GTA 6, one of the most anticipated video games of the last decade, generates expectations not only for its launch in 2025, but also for the discussions about its performance on the different consoles. Specifically, the Xbox series s, Microsoft's most affordable console, has been the subject of debate, with many gamers and experts wondering whether this console will be able to play Rockstar's ambitious title with acceptable performance. As we get closer to its launch, several industry figures have begun to speculate on how it might perform. GTA 6 on Series S, and one of the first predictions came from the technical analysis experts of Digital Foundry, known for breaking down the graphics performance of the most cutting-edge video games. According to their estimates, the S series will not reach the 1440p and 30 frames per second standard expected on more powerful consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Now, new statements from a former Rockstar employee are setting the networks on fire again.
Why might GTA 6 be limited to 720p on Series S?
The Xbox Series S, although part of the same generation as its older sister, the Series X, has notable hardware limitations. Its GPU and the amount of available memory are considerably smaller, which has caused several developers to have to adjust graphic quality of its games to get it to run on this console. This wouldn't be the first time that significant graphical cuts have been talked about in order for a high-profile game to run properly on the Series S. Several titles have already had to make significant sacrifices in areas such as texture quality, shadows, and visual effects to maintain stable performance.
In this sense, the analyses of Digital Foundry they suggest that GTA 6 will require an extremely careful level of optimization to get it running smoothly on the Series S, which will likely involve textures and reduced graphic models, as well as other visual tweaks.
A limitation that affects the experience
As for the most powerful consoles, both in PS5 as on Xbox Series X, analysts believe that GTA 6 could work at a resolution of 1440p with 30fps. While this also involves some sacrifices in terms of graphical quality, it is a much more achievable goal on these consoles. In addition, some hope that there will be a performance mode at 1080p with 60fps to offer a smoother experience, as has happened with other recent releases, leaving only the maximum resolution with 60 FPS to the PS5 Pro.
Obbe Vermeij, former Rockstar Games developer, shared his own opinion on what to expect from the title in general. According to him, although the visual quality of GTA 6 will be impressive, with detailed crowds and landscapes as seen in the official trailer, the graphical leap from its predecessor, GTA V, might not be as radical as many expect. These statements have further fueled discussions on whether lower-capacity consoles, such as the S series, they will be able to offer an acceptable experience without too many compromises.
Yeah, interesting.
There's quite a performance gap between the series S and the ps5 pro.
In an ideal world VI would run at 30fps on S,X and ps5 and 60 on the pro.
The series S is a headache for devs for sure.— Obbe Vermeij (@ObbeVermeij) September 15, 2024
According to Vermeij's statements, the Series S will be a "headache" for developers, since the difference in potential between Series S and PS5 Pro will have to be taken into account in the development of the game, hence the complications for everything to flow in the best way on all platforms. According to him, the ideal is that Series S, Series X and PS5 would work at 30 FPS, while PS5 Pro would reach 60 FPS.
The optimization problem in Series S
It's not just GTA 6 that has raised uncertainty about the capabilities of the Xbox series s. Other recent games, such as Alan wake 2 y Forza Motorsport, have shown that while the console can run versions of these titles, the visual quality and performance are compromised. remarkably committed compared to the Series X and PS5. Some developers have gone so far as to point out that the GPU and limited memory of the Series S are factors that make it difficult to offer the same gaming experience without sacrificing an important part of the details.
In the case of GTA 6, it seems increasingly likely that the Xbox Series S version will offer less texture clarity, a lower resolution, and a smaller amount of visual effects. In fact, experts like Rich Leadbetter, also from Digital Foundry, have expressed that while the Series S CPU is relatively similar to the Series X, the real problems lie with your GPU and in the lack of RAM, which can lead to great difficulties in maintaining the graphic quality without affecting game performance.
Despite all the speculation, Rockstar Games has yet to officially confirm what resolution or graphical detail level it will run at. GTA 6 on different consolesHowever, based on the predictions of industry experts, it is possible that the Xbox series s deliver a version of the game to 720p, with cuts in graphic quality compared to the versions of PS5 y Xbox Series XOnly time will tell if these sacrifices will be enough to deliver a satisfying gaming experience on Microsoft's most affordable console.