GTA 6 and your PC: What to upgrade and how to save money

GTA 6 is coming, and gamers are ticking down to release. But with Rockstar's next-gen graphics and enormous open world, there's one elephant in the room: can your PC cope? If you're not playing on a console, now's the time to assess your rig. But don't worry, this article will dissect the exact hardware that you'll need to upgrade for GTA 6, and what components you can safely skip to save some pennies.


1. Upgrade: Graphics card (GPU)


The largest performance driver for GTA 6 will be your GPU. Rockstar's new Vice City is rumored to have ray tracing, heavy traffic, and dynamic weather, all GPU-heavy elements. If you're still rocking a GTX 10-series or older, you'll need to upgrade. An RTX 3060 or RX 6700 XT should provide smooth 1080p action, while an RTX 3080 or RX 6800 XT is where you want to be for high settings at 1440p or 4K.


2. Upgrade: Solid-state drive (SSD)


GTA 6 will probably need Direct Storage support in order to load enormous assets promptly, particularly while driving quickly or changing locations. If you still play the game on an HDD, it's about time you upgrade. A NVMe SSD will not only satisfy anticipated needs but also provide you with blindingly fast load times for all games.


3. Save: Your power supply (if it's recent)


Concerned about having to buy a new PSU? You may not have to. The vast majority of contemporary power supplies (particularly 650W+ from reputable manufacturers) are more than sufficient for current CPUs and GPUs. Provided you're upgrading from a low-end PC to a high-end GPU, your PSU may be perfectly adequate.


4. Save: Your CPU (if it's mid-tier and recent)


GTA 6 will be helped by a decent CPU, but you don't require the new i9 or Ryzen 9. If you possess something in the line of an i5-10600K or a Ryzen 5 3600, you might just about manage. CPU bottlenecks are less important than GPU bottlenecks for this game, at least at 1080p.


5. Upgrade (Optional): RAM


While 16 GB RAM can be expected as the bare minimum, 32 GB is advisable for more fluid multitasking and asset streaming. Dual-channel RAM is a requirement. It is a fairly affordable and straightforward upgrade that can enhance overall system responsiveness.


GTA 6 looks to be Rockstar's most ambitious game ever, but you don't need to replace your entire PC to play it. Prioritize upgrading your GPU and storage first and only think about other upgrades if your system is really ancient. A few wise decisions now will make your wallet smile and your system ready for launch day.


Also Read: 5 reasons why Vice City is the perfect setting for GTA 6