Story Highlights
  • GTA 6 is aiming for groundbreaking reactivity and NPC density in the open world.
  • This level of simulation will strain CPUs and might even prove tough for the PS5 and Xbox Series X to run.
  • Therefore, an analysis states the Nintendo Switch 2 might be incapable of handling the game.

GTA 6 was the biggest story of December across all of entertainment. With a new trailer showcasing a 2025 release date, Rockstar confirming the lack of a PC port at launch, and the trailer breaking several records, last week was quite hectic for fans of this IP.

However, GTA 6 looks extremely promising, with visuals rarely seen in open-world games. Its scope and ambition are certainly admirable, leading to expectations that the current-generation consoles might not be able to handle more than 30FPS gameplay for this title.

This also puts the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 in a difficult spot. Analysts from Digital Foundry believe that this console is unlikely to run GTA 6.

Why it matters: The Nintendo Switch sold north of 130 million units. If its predecessor is met with similar success, it would be a big platform for any developer to explore.

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The Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to launch in 2024. Using a Tegra T239, this console will be a major bump in specifications over the existing Nintendo hardware.

With dedicated ray-tracing tech and DLSS capabilities, it should handle many games with a combination of ray-tracing and DLSS at 1080p or lower resolutions. However, analysis has found that it will still be inferior to the current-gen consoles.

This is bad news for Nintendo since GTA 6 will require hardware on par with the Xbox Series S to function well. The report states that this type of game will be too tall an order for Nintendo’s upcoming console. Experts said:

“I’d love to say it will happen. I don’t think it will.”

They have found that GTA 6 currently uses ray tracing in addition to its impressive NPC density and simulations in the open world. When combined, these elements will push CPUs to their limits, likely proving too difficult to run for the mobile Nvidia chip in the Nintendo Switch 2.

Nintendo Switch

While the original Nintendo Switch had its fair share of impossible ports, GTA 5 was never one of them. Recent games like Batman Arkham Knight show that open-world games don’t pair well with limited hardware.

It seems its successor will suffer a similar fate, though Rockstar would likely use the opportunity to port GTA 5 on Nintendo platforms for the first time if this ends up being the case.

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Avinash Jaisrani
[How-To Guides Expert] Laiba, our tech guru at HI Digital, simplifies and crafts How-To Guides with a Google IT Support Certificate. Beyond tech, she captures the city's aesthetics through her lens. Join her journey where tech meets creativity! Get In Touch: Laiba@hidgt.com Google IT Certificate Shehryar Khan