PC Gamer analyzes GTA 6 graphics on PS5

PC Gamer’s hardware team analyzed the 26 minutes of GTA 6 gameplay and cutscenes released on the night before its August 28 article. According to the publication, the footage was captured on a PlayStation 5 and runs at 30 frames per second. While praising the visual result, the team said it was now even more eager to see what a future PC version could deliver.

The publication highlights environments filled with hard shadows, fluorescent lights, dark hallways, and open areas under bright sunlight. In PC Gamer’s view, the presentation shows Rockstar pushing the PS5 hardware. The high contrast also stood out, although the writer suggested that the opening minutes might lead some players to adjust their television brightness.

When examining reflections and lighting, the team believes parts of the presentation use more traditional techniques instead of full ray tracing. The analysis points to shiny surfaces, windows, floors, and light passing through blinds as examples behind that assessment. PC Gamer also argues that ray-traced effects do not appear to be running at their highest possible settings in the footage.

The publication identified what may be ray-traced reflections on a van, a puddle, and a window between 16 minutes and 40 seconds and 16 minutes and 50 seconds into the video. It also noticed a possible denoising effect on the back of the van at around 16 minutes and 10 seconds. These details are presented as the hardware team’s observations, not as technical specifications confirmed by Rockstar.

PC Gamer acknowledges that YouTube compression makes it difficult to determine exactly which effects are active. Its working theory is that ray tracing may be used selectively, with some scenes displaying it more clearly than others. The publication says that approach would make sense as a way to balance visual quality against the demands of a massive open world on PS5.

The article also offers a wishlist for the PC version. The team wants to see softer shadows and more advanced indirect lighting, supported by the additional performance available from more powerful hardware. PC Gamer raises the possibility of GTA 6 following Red Dead Redemption 2 by supporting DLSS, but presents that only as an expectation rather than a confirmed feature.

For players, the analysis does not change any release date, platform, or access information. It only suggests that an eventual PC edition could expand some effects and provide more performance headroom than the PS5 presentation examined by the publication. PC Gamer also notes that gaining access to today’s highest-end PC hardware remains extremely expensive.

Based on this source, it remains unknown when GTA 6 will come to PC, which graphics technologies it will support, or what its hardware requirements might be. There is also no confirmation here of DLSS, specific ray-tracing settings, or PC frame-rate targets. For now, PC Gamer’s conclusion is that the PS5 result already looks impressive while leaving even more technical potential for a future PC build.