Grand Theft Auto VI launches on Nov. 19 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles. As far as anyone knows, it could be years before there’s a PC version of the hotly anticipated open-world crime game (fortunately, we don’t think it will take that long). But if you want to play the game right away, then it’s time for you to figure out which version to buy.
After pre-orders opened, IGN reported that PS5 versions of the game were outselling Xbox at an eight-to-one ratio. Microsoft denied these numbers, of course, but if IGN’s readers are representative of gamers as a whole, then players are certainly leaning in a very clear direction.
So, should you play GTA 6 on PS5 or Xbox? There are a lot of variables that make this a difficult question to answer. That said, we’re going to do our best. Here is everything you need to know before buying GTA VI on PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series S/X
Grand Theft Auto VI: PS5 or Series X?
The first thing to note here is that the only official gameplay footage we’ve seen of GTA 6 comes from a 26-minute extended look released on Netflix in late August. It lived up to the hype, but less than half an hour of carefully curated footage is not a great way to determine the technical ins and outs of a video game.
It’s also worth pointing out, though, that the Netflix footage was captured on PlayStation 5. Sony has even said in its marketing that the game “plays best on PS5.”
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“Thanks to the close partnership between Sony Interactive Entertainment and Rockstar Games, Grand Theft Auto VI will play best on PS5 by taking advantage of PS5’s immersive features to deliver a deeply engaging single-player experience when it launches on November 19,” a Sony blog post reads.
The company hasn’t divulged any real details as to how or why it’s best on PS5, though. Until the game is in our hands, we can’t know for sure, though.
One thing we do know is that GTA VI is a graphical powerhouse. Digital Foundry, an outlet known for technical breakdowns of video game visuals, called it arguably “the most impressive example of real-time game rendering” they’ve seen yet. The power differential between the PS5 and Series X is not particularly significant, so based on what we saw on Netflix, there’s every reason to expect that the Xbox Series X version will be comparable, at least.
Just be warned that, according to Digital Foundry (and also according to what little I know about video game rendering), the game will almost certainly not ship with a 60 frames per second mode, and it may not ever get one on these consoles. But 30 FPS is fine; you’ll get used to it.
What about Xbox Series S?
One major question a lot of folks will have is whether GTA 6 will still look good and play well on an Xbox Series S. Both Xbox and PlayStation consoles are prohibitively expensive right now due to RAMageddon, so the cheaper Series S represents the best value of the bunch at $500. It’s cheaper because it’s a weaker device, though. It’s compatible with the same games as the Series X, but many of those games are compromised in some way.
We don’t know anything about the Series S version of GTA VI right now. But if I had to guess, I would assume it runs at a lower resolution and has some other settings turned down, at the very least. I would be stunned if Rockstar released it in an unplayable state, but weirder things have happened.
More information about GTA VI‘s tech specs on these platforms is sure to come out before Nov. 19, and we’ll keep you updated as it comes in.
$99.99
at PlayStation Store
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