would need to make sure the experience is still up to the visual and gameplay strengths that make GTA 6 impressive.

If Rockstar can’t deliver a stable 60FPS experience, for now, the option of a 40FPS experience is another interesting possibility. Whether the company will focus on smoother gameplay, better visuals, or a combination of both remains to be seen. A proper comparison involving the same mission, traffic density, and police pursuit would provide a much clearer picture than isolated gameplay footage.