Gaming Expert Issues Warning After Rockstar Releases New GTA 6 Screenshots

The big day is closer than ever, and after nearly 13 years of waiting, the next entry in the Grand Theft Auto series is mere touching distance away. With GTA V being kept alive by the behemoth that is GTA Online, we can't blame Rockstar Games and publisher Take-Two Interactive for milking us for all we're worth.

While there are still questions about what will happen to GTA Online and whether it'll get a whole new version akin to Call of Duty: Warzone, let's save those fears for another day.

Rockstar Games has just given us our best look yet at GTA VI, with 63 new screenshots showing off what's changed in Vice City since we first went there with Tommy Vercetti in 2002.

Rockstar Celebrates GTA VI Pre-Orders With New Screenshots

Rockstar Games

PLAYSTATION PRE-ORDER: Playstation UK | Walmart | Amazon UK | Amazon US

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Today, GTA VI pre-orders have gone live (June 25), as millions of players get ready to splash the cash and stump up the $79.99 price of admission. Those willing to flex for the Ultimate Edition will be paying $99.99...without a disc.

Although many are still hoping for a third trailer to celebrate pre-order day, Rockstar has instead given us a slew of screenshots. Most of these are to drum up interest in squeezing that extra $20 out of us, showing off Ultimate Edition perks like customisation options for Jason and Lucia, as well as exclusive weapon variants and vehicles. There's also the Vintage Vice City pack, which gives us a taste of Tommy's times with some retro-inspired cosmetics.

We've got to admit that it's pretty cool that we'll be able to give Jason and Lucia looks depending on what mood we're feeling in, but this isn't exactly The Sims. More than this, we're warned that these glossy shots might not be representative of the finished product. Does anyone remember when Cyberpunk 2077 launched, and it looked like it was running on a potato on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One?

Digital Foundry's GTA VI Warning

Rockstar Games

Known for picking apart video games to reveal what's really going on under the hood, Digital Foundry has reiterated that the GTA VI screenshots might be a little too good. Saying there's an "unprecedented level of polish going into the game," the outlet said ray-traced reflections are a big selling point here. Praising the RAGE engine's ability to handle transparent elements, Digital Foundry also gushes about Jason and Lucia's hair rendering, as well as the volumetrics used for fog and smoke to add depth to each location. So what's the catch?

Even though we've already been told that PlayStation is going to be the optimum way to play, things could be about to get a lot worse for Xbox fans. Digital Foundry questions how these screenshots have been captured, adding: "To be clear, we find it unlikely that these are real-time results on PS5, Xbox Series X - or in the best case on console, PS5 Pro."

Admitting we could be pleasantly surprised when GTA VI rolls around, Digital Foundry notes that this 'pristine image quality' suggests a native 4K render. It also says it would be easy for Rockstar to capture the perfect promo shot with settings dialled up to 11, not necessarily giving gamers an accurate look at what's to come.

One way to debunk all of this would be for Rockstar to release a gameplay trailer confirming what console footage has been captured on. Oh well, we can only dream.

READ MORE: GTA 6 Limited Time DLC Confirmed, How To Claim As Pre-Orders Finally Arrive