Ahead of perhaps the biggest game release of the year, Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto VI, the studio has come forward to shed light on the game’s performance, and as many have feared based on initial trailers, the game will be capped at 30fps on all consoles, including the PlayStation 5 Pro, although Sony’s beefier system will receive some additional graphical improvements.
This unfortunate news was unveiled by Rockstar via a post on the game’s website, which reads, “Grand Theft Auto VI has been fully developed from the ground up to provide the best possible experience for the current generation of consoles, targeting 30 frames per second while pushing both platforms to their absolute limits to bring the vast and rich world of Leonida to life — while maintaining the density and visual fidelity of all its environments and inhabitants.”
This will certainly come as a blow to all those holding out hope that the game might include a 60fps performance option, or at least a 40fps option for more powerful consoles like the PS5 Pro, but alas, all consoles will be capped at 30fps on launch. Another thing to note here is Rockstar’s wording, which implies that the game isn’t fully locked to the framerate, meaning players should also expect some fluctuation in more demanding scenes.
In addition, Rockstar also laid out some graphical improvements on the PS5 Pro, including the use of PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), which enhances visual clarity, and ray-traced shadows, both of which will be exclusive to Sony’s more powerful console. Other details outlined in the post are Grand Theft Auto VI support for high-fidelity haptic feedback on DualSense controllers, improved spatial audio with Tempest 3D Audio, and faster load times on PlayStation 5 consoles.
On the Xbox side, the game will also support Xbox’s Cloud Gaming on all of Microsoft’s consoles, which surprisingly includes the Xbox One, although this feature will only utilise the graphical settings of the Xbox Series S. No further information was provided on how well the game will run on the less powerful console, although fans should certainly expect a downgrade in visual quality, alongside a less consistent frame rate.
With this announcement, it brings back the question of whether a 30fps cap is acceptable in this day and age of gaming, especially since hardware has been getting more expensive, which results in a higher level of expectation when it comes to performance. While some players claim that they are unable to discern the difference between 30fps and 60fps, most agree that the added fluidity of the latter results in a more enjoyable experience and that the added smoothness benefits player control, especially in terms of camera movement and aiming in a shooter game.
Despite this, Grand Theft Auto VI will no doubt still rake in millions of players when it releases on 19 November 2026, with the game already available for pre-loads ahead of release, which is apt considering its massive 200GB download size. The biggest question is, will the 30fps cap be a dealbreaker for you?
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
