Grand Theft Auto 6's Extended Look was a revelation, representing a massive leap forward in visual fidelity and simulation, even when compared against its predecessor running in its ultimate iteration - the Enhanced Edition running on high-end PC with everything maxed. Fundamentally, we're looking at a step change here for the RAGE engine, as opposed to a game that received multiple iterations from launch but is fundamentally built from a foundation designed for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

One of the most noticeable differences lies in character rendering. GTA 5 characters still retain the same basic look as their 2013 launch counterparts with a waxy, plastic-like appearance that relies on normal mapping for fine detail, with subsurface scattering often struggling to replicate the particular look of human skin. In contrast, GTA 6 is on another level, with excellent diffuse and specular response, allowing for nuanced facial expressions. Clothing fidelity is clearly a generation apart too.

Hair technology is similarly enhanced. While GTA 5 displays hair as an undifferentiated mass, the new game uses strand-based hair for main characters and even for many NPCs. This allows for realistic movement, secondary animation and superior lighting diffusion. We may see distance-based reductions in fidelity in the fine game, but the GTA 6 achievement here is brilliant - not just a step beyond GTA 5 but pretty much every title we've seen in this generation too.

One area where there is little change is in animation update. The RAGE engine has a peculiar form of judder we've discussed in the past and it's been the engine for a long time - a GTA 5 artefact that made its way into Red Dead Redemption 2 and into GTA 6. It's as though the update in movement does not move in lock-step with the frame-rate. It's more obvious in GTA 5, but in the sequel, we've seen evidence of it in gameplay too, which is a first.

Lighting sees an interesting level of commonality between the GTA 5 Enhanced Edition and the new game as it appears that Rockstar used changes to the last game almost as a trial for ray tracing features in the upcoming title. High quality ray traced reflections are an impressive feature, but in GTA 5 they are ultimately constrained by the game's lack of a physically-based materials pipeline. Without a carefully authored roughness variation, materials can look rather uniform in GTA 5, so RT reflections don't look quite right. GTA 6 is state-of-the-art, built from the ground up with a modern PBR pipeline, so surfaces like dusty cars or rough concrete react accurately to light.

Lighting tech serves as the primary technical bridge between the two games. GTA 5's Enhanced Edition features high-quality ray-traced reflections that are an impressive addition, yet they are ultimately constrained by the game's non-PBR asset pipeline. Without carefully authored roughness variation, materials in GTA 5 often look uniform, making reflections feel slightly "off" compared to modern expectations. GTA 6 solves this by building its world with modern PBR materials, meaning surfaces like dusty cars or rough concrete react accurately to light.

There are interesting comparisons in shadows and global illumination. The GTA 5 Enhanced Edition employs super ray-traced sun shadow and RTGI (ray-traced global illumination) which adds convincing bounce lighting to the world. However, while GTA 6 uses RTGI extensively, it does look as though conventional shadow maps are used instead, albeit with high quality variable penumbra. RTGI looks beautiful in GTA 6, however, offering an environment that feels lived in and consistent as opposed to the glowy look often seen in modern titles.

The comparisons are interesting, but ultimately, there is the sense that the maxed out PC GTA 5 Enhanced Edition is more of a proving ground for the technologies that were ultimately refined and polished to near perfection for GTA 6. There's a consistency in design and technology that you just won't find by adding modern rendering features to a game primarily designed for seventh generation consoles.

In the process it really looks like Rockstar is setting a new standard for real-time rendering within the constraints set to ninth gen console hardware - and it'll be interesting to see if the visual constraints we do see are mitigated with the extra horsepower of PS5 Pro.