Grand Theft Auto 6 might just be the most anticipated game of all time. It’s been 13 years since Rockstar dropped GTA 5, and after years of rumors, leaks, and official announcements, the sixth mainstream installment in the series is nearly here. In fact, anyone who pre-ordered the game digitally can now pre-load it onto their console, if you want to ensure you’re ready to play the second the game comes out.
Now, few of us will buy a game console specifically for GTA 6—unless you don’t already have a current-generation PlayStation or Xbox. (The PC version of the game isn’t expected until at least early 2027.) But, as it turns out, there’s one specific console that can run GTA 6 better than the rest.
The PS5 Pro is apparently the best way to experience “GTA 6”
Rockstar confirmed as much in a post on Tuesday, which was meant to spread the news about pre-loading the game. But, interestingly, it spurred a discussion about the performance of the game itself, as well as which consoles are best to run it.
No matter which console you play GTA 6 on, Rockstar says that the game will only target 30 fps (frames per second). That’s decided slow for a mainstream game in 2026. GTA 5also shipped at 30 fps in 2013, but newer consoles can run it at higher frame rates. In fact, most games that launch on the latest generation of consoles can run at 60 fps, if not higher. While it’s certainly not a dealbreaker, it is interesting that Rockstar’s latest game can’t run at a faster frame rate even on the PS5 Pro or the Xbox Series X.
To that point, Rockstar called out the PS5 Pro specifically in its post, announcing, “The PlayStation 5 Pro offers breathtaking visuals, with improved clarity through PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) and ray-traced shadows only available on PlayStation 5 Pro.”
PSSR is Sony’s AI upscaler, similar to options like DLSS from Nvidia, which uses AI to add extra graphical information to games in real time. That allows developers like Rockstar to run the game at a lower resolution to save on processing power, but still boost the visuals to reach a higher perceived resolution. As such, it’s not as ideal as running the game at a higher resolution natively, but it can help improve the visuals without pushing the hardware beyond its limits. Meanwhile, ray-tracing offers realistic lighting effects and can also be graphically intense.
While PlayStation and Xbox players alike will be stuck at 30 fps, it seems only PS5 Pro gamers will be able to play the game with ray-tracing effects and AI upscaling. It’s surprising that Xbox Series X players don’t have similar benefits, as the hardware is more powerful than Xbox Series S. Rockstar didn’t specify why only the PS5 Pro gets these upgrades.
What do you think so far?
Other console perks for “GTA 6”
In the post, Rockstar also announced that the PS5 version of GTA 6 takes advantage of other PlayStation-exclusive perks, like high-fidelity haptic feedback in the DualSense controller, spatial audio rendering using the PlayStation’s Tempest 3D audio, as well as improved load times—though Rockstar didn’t specify what those load times would be. These perks apply to all PS5 consoles, not just PS5 Pros. Rockstar goes so far as to say that GTA 6plays best on PlayStation 5 consoles.
That’s not to say that Microsoft’s consoles are totally left out of the perks. Rockstar says that GTA 6will be available on Xbox Cloud Gaming on both Xbox Series X and S, as well as Xbox One. In addition, both PlayStation and Xbox gamers can play GTA 6 using Remote Play, so no one has to physically play on their console if they want to game on the go.
Again, there’s no reason to go out and buy a specific console for GTA 6, so long as you have something that can run the game. After all, PS5 Pros are difficult to find, <a href="https://zdcs.link/z3KM5m?pageview_type=Standard&template=News&module=content_body&element=offer&item=text-link&element_label=especially%20without%20wildly%20overpaying&object_type=article&short_url=z3KM5m&u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ftech%2Fgta-6-runs-best-on-playstation-5-consoles&event_label=especially%20without%20wildly%20overpaying” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>especially without wildly overpaying. But it’s interesting that Rockstar has managed to give Sony’s consoles the extra perks here, particularly since the company hasn’t explained why that is.
