Cyberpunk 2077 to GTA VI: The Future of Open World Graphics

The visual landscape of open-world gaming is shifting rapidly. For years, Cyberpunk 2077 has stood as the graphical benchmark for PC gaming, particularly regarding lighting and reflection technology. However, the debut trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA VI) has signaled a new era of fidelity. By analyzing current engine technology, we can map out exactly how open worlds are evolving from Night City to Vice City.

The Benchmark: Cyberpunk 2077 and Path Tracing

To understand where graphics are going, you must look at where they currently peak. CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077, specifically with the “Overdrive Mode” update, introduced full path tracing to open-world games. Unlike standard ray tracing which might only handle shadows or reflections, path tracing simulates the physics of light throughout the entire scene.

This technology allows for:

• Accurate Global Illumination: Light bounces off colored surfaces and affects the surrounding area. A red neon sign will naturally tint a nearby grey concrete wall.
• Shadow Softness: Shadows become sharper or softer based on the distance from the light source, mimicking real-world physics.

However, this visual fidelity comes at a massive computational cost. It relies heavily on NVIDIA’s DLSS 3.5 (Deep Learning Super Sampling) and Ray Reconstruction to run at playable framerates. This reliance on AI upscaling is a key trend. Future open worlds will likely prioritize AI-assisted rendering over raw native resolution to manage these dense graphical loads.

The RAGE Engine Evolution: What GTA VI Brings

Rockstar Games operates on its proprietary technology known as the Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE). While Cyberpunk 2077 pushed lighting, GTA VI appears to be pushing density and physics simulation to unprecedented levels. Analysts suggest the game runs on an iteration often referred to as RAGE 9.

Based on the trailer released in December 2023, several technical leaps are visible that distinguish it from previous titles:

1. High-Fidelity Character Density

The “Washington Beach” scene in the GTA VI trailer displayed a crowd density significantly higher than GTA V or Cyberpunk 2077. In most games, crowd NPCs (non-playable characters) use low-quality models to save processing power. GTA VI shows distinct body types, clothing physics, and unique behaviors for dozens of characters on screen simultaneously. This suggests the engine has made a breakthrough in memory management, allowing distinct assets to load without crashing the console.

2. Hair and Skin Physics

Character models, specifically the protagonist Lucia, showcase strand-based hair physics rather than the traditional “helmet hair” meshes used in older games. The trailer demonstrated hair reacting to wind and movement independently. Furthermore, the skin textures utilize advanced subsurface scattering. This is a lighting technique that simulates how light penetrates translucent objects (like skin) and scatters inside, giving characters a fleshy, realistic look rather than a plastic appearance.

3. Water Simulation

Rockstar has reportedly invested heavily in real-time water physics. The trailer featured speedboats creating complex wakes that interacted with other waves. Unlike Cyberpunk 2077, where water is mostly a static surface, the RAGE engine treats water as a physical volume. This impacts gameplay, as wave height and choppiness will likely affect vehicle handling and physics in real time.

Unreal Engine 5 vs. Proprietary Tech

While Rockstar uses RAGE, the rest of the industry is largely moving toward Unreal Engine 5 (UE5). This context is vital for understanding the broader future of graphics. CD Projekt Red has already announced that the sequel to Cyberpunk 2077 (Project Orion) will use UE5 instead of their internal REDengine.

UE5 introduces two specific technologies that compete with what we see in GTA VI:

• Nanite: This virtualized geometry system allows developers to import film-quality assets directly into the game. It eliminates the need for “LODs” (Levels of Detail), meaning objects do not pop in or change shape as you get closer to them.
• Lumen: A fully dynamic global illumination solution. It reacts immediately to scene and light changes, similar to the path tracing in Cyberpunk but generally less taxing on hardware.

The future of open-world graphics is a battle between these proprietary engines (like RAGE) optimized for specific gameplay loops and generalist powerhouses like UE5 that democratize high-end lighting.

The Hardware Reality Check

The visual leap promised by GTA VI and the updated Cyberpunk comes with hardware constraints. GTA VI is launching on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. These consoles possess fixed hardware capabilities.

To achieve the visuals shown in the trailer, developers are likely utilizing:

• Variable Rate Shading (VRS): This prioritizes GPU power for the parts of the screen the player is looking at, reducing detail in peripheral vision or shadows to save performance.
• Dynamic Resolution: The game will likely not run at a native 4k. Instead, it will render at a lower resolution (perhaps 1440p) and upscale the image to fit 4k screens.

There is significant debate regarding frame rates. While PC gamers with RTX 4090 cards enjoy 60+ FPS in path-traced Cyberpunk, the density of GTA VI may force console players to accept 30 FPS modes to maintain the high graphical fidelity involving complex physics and AI calculations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What engine does GTA VI use? GTA VI uses the Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE). It is widely believed to be an updated version (possibly RAGE 9) designed specifically for current-generation consoles.

Does GTA VI have better graphics than Cyberpunk 2077? It depends on the metric. Cyberpunk 2077 on a high-end PC with Path Tracing currently offers the most realistic lighting calculations. However, GTA VI appears to surpass it in terms of crowd density, physics simulation, and animation realism.

Will GTA VI run at 60 FPS on PS5? This is currently unconfirmed. Given the extreme graphical fidelity and simulation complexity shown in the trailer, many experts predict a 30 FPS quality mode will be standard, potentially with a lower-resolution performance mode targeting 60 FPS.

What is Path Tracing? Path tracing is an advanced form of ray tracing. It unifies all lighting sources (shadows, reflections, global illumination) into a single algorithm that simulates the physics of light rays bouncing around a scene. It is currently the “Holy Grail” of rendering.