Highlights

  • A content creator recreated the Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer using footage from GTA 5, highlighting the stark visual differences between the two games.
  • The fan-made video helped fans appreciate the improvements in graphics, including photorealistic lighting, smoother animations, and higher quality textures in GTA 6.
  • Experts predict that the next mainline game in the series will have higher hardware requirements than today's standards, possibly ruling out a Nintendo Switch release but potentially running on Windows-based handhelds.

A content creator faithfully recreated the recently released announcement trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6 using the engine of the upcoming title's predecessor, Grand Theft Auto 5. The fan-made work allowed people to notice the stark visual differences between the two games, and it also helped them appreciate the apparent improvements of Rockstar Games' next open world experience.

More than 160 million people have watched the first trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6 since the teaser was prematurely leaked days prior to its official reveal. In addition to acting as the first official acknowledgment of GTA 6's long-rumored title and setting, the short video provided fans with more details regarding the game, including the names of the protagonists and a 2025 release date. It also showed off GTA 6's graphics, and one content creator has made it easier for people to see just how different they are when compared to GTA 5’s.

A screenshot of a tattoted criminal being taken to court in Grand Theft Auto 6.
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YouTuber RavenwestR1 created an impressive shot-for-shot reproduction of the GTA 6 trailer using footage from GTA 5. While the recordings of the older game could still be described as looking modern, they suddenly looked outdated when compared to the GTA 6 trailer that featured photorealistic lighting, smoother animations, and higher quality textures. The same thing happened when other past Rockstar Games titles were put side-by-side with the GTA 6 trailer.

People who watched RavenwestR1's video claimed it put important perspective on just how more advanced GTA 6 will be compared to its predecessors. Despite first coming out more than a decade ago, GTA 5 actually supports many modern features like support for 4K resolution and ray tracing for the PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles.

As GTA 6 is expected to have these features and produce significantly more impressive visuals, fans should expect the next mainline game in the series to require higher hardware requirements than today's standards. Experts even believe GTA 6 will likely not see a Nintendo Switch release because the game will be too technically demanding, but it might be able to run on Windows-based handhelds, considering people were able to run GTA 5 on something like a Steam Deck.

The GTA 6 teaser did not explicitly state that it used in-game recordings, but former Rockstar Games animator Mike York believes the teaser was entirely shot in the game and featured no pre-rendered footage. However, he also revealed that sometimes developers will touch-up specific scenes or environments of a game to make them look better for marketing. The very first trailer for GTA 5 ended up being an accurate representation of the game, so it is likely that the Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer showed off a true glimpse of what the upcoming open world title will look like.