Rockstar explains how 'GTA 6' trailer was made and posts dozens of screenshots

The game is a year out, but there's plenty to chew on right now.
 By 
Alex Perry
 on 
Lucia Caminos in Grand Theft Auto VI
Something tells me people are going to like Lucia. Credit: Rockstar Games

The past week or so has been a real whirlwind for anyone lookin forward to Grand Theft Auto VI.

Last Friday, Rockstar told us the game was delayed to the middle of 2026. Then, on Tuesday, we got a surprise second trailer for the game, full of story bits and some looks at the very realistic and lively looking version of Vice City that acts as its setting. Finally, on Wednesday, Rockstar revealed one more very interesting detail about the trailer itself: It was captured entirely on a base PlayStation 5 console, and apparently features "equal parts" gameplay and cutscenes.

The first part of that announcement is a very pleasant surprise. There's been a vibe online for a while now that Rockstar is creating a game world so large, fully-featured, and vibrant that it will struggle to run on current hardware. Hearing that Rockstar was able to capture all of the footage in this trailer, which does indeed look incredible on a technical level, on a regular PS5, is heartening for folks who thought they'd be left behind without upgrading to at least a PS5 Pro.


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It's tougher to suss out which parts of the trailer are cutscenes and which are gameplay. A large majority of it, to me, looks like cutscenes, but there are a few shots of the protagonists driving cars, airboats, and jet-skis that look like they could conceivably be gameplay footage. None of it is shown from a third-person gameplay camera angle, though, so it's really hard to tell what is and isn't running in real-time.

Beyond all of that, Rockstar posted an absolute bounty of 70 screenshots from the game on its website to go alongside the trailer. There are obviously way too many to share in this one article, but I picked out my favorites.

See the Grand Theft Auto VI screenshots

Vice City screenshot from GTA 6 at sunset
Vice City at sunset. Credit: Rockstar Games
Mount Kalaga national park in GTA 6
Decidedly not Vice City. Credit: Rockstar Games
Women dancing on top of a car in GTA 6
The Miami party vibes are out of control in 'GTA 6.' Credit: Rockstar Games
lucia caminos in still from grand theft auto vi
Lucia Caminos gets locked up. Credit: Rockstar Games
cal hampton in grand theft auto vi
Find your happy place, Cal Hampton. Credit: Rockstar Games
still of DreQuan Priest in grand theft auto 6
A character named DreQuan Priest. Credit: Rockstar Games
Raul Bautista in grand theft auto 6
A character billed as Raul Bautista. Credit: Rockstar Games
still of Leonida Keys in grand theft auto VI
The character Leonida Keys, who has real Florida Woman vibes. Credit: Rockstar Games

There are more than 60 more to sift through beyond that, so have yourself some fun during downtime at work by looking at them and wishing the game was out this month instead of next year.

Topics PlayStation Xbox

journalist alex perry looking at a smartphone
Alex Perry
Tech Reporter

Alex Perry is a tech reporter at Mashable who primarily covers video games and consumer tech. Alex has spent most of the last decade reviewing games, smartphones, headphones, and laptops, and he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. He is also a Pisces, a cat lover, and a Kansas City sports fan. Alex can be found on Bluesky at yelix.bsky.social.

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