While former Rockstar North technical director Obbe Vermeij is “blown away” by the beach scenes in the first GTA 6 trailer, he believes the game might not meet the high expectations of players looking for a significant technological leap from GTA 5, which has undergone multiple revisions and re-releases since its original 2013 debut. According to Vermeij, this isn’t so much a reflection on GTA itself, but rather a sign that advancements in computing power today aren’t as striking as they were in the era of the original PlayStation. He suggests that it’s increasingly rare to witness a “jump” comparable to the transition of GTA into 3D.
“Technological change” is a broad term, and what qualifies as a significant “leap” depends on the player—or the hardware company eager to sell you a new graphics card. One moment, “next-gen” is all about the lack of loading screens, and the next, it’s about whether the foliage reacts when you fire a shot.