The long-awaitedGrand Theft Auto 6released its first trailer at the end of last year, which unveiled that the game will be released in 2025. Given how monumental of a successGTA 5was, this upcoming entry in the series has become one of the most anticipated games of the current console generation — if not all time. AsGTA 6’s release looms closer and closer, the preparations being made by both Microsoft and Sony have been called into question.
WhileGTA 6will likely come to PC at some point in the future, players should expect a long wait. PC ports for bothGTA 5andRed Dead Redemption 2didn’t come out until over a year after their initial console releases. Anyone hoping to get their hands onGTA 6near its launch will have to play on either Xbox Series X/S or PlayStation 5. Though these consoles pack some power,GTA6’s massive scalewill be a major test for their hardware. Sony recently unveiled its plan — albeit a controversial one — to make way forGTA 6’s release, but Microsoft’s silence is cause for concern.
How GTA 6 Reveals Differing Console Strategies This Generation
Sony announced the PS5 Pro this past September. Compared to the base PS5, the Pro will feature an upgraded GPU, advanced ray tracing, smoother frame rates, and AI-driven upscaling. The new console drops on November 21st of next year, which is conveniently right around when GTA 6 is expected to release. It’s rumored thatSony has secured marketing rights forGTA 6, and the company will supposedly use marketing materials to show off just how well the PS5 Pro can run the game.
Sony’s Unpopular Pricing for the PS5 Pro
While the PS5 Pro will undoubtedly be the best way for PlayStation users to experienceGTA 6,Sony has caught flack for the upcoming console’s price tag. The PS5 Pro comes in at a staggering $699.99, making it around $200 more expensive than an Xbox Series X and $250 more than the digital-only PS5. The PS5 Pro will be more powerful than either of those consoles. However, players are struggling to justify that price tag considering the console’s lack of a disc drive and a report that thePS5 Pro likely won’t be able to runGTA 6in 4K at 60 frames per second.
Sony is taking a hit in the public’s perception for its approach to the PS5 Pro, but Xbox users are upset for a completely different reason. Microsoft and Sony tend to release consoles in tandem, but when the PS5 Pro was announced, Microsoft didn’t announce anything. Despite rumors that both theXbox Series X and S will be receiving a mid-generation upgrade, Microsoft seems to be saving those releases for later in the consoles' life cycles.
The Pros and Cons of Microsoft’s Decision
Holding off on announcing expensive Xbox variants isn’t necessarily a bad move on Microsoft’s end. This keeps a lot of the negativity in the current gaming news cycle directed at Sony and the overpriced PS5 Pro. Microsoft also needs to work on winning users over again before asking them to drop hundreds of dollars on a new console. Many players are wary of Xbox given the ongoing lack of exclusive titles and theclosure of many Microsoft-owned gaming studios.
However, the lack of an upgraded Xbox console next year could lead to a rough fourth quarter for Microsoft. The power of the Xbox Series X is nothing to scoff at, but it is a four-year-old console at this point. If even the PS5 Pro won’t be able to runGTA 6at full capacity, then the release of that game will truly test the limits of the Series X. This could also spell disaster for the Xbox Series S.
More people have a Series S than a Series X, but the S is notably less powerful than its sibling. Microsoft ensures that developers keep the Series S in the loop, yet the Series S’s lack of power has caused issues during the development of larger games likeBaldur’s Gate 3. Saving the Xbox’s mid-generation upgrade for later might help Microsoft avoid some controversy in the present, but it might end up pushingGTAfans toward the more capable PS5 Pro in the future.
Grand Theft Auto 6
WHERE TO PLAY
Grand Theft Auto VI heads to the state of Leonida, home to the neon-soaked streets of Vice City and beyond in the biggest, most immersive evolution of the Grand Theft Auto series yet.Jason and Lucia have always known the deck is stacked against them. But when an easy score goes wrong, they find themselves on the darkest side of the sunniest place in America, in the middle of a criminal conspiracy stretching across the state of Leonida — forced to rely on each other more than ever if they want to make it out alive.
