Rockstar traded performance for quality in Grand Theft Auto VI on PS5 Pro, according to insider

The console's processor wouldn't be able to handle the load anyway.

Rockstar has not yet revealed details about the Grand Theft Auto VI version for PlayStation 5 Pro, stating only that they will do so later. Against this backdrop, new assumptions have emerged about how exactly the game will utilize the console's more powerful hardware.

In the latest episode of the Broken Silicon podcast, insider Moore's Law is Dead revealed Sony's alleged requirements for games to receive the special PlayStation 5 Pro Enhanced badge.

According to the published information, one of the main options is a combination of the following features:

• using PSSR to upscale the image to 2160p;
• a target frame rate of 60 frames per second;
• new or significantly improved ray tracing effects.

However, developers can also earn the Enhanced badge in other ways. Specifically, the game must demonstrate an increase in target resolution, maximum resolution with dynamic scaling, target frame rate, or add higher quality or new ray tracing effects.

At the same time, merely improving stability, using VRR to increase frame rate, or other changes without increasing the maximum value is not enough.

If GTA VI indeed receives PS5 Pro Enhanced status, it doesn't necessarily mean a full 60 fps. The main obstacle remains the console's processor: the PS5 Pro uses AMD Zen 2, which received only about a 10% clock speed increase compared to the base PS5.

For a game of GTA 6's scale, this is especially important. The huge open world simultaneously processes citizen AI, traffic, physics, and many other systems. Therefore, transitioning from 30 to a stable 60 fps may be impossible even with a significantly more powerful GPU.

According to Moore's Law is Dead, a potential compromise could be a 40 fps mode, which could also meet the requirements for Enhanced.