Why console hardware limitations could lock GTA 6 at 30 FPS

Speculations are rife about GTA 6's performance, with concerns it might be capped at 30 FPS on consoles. Digital Foundry's analysis suggests achieving 60 FPS could be challenging due to CPU limitations, even for the PS5 Pro. The trailer, captured on PS5, showed footage running between 1080p and 1440p, hinting at a potential trade-off between resolution and framerate.
Why console hardware limitations could lock GTA 6 at 30 FPS
Image via Rockstar Games.
Is GTA 6 capped at 30 FPS? That answer is yet to be explored. After a long wait, Rockstar Games is finally here with the highly anticipated Trailer 2 of the game. The game sorted out a lot of loose ends that were left unstranded in the first trailer, which was released in December 2023.Needless to say, epic speculations began after the release of the latest trailer.Among all of these speculations and fan theories, the performance of GTA 6 is taking the majority of the share. So, will it be playable at 60 FPS? Or will it be capped at 30 FPS on consoles?

GTA 6 might be capped at 30 FPS

gta-6-30-fps
Even newer gen consoles might not be capable enough to run GTA 6 at 60 FPS. | Image via Rockstar Games.
There is no doubt that GTA 6 is going to be the most realistic title the video gaming world has ever seen. From a huge intricate open-world to expansive simulations like AI-driven NPCs, dynamic weather systems, complex traffics, the game will have everything. However, all of these extremely realistic qualities might come at a price. According to the technology editor at Digital Foundry, Richard Leadbetter, it will be challenging for the game to hit 60 FPS. In an interview with IGN, Leadbetter reminded us that every previous GTA game has targeted the 30 FPS mark first. So, if the PS5 is slated to run GTA 6 at 30 FPS, then its upgraded model, the PS5 Pro, will find it tough to run the game at 60 FPS. Because as per him, “This isn’t a GPU problem, it’s a CPU problem” and both the consoles run on the same CPU.
Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2 Tech Breakdown - Incredible Realism, Impressive RT, Astonishing Detail
Digital Foundry also gave a close look at the trailer, finding it was capped at 30 FPS. Although, the trailer was a mixture of gameplay and cutscenes, and the gameplay part was very less, but still the number raises concern as the whole footage for the trailer was captured on PS5. The Digital Foundry group also claimed that the trailer footage was running between 1080p and 1440p. So, that means we might have to sacrifice the framerate for better resolution in the name of graphical fidelity, just like Bethesda did with Starfield. Right now the game is only slated to be released on newer gen consoles only, but still their hardware specification might raise eyebrows about their capabilities to run a game like GTA 6 at 60 FPS. That might not be a problem on PC though, but we are still very far from a PC launch of GTA 6.However, keep in mind that these are all just mere speculations and nothing has been confirmed by Rockstar Games yet. Even Leadbetter has stated that all of these speculations will go in vain if Rockstar is actually targeting the 60 FPS sweet spot on the base PS5. But we haven’t seen any sign of that.Read More:GTA 6 might melt your PC: Here’s what you’ll actually need to run Rockstar’s next-gen beast
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