February 7, 2025, 9:56 pm | Read time: 6 minutes
One question is currently dividing the video game community: What frame rate will GTA 6 come out with? For TECHBOOK editor Woon-Mo Sung, the decision to buy also depends on the answer to this question.
GTA 6. This short combination of letters and numbers has been the subject of much talk for more than ten years, as it is the upcoming sequel to one of the biggest video game hits of all time. Ever since the first trailer was released at the end of 2023, anticipation and impatience in the games industry have known no bounds. The most important question on everyone’s mind is the release date. But for me personally, it’s not the when that matters – it’s the how. What frame rate can we expect for GTA 6 (Grand Theft Auto 6) upon release? If I don’t get what I’m hoping for, then my wallet will stay shut. But why is that?
Overview
I Haven’t Paid Attention to 60 FPS for Too Long
Video games should impress in as many aspects as possible. How playable is it, and how are the sound and graphics? On the technical side, there should be as few errors as possible. However, a smooth display is also particularly important. This is particularly important in fast-paced, action-packed titles. That’s why I’m also very interested in how the so-called frame rate of GTA 6 will turn out.
I have to admit that I only really became aware of the benefits of a 60 FPS display quite late on. Up to that point, I had mostly played at 30 frames per second, and I always found this to be sufficient. Or the game was running at 60 frames per second, and I just didn’t quite notice it. My untrained eye simply didn’t notice any significant difference between Horizon Zero Dawn on the PS4 and Returnal on the PS5.
But one day, I think it was in one of the more modern Spider-Man games, I fiddled around a bit in the settings menus. At the time, I also had a new LG OLED TV. Rather inadvertently, I switched on “Performance Mode,” which reduces the graphic resolution in favor of a higher frame rate. After I had swung through the canyons of New York, I was amazed. Can a game look that much smoother?
A Return to 30 FPS? Out of the Question for Me!
The better frame rate didn’t just look better, it felt better too. Clambering up building facades at lightning speed with Spider-Man and the spider webs he had shot made it look much more immersive, more dynamic, and simply more fun. Conversely, the test return to 30 FPS was a complete horror.
Once my eyes had adjusted to the higher rate, it suddenly seemed like I could see every single one of the 30 frames per second. Not only did it look surprisingly clunky and choppy, it was downright painful and gave me a slight headache. This is also the reason why I still haven’t played the highly acclaimed Bloodborne. A return to 30 FPS seems to be out of the question for me now, at least when it comes to graphically elaborately designed games.
GTA 6’s frame rate could only reach 30 FPS
Nowadays, however, I can at least expect a modern AAA game to give me the choice between 30 and 60 FPS or a “graphics mode” and a “performance mode”. I’m not the only one who thinks so. Large parts of the gaming community like the smoothest possible gaming experience. Since the title is sure to be a groundbreaking event, the frame rate of GTA 6 should be accordingly, especially since the game could cost up to 100 euros.
Will my expectations be met? That remains to be seen. However, former Rockstar Games employee Mike York believes that the frame rate of GTA 6 will remain at 30 FPS. At least, that’s how he assessed the development situation in a now-deleted podcast episode on Kiki Talkz. The discussion platform Reddit has taken up his statement and is actively discussing it.
York has previously worked on milestones such as Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2. Thanks to his experience, he can at least make an informed assessment. In his opinion, the studio will not achieve 60 FPS for GTA 6. Instead, he believes that they want to guarantee 30 FPS – meaning that the rate will never drop below this value.
PC as Savior?
Of course, Rockstar Games could try to optimize further to perhaps achieve 40 to 50 FPS. However, 60 seems unrealistic. But York is also not actively involved in development and therefore has no current insider knowledge. In his opinion, only a PC port will make 60 FPS possible.
By then, new, more powerful graphics cards will have come onto the market. He did not comment on the recently released PS5 Pro. This should be able to achieve more, especially graphically. To what extent this will make 60 FPS possible is currently unclear.
Opinion Editor: “Why I’m So Happy About the Comeback of Buttons”
IFA visit Back at IFA after 20 years! It made me happy and sad at the same time
Upcoming Video Game Highlight “Assassin’s Creed Shadows” Revueweded – a Return to the DNA of the Series
GTA 6 at 30 FPS? No thanks!
Online voices criticize manufacturers for the current generation of consoles’ inability to consistently display 60 FPS without graphic compromises. At the very least, it often comes down to a compromise. Considering how big and technically demanding GTA 6 will be, a stable 30 FPS is actually a reasonable and, above all, realistic goal.
Nevertheless, I personally don’t want to settle for that. GTA 6 will shape this console generation like no other game. A generation that has existed since 2020 and whose potential, it seems, has still not been fully exploited. There is more here – no, there has to be more. Especially when it comes to the expected higher sales price. I’m not inclined to spend my hard-earned money on one of the most significant and costly game releases if it fails to meet the technically feasible gold standard. So, if GTA 6 is released in 30 FPS, I won’t buy it.
I realize I seem a little petty. There are so many other aspects in which the game could be masterful, which is why the framerate of GTA 6 might not matter that much in the end. But why compromise when more is achievable? Yet, I’m open to some middle ground: Horizon Forbidden West introduced a “Balanced Mode” later on, providing a solid resolution and frame rate at 40 FPS. That’s good enough – certainly also for GTA 6.