GTA 6 on PS4/Xbox One? Why Rockstar‘s Next Magnum Opus is Likely Current-Gen Only

Hey there, fellow gaming enthusiast! It‘s your friendly neighborhood AI and machine learning expert here, ready to dish out some serious tech talk about the next Grand Theft Auto. The hype for GTA 6 is so thick you could cut it with a knife, and everyone‘s wondering – will Rockstar‘s next open-world opus grace the PS4 and Xbox One?

Well, buckle up because we‘re about to take a deep dive into the nitty-gritty technical details, Rockstar‘s historical precedents, and some juicy insider rumors to piece together an answer. Trust me, by the end of this, you‘ll practically be a GTA scholar. Let‘s go!

Past-Gen Hardware is Showing Its Age

First off, let‘s get one thing straight – the PS4 and Xbox One are dinosaurs by today‘s gaming standards. Don‘t get me wrong, they were beasts when they first hit the scene way back in 2013, but father time is undefeated. Check out these specs:

Yeah, those CPUs weren‘t even top-of-the-line when they launched, and now they‘re straight up geriatric. Games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Microsoft Flight Simulator chug on these old consoles like a ‘96 Corolla climbing a steep hill.

Meanwhile, the PS5 and Xbox Series X are packing heat:

We‘re talking lightning-fast custom SSDs, cutting-edge Zen 2 CPUs, and beefy GPUs capable of 4K/60FPS and real-time ray tracing. That‘s the kind of horsepower Rockstar needs to bring their wildest dreams to life.

The Rockstar Way: Innovate, Never Stagnate

Rockstar Games isn‘t just known for open worlds you could get lost in for days – they‘ve always been at the bleeding edge of gaming tech. Since the PS2 days, they‘ve made a habit of harnessing the full potential of consoles to create experiences we never thought possible. Remember these milestones?

• GTA III (2001): Minds were blown by the first 3D GTA on the PS2. An open-world game of this scale and detail was unprecedented.
• GTA: San Andreas (2004): Somehow, Rockstar fit three entire cities and a sprawling countryside onto a PS2 DVD – plus RPG mechanics galore.
• GTA IV (2008): Rockstar‘s first HD game was a technical powerhouse on PS3/Xbox 360. The level of detail and physics simulation in Liberty City was jaw-dropping.
• GTA V (2013): On PS3/Xbox 360, GTA V pushed boundaries with an incredible dynamic world. The enhanced PS4/XB1 version in 2014 was a generational leap in visuals.

The point is, Rockstar just doesn‘t do half measures. They‘re wizards at eking out every last drop of power from consoles and PCs alike. The prospect of them shoe-horning GTA 6 onto the decrepit PS4/XB1 and holding back its true potential is inconceivable.

GTA 6 Aiming for the Stars (AKA the 2020s)

So when exactly is GTA 6 coming out? Well, Rockstar is tighter lipped than a mob boss in court, but the rumor mill has been churning. Insiders like Tom Henderson and Jason Schreier, who have rock solid track records, are hinting at a 2024-2025 release window.

Yep, you read that right – GTA 6 is still years away. Given Rockstar‘s perfectionist approach (just look at the endless delays for Red Dead Redemption 2), this tracks. Plus, the next GTA is rumored to be Rockstar‘s most wildly ambitious game yet, with things like:

• A gigantic map spanning multiple iconic cities (e.g. Vice City and Liberty City)
• A continually evolving world with dynamic events/seasons affecting environments and NPC behaviors
• A revamped physics and animation engine enabling more realistic destructibility, character movement, and vehicle handling
• Unprecedented level of interior locations and enterable buildings
• Real-time ray traced global illumination, reflections, and shadows for unparalleled visual fidelity
• More emphasis on player freedom and emergent encounters

If even half of these rumors are true, squeezing all that into the PS4/XB1‘s measly CPUs and 8GB of RAM is a fool‘s errand. Those consoles were wheezing and sputtering in the late 2010s – imagine how they‘ll handle 2024‘s demands!

By then, the install base for PS5 and Xbox Series will be huge. In its first fiscal year, the PS5 alone sold a whopping 7.8 million units. VGChartz predicts the PS5 will hit 67 million units sold by the end of 2023. The money is clearly in the new hardware.

Storage is a Serious Issue for Old Consoles

Okay, real talk – have you seen how massive games are these days? Call of Duty Warzone gobbles up 200GB on its own, and it‘s not even that big of a map! Imagine how much space GTA 6 will need with its staggeringly detailed world crammed with high-res textures and assets out the wazoo.

