Will I have to buy a PS5 Pro to play Grand Theft Auto VI?
Better graphics, 8K capabilities and much greater resolution - just some of the tech we can expect to see improved in the PS5 Pro
If recent rumours are to be believed, we should be expecting a PS5 Pro console to be released at some point in 2024. How exciting.
That’s good news for console collectors – especially since we’re also expecting Nintendo Switch 2 to arrive this year as well.
We can make some educated guesses as to what improvements the PS5 Pro will bring. Better graphics, 8K capabilities and much greater resolutions, to name just a few potential improvements. The PS5 Prowill give a good polish to titles such as Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and God of War Ragnarok, but there’s a forthcoming title that will demand much greater console power. That would be Grand Theft Auto VI.
Grand Theft Auto VI may be the most hyped video game of all time. It’s already been 11 years since Grand Theft Auto V lured us into its world of criminality, and became one of the most successful games of all time. With its sequel set to drop in the fall of 2025, gamers will want the best possible console to play it on.
Price City
Sony knows this. With a landmark title like Grand Theft Auto VI, Sony will want to bill the PS5 Pro as the console you need to fully immerse yourself in the world of Vice City. Given how Sony were disappointed with its latest quarter sales figures for the PS5, it makes sense that Sony will be keen to piggyback on Grand Theft Auto VI‘s success with a brand new console.
But what does this mean for the customer? Games consoles aren’t cheap. The PS5 remains roughly the same price today as it did on its 2020 launch. Chip shortages have meant that players have only been able to reliably access the PS5 for a couple of years. This is quite the short life-cycle for a games console that was the best on the market not even four years ago. Should gamers be expected to give Sony more of their money so soon, just to play a new title? As someone who has only recently bought a PS5, that would leave a slight sour taste in my mouth.
It could also be argued that the PS5 Pro is coming far too soon. Developers are still yet to truly stretch the limits of the PS5’s capabilities, and there’s still many titles that need to be optimised for the PS5. Waiting a few years could allow developers to truly push (and exhaust) the power of the PS5, and all the games that come with it. That would include Grand Theft Auto VI.
It’s safe to assume that Grand Theft Auto VI won’t be a PS5 Pro exclusive. There is no world where Sony alienates its current gamer base in the pursuit of greater console sales. But should gamers be expected to shell out yet more money to play their favourite games in the best way possible? My answer would have to be no.
Jack Needham
