As Sony Fixes PS5 Pro's VRR Stutter, Gamers Ask: Will GTA 6 Get the Upgrade It Deserves?

A key development is unfolding in the gaming landscape. As Sony works to resolve the PS5 Pro's VRR stutter, a big question is on players' minds: will this fix carry over to the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI, providing it with the visual fidelity and strong performance it truly warrants?

Sony rolled out a system update for the PS5 and PS5 Pro on 5 June, resolving the troublesome VRR stuttering. The official release notes for PS5 system update version 25.04-11.40.00 don't mention this specific fix.

Putting The VRR Stutter To Rest

Digital Foundry brought attention to the change in an X post after learning about it through an email exchange with Sony PR.

Confirm your internet connection if you do not receive a system update prompt when starting up. Then, navigate to Settings, then System, and finally System Software. Selecting 'Update System Software' should then get you sorted.

The PS5 and PS5 Pro have struggled with stuttering for months when VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) was active. This was particularly frustrating because VRR is designed to eliminate such issues through its core functionalities.

These capabilities include dynamically matching the console's output with your TV's refresh rate and providing an unrestricted framerate for that supremely fluid visual experience.

What the PS5 Pro Fix Means for You

While these fixes enhance current gaming, resolving such performance issues naturally turns attention to future releases. It leads many to wonder: will Grand Theft Auto VI receive a PS5 Pro-enhanced upgrade that truly elevates its performance? Gamers are certainly weighing in on this very question.

Will GTA VI Truly Shine On PS5 Pro?

To unpack what they observed and grasp any insights from the latest GTA VI trailer – particularly how it might translate into real console gameplay – IGN reached out to Digital Foundry's Alexander Battaglia. As it happens, there's quite a bit we can learn. And it turns out, there's indeed much to discover.

'The trailer is running at 30 fps and is completely made up of — presumably — real-time cutscenes and not gameplay — hence the black bars on the top and bottom of the screen,' Battaglia says. 'I imagine the game's primary target for such cutscenes is 30 fps, and it's likely the same for gameplay.'

Achieving 30 frames per second on the PS5 and Xbox Series X is common. Typically, games offer a 'fidelity' setting, aiming for up to 4K resolution at 30 fps, or a 'performance' option, targeting 60 fps with a reduced resolution.

However, introducing the PS5 Pro signifies Sony's attempts to blend these two approaches, an effort Battaglia believes we will see more of as the game's release date nears.

'Given the image quality in the trailer, which may well be a use of FSR1 (AMD's AI performance-enhancing tool and the basis of PS5 Pro's PSSR) from a low internal resolution, PS5 Pro could enhance image quality through the use of PSSR making a less aliased, more detailed image with less blur.'

GTA VI: The 60 FPS Question

IGN's Matt Kim mentioned he typically favours performance mode over fidelity. However, a major selling point for the PS5 Pro is that this decision may no longer be necessary, as it aims to deliver both. Therefore, even though Digital Foundry anticipates that the PS5 Pro can enhance image quality, the question remains: will GTA VI achieve 60 frames per second on consoles?

During the Digital Foundry tech breakdown shared on YouTube, the panellists generally concurred that GTA VI is unlikely to reach 60 frames per second on consoles. One panellist stated, 'As soon as you have RTGI [Ray Traced Global Illumination], a massive open world, those things tend not to run well at 60 fps... I think everything points to this being a 30 fps game, maybe with a 40 fps mode on some [consoles].'