Don't expect GTA 6 to hit 60 FPS on PS5 Pro - its faster GPU doesn't solve the real bottleneck

Rockstar Games released its highly anticipated look at Grand Theft Auto 6, showcasing an extremely ambitious, and perhaps the most ambitious game ever released on a console.

In a recent 20-minute gameplay look, Rockstar officials told media and influencers at a behind-the-scenes event that Grand Theft Auto 6 is targeting 30FPS at launch on consoles, which hasn't been well received by some console owners or fans. Some believe the desired 60FPS mode will be restricted to the Pro versions of the consoles, such as the PlayStation 5 Pro. However, that might not be the case, as tech experts at Digital Foundry believe the PS5 Pro's extra GPU horsepower would be better spent improving image quality, ray tracing, and resolution rather than doubling the frame rate.

Why? Well, the problem isn't with the allocation of GPU horsepower; it's the CPU. Digital Foundry says in a recent podcast episode that GTA 6 was likely designed around 30FPS because of the large amount of open-world simulation. Objects, NPCs, physics, and other systems run concurrently, all weighing on the CPU, and the PS5 Pro's CPU offers only about a 7% improvement over the base console. That 7% improvement typically translates to a 7% increase in in-game FPS, which means there simply isn't enough performance to double the framerate.

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However, Digital Foundry believes the extra GPU resources should go to PSSR reconstruction, improved ray-traced lighting, and generally cleaning up the image, as some parts of the trailer show noticeable shimmering or fizzing. This is particularly prevalent on fine geometry, such as edges or foliage.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Question #1

Why is GTA 6 targeting 30 FPS on consoles instead of 60 FPS according to this article?

Because GTA 6’s huge open-world simulation places heavy load on the CPU , objects, NPCs, physics and other systems run concurrently , Rockstar and Digital Foundry say the CPU, not the GPU, is the real bottleneck. The PS5 Pro’s CPU only offers about a 7 percent improvement over the base console, which typically yields roughly a 7 percent FPS increase and is far short of doubling frame rate to 60 FPS. Digital Foundry therefore argues the extra GPU horsepower is better spent on image quality, ray tracing, and cleaning up visual issues rather than chasing 60 FPS.

Question #2

How much CPU improvement does the PS5 Pro offer over the base PS5 and why does that matter for GTA 6's frame rate?

The PS5 Pro’s CPU is only about 7% faster than the base PS5. That small uplift typically yields roughly a 7% increase in in-game FPS, which is insufficient to double frame rate to 60 FPS; GTA 6’s heavy open-world simulation work on the CPU (objects, NPCs, physics and other concurrent systems) is the real bottleneck.

Question #3

Why do experts argue the PS5 Pro's extra GPU power should be used for image quality rather than higher framerates in GTA 6?

Answer question

Question #4

What specific image-quality issues in the GTA 6 trailer could be improved by the PS5 Pro's extra GPU resources?

The PS5 Pro’s extra GPU resources could be used for PSSR reconstruction and improved ray-traced lighting to clean up the image. The primary article specifically cites noticeable shimmering or fizzing on fine geometry such as edges and foliage, ray-tracing noise, and low-resolution or blurry ray-traced reflections as issues the extra GPU power could address.

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There is also some ray-tracing noise, along with low-resolution/blurry RT reflections. The PS5 Pro's extra horsepower could address all of these issues. The question is whether Rockstar will choose image cleanup or a 40FPS mode if they can manage it on the Pro versions of current-gen consoles.