Rockstar Games has addressed growing skepticism surrounding the second trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI, which was released recently to a wave of both excitement and scrutiny. As debate unfolded across social media and online forums, the studio issued a clear statement to clarify an important detail—everything seen in the new trailer was recorded directly from a standard PlayStation 5 console. The confirmation follows a short line of text shown at the end of the trailer itself, which many viewers may have missed.
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The developer emphasized that the footage contains a mix of gameplay and in-engine cutscenes, captured entirely in real-time on a base PS5 system. The same statement appears in the video description on YouTube, reiterating Rockstar’s stance amid doubts that the footage was rendered using high-end PC hardware or CGI sequences.
Digital Foundry, a well-known group specializing in visual and performance analysis, published a detailed technical breakdown of the trailer earlier today. According to their findings, Rockstar’s claims hold up under inspection. The trailer was presented in 4K resolution at 30 frames per second and featured cinematic black bars, resulting in a non-standard 20:9 aspect ratio. More importantly, the resolution was calculated at 2560×1152, which places it just under native 1440p, with signs of image upscaling.
Digital Foundry’s team believes Rockstar is using a spatial upscaling technique, possibly similar to AMD’s first-generation FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR). This would explain the softer image quality, particularly noticeable in distant text or small objects. However, they noted that despite this softness, the visual fidelity is impressive, given the level of detail shown throughout the trailer, from realistic lighting and environmental effects to character animation.’
The analysis supports the idea that Rockstar is pushing its in-house RAGE engine to deliver high-end visuals on current-generation hardware. With the game set to launch on consoles first in 2026, the footage shown is likely a good representation of what players can expect on day one. A PC release is anticipated later, which may bring enhancements once the game is optimized for more powerful systems.
This level of transparency marks a contrast to how some studios have presented their games. Last year, CD Projekt RED teased The Witcher 4 with a pre-rendered trailer built using Unreal Engine 5 and rendered on unannounced high-end NVIDIA hardware—later identified as the GeForce RTX 5090. In comparison, Rockstar’s approach with GTA VI suggests a focus on showing content closer to the actual player experience, at least on consoles.
The official synopsis hints at a crime-driven storyline set in Vice City and the surrounding state of Leonida, with central characters Jason and Lucia navigating a world of criminal conspiracies. As anticipation builds, Rockstar’s commitment to showcasing real-time footage helps ground expectations in what the current generation of consoles can realistically deliver.
Grand Theft Auto VI is set for release in 2026 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. More information and updates can be found on Rockstar’s official website.
Sources: Digital Foundry (Eurogamer), RockstarGames Tweet, Wccftech, Rockstar Intel
