GTA 6 Screenshots Might Come With a Big Asterisk Attached

A new report has claimed that the latest batch of Grand Theft Auto 6 screenshots may not be running in real-time, indicating that the final game may not look as good when it launches in November. While nothing has been officially confirmed by Rockstar, some details in the recent GTA 6 screenshots could indicate that they may not have been captured during real-time gameplay.

Gaming graphical downgrades between marketing and release is always a controversial topic. There have been several high-profile examples in the past, arguably the most famous of which is the original Watch Dogs. It’s obviously frustrating for fans to have been sold the idea of one game, only to receive another, which is why many adopt caution when it comes to taking in marketing for new games.

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New GTA 6 Screenshots May Not Be Real-Time, It’s Claimed

A new Digital Foundry report has commented on whether GTA 6‘s newest screenshots are likely to be running in real-time, saying, “With such a high level of fidelity on show, then, a question still dangles over which platform is actually being used to generate these shots. To be clear, we find it unlikely that these are real-time results on PS5, Xbox Series X – or in the best case on console, PS5 Pro. We’d like to be pleasantly surprised of course, and this will be firmly answered once it releases. However in many instances the combination of pristine image quality, suggesting a native 4K render (or higher), and inconsistent lighting on foreground characters casts doubt over how feasible it is.” The report also follows up by pointing out that “these would be easy for Rockstar to generate within the game’s development environment… with all settings dialled up to 11.”

Who’s That Character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Who’s That Character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)

The issue is that it’s unclear just how feasible it is for the current-gen consoles to achieve this level of graphical fidelity, at least at a playable frame rate. Digital Foundry casts doubt on the prospect, but it’s important to note that it also does not suggest it’s impossible. It would be the biggest compliment to Rockstar if it were able to deliver these graphics in real-time on the Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, or indeed, even the PS5 Pro.

It’s already known that GTA 6 will have specific PlayStation 5 Pro enhancements, but just how much difference that makes to the game’s performance on the platform remains to be seen. Right now, it seems as though that version is likely to be the best-performing version of GTA 6, especially with a PC version yet to be confirmed.

Grand Theft Auto 6 is seemingly set on its November 19, 2026, release date, after multiple previous delays. The game has been a long time coming, but the 13-year wait is finally coming to an end. With summer now underway, Rockstar is slowly revealing more details about GTA 6. However, the elusive third trailer is still nowhere to be seen, so hopefully, the developer will deliver in due course.