Now that the PlayStation 5 Pro is finally out—and much more expensive than most people expected—it has led to some interesting discussions about its performance, particularly if it’s still the “best” way to play Rockstar Games’ upcoming title, Grand Theft Auto 6.
While the PS5 Pro does indeed come with improved hardware over the now-former-flagship console by Sony, the lack of noticeable improvements based on the initial showcase is raising doubts about whether or not it’s worth the asking price.
In fact, if you ask Richard Leadbetter, Digital Foundry’s technology editor, he says that GTA 6 might not run at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second on the PS5 Pro. He explains that “it would be extremely challenging to hit 60fps if the base PS5 version is targeting 30fps,” blaming the bottleneck on the CPU.
Despite its improvements, the new console utilizes the same CPU as the base PS5—a potential issue when handling the complex simulations and AI routines of the GTA franchise. These intricate systems, responsible for creating lifelike city environments and NPC behaviors, place a significant burden on the CPU, potentially leaving little room for frame rate improvements.
However, the PS5 Pro offers notable enhancements in other areas, including higher internal resolution, improved super sampling techniques, and more advanced ray tracing capabilities for global illumination. These features should result in a visually superior experience compared to the base PS5 version, even if the frame rate remains at 30fps.
It’s worth considering that Rockstar Games has a history of pushing hardware to its limits, often prioritizing visual fidelity and complex game systems over frame rate. This approach has resulted in some of the most visually stunning and immersive open-world experiences. With GTA 6, Rockstar will continue this trend, aiming to create the most ambitious and detailed virtual world yet at the expense of higher frame rates.
Advancements in multi-threading and GPU offloading techniques could potentially allow for improved performance of GTA 6 on PS5 Pro as well. Rockstar’s track record for optimizing games on various hardware configurations suggests that it may find ways to leverage the PS5 Pro’s capabilities, especially if we believe the rumors that they’re working closely with Sony to make PS5 Pro the best way to play GTA 6.
Considering that Microsoft will likely require performance parity of GTA 6 on Xbox Series S at launch date—there’s no way Phil Spencer will allow GTA 6 to be delayed on Xbox like what happened with Black Myth Wukong—this extra bit of optimization effort could teach Rockstar ways to improve GTA 6’s performance on the PS5 Pro.
Of course, the true test of the PS5 Pro’s will come when GTA 6 comes out. Until then, players will have to weigh the potential benefits of the upgraded console against a host of factors, including their personal preferences and budget constraints. A more immersive virtual experience is enough to justify the investment for some, and others prefer higher frame rates, while there are those who may choose to stick with the base PS5 or explore PC gaming options instead.
Regardless of how well GTA 6 will perform on the PS5 Pro, it’s clear that it will live up to Rockstar’s promise that the game will set a new creative benchmark for the entertainment industry.