The PS4 and XB1 base models rock a pitiful 500GB hard drive (which is more like 400GB after OS and system files). Games already have to get clever with compression and asset duplication trickery to even fit. The PS4 Pro and XB1X offer 1TB, but that‘s still paltry by today‘s standards.

In contrast, the PS5 and Series X have blazing fast 825GB-1TB NVMe SSDs purpose-built for instantly zipping you into open worlds. Those SSDs have crazy high throughput – the PS5‘s can load 2GB of data in a quarter of a second. They can also smartly stream assets in and out of RAM, so devs can pack worlds with way more unique objects and textures.

Rockstar has to think ahead here. By 2024, the average AAA game will likely demand 150GB of storage minimum. GTA 6 could easily smash past 200GB if they go all out. Forcing that beast onto ancient HDDs is like cramming an elephant into a Mini Cooper – it ain‘t happening.

Last-Gen Versions Would Be Heavily Compromised

"Surely Rockstar could just make a separate, downgraded version of GTA 6 for PS4/XB1 like they did with Red Dead Redemption 2!", I can hear some of you saying. Well, let me throw some cold water on that idea.

Firstly, RDR2 was primarily developed before the PS4 Pro and XB1X launched. Rockstar could more easily scale between the base and enhanced consoles since the power gap wasn‘t as massive. The base versions still made huge sacrifices in resolution, frame rate, and detail to run halfway decently.

Secondly, developing two separate versions is a massive resource and time sink. It means splitting your dev team, building two sets of assets (high and low quality), QA testing both versions, patching them separately, and so on. It‘s a project management nightmare.

CD Projekt Red tried going cross-gen with Cyberpunk 2077, and we all know how that turned out. The last-gen versions were an unoptimized, buggy mess because the base PS4/XB1 couldn‘t remotely handle that game‘s demands. CDPR‘s reputation took a huge hit and they‘re still putting out fixes over a year later.

Rockstar is all about quality and the long game, especially after the crunch controversy with RDR2. They‘ll want to focus all their efforts on making the best darn current-gen/PC version possible without last-gen caveats. It‘s just not worth the trade-off.

GTA Online Has Last-Gen Covered

"But wait!", you may be protesting, "What about all the people still playing GTA V on last-gen?". Fear not, for GTA Online has your back.

GTA Online is a different beast from single player GTA. It‘s not trying to simulate a whole open world down to every pebble and puddle. The netcode, physics, and asset streaming are heavily simplified to support online shenanigans.

Rockstar also has experience with supporting multiple generations of GTA Online. Remember, they kept the PS3 and 360 versions going for three whole years after the PS4/XB1 release. As the years went on, those versions got fewer updates and content drops compared to the current-gen, but they still let players hang out and spend money.

It‘s a safe bet that even after GTA 6 launches, Rockstar will keep GTA Online alive on the PS4 and XB1 for a while. Many players aren‘t ready to upgrade and are content with their criminal empires. As long as the Shark Cards keep selling, it‘s a win-win.

But make no mistake, all the exciting evolution will happen in GTA 6‘s Online mode, which will undoubtedly be exclusive to the powerful PS5/XSX/PC platforms. Eventually, just like the PS3/360 versions, the sun will set on last-gen GTA Online once player counts dwindle.

The Verdict: GTA 6 is Next-Gen‘s Crown Jewel

When you stack all the evidence – Rockstar‘s boundary-pushing pedigree, the vast power gulf between console generations, GTA 6‘s titanic ambition and scope, and shifting market tides – the verdict is clear. Grand Theft Auto 6, whenever it speeds onto the scene, is gonna be a current-gen trophy.

The crusty PS4 and Xbox One have fought the good fight, but their days are numbered. By 2024 and beyond, the PS5/XSX will be the defacto standard with install bases north of 100 million. All the bleeding-edge tech, all the design muscle, all the ridiculous production values – that‘s where GTA 6 is destined to shine.

Rockstar has zero reason to hobble their magnum opus to accommodate yesteryear‘s consoles. It‘s antithetical to their philosophy of breaking barriers. Like a grizzled mob boss, Rockstar will put their old PS4/XB1 affairs to bed and embrace the glorious current-gen future.

So to all you diehard last-gen holdouts, it‘s time to face the music. Start saving those pennies for a swanky PS5 or XSX, ‘cause that‘s your one-way ticket to Los Santos or Vice City come 2024. Nostalgia is nice and all, but trust me – GTA 6 in all its new-gen glory will make the upgrade 100% worth it.

‘Til next time friends, keep it classy and happy gaming!