Gaming News A Graphics Breakthrough, But Locked to 30 FPS — Digital Foundry Breaks Down GTA 6's Second Trailer

A Graphics Breakthrough, But Locked to 30 FPS — Digital Foundry Breaks Down GTA 6's Second Trailer

May 8, 2025, 04:41 AM

Digital Foundry has released a technical analysis of GTA 6’s second trailer, which has already racked up over 80 million views on YouTube and, as expected, generated massive buzz among fans.

Here’s what the technical experts concluded:

According to the analysts, the game will likely run at a locked 30 FPS on consoles, with no 60 FPS mode expected. This is due to the fact that RTGI-based global illumination and advanced reflection systems are now an integral part of the game’s visuals.
At this stage, the game is rendered at 1152p using FSR1 upscaling technology. In the future, a switch to more advanced solutions like FSR2 or PSSR is expected. For now, there are some minor visual issues, especially with hair rendering.
The lighting system is fully ray-traced (RTGI), with no rasterized light sources. Shadows are filtered, similar to the approach used in Red Dead Redemption 2. Full ray-traced shadows may appear in the PC version or on a future PS5 Pro.
Ray-traced reflections are used on small bodies of water, like rivers.
Screen Space Reflections (SSR) are applied to large water surfaces, glass, and plastic materials.
Reflections in vehicles look especially realistic.
RTGI provides accurate lighting for characters inside vehicles, adding depth to the scenes. The analysts also noted the highly detailed environment — for example, beer bottles look particularly impressive.
The developers have implemented a new strand-based hair rendering technology. The results are impressive, but this system is demanding and will require dynamic optimization. Additionally, hair and clothing are animated separately, and you can even see realistic sweat rendering on character models — all of which significantly boosts visual realism.
Due to the engine’s high demands, running the game on devices like the Nintendo Switch 2 or Steam Deck is virtually impossible.