1. The RAGE 9 Leap: Beyond Red Dead Redemption 2
We thought Red Dead Redemption 2 was the peak. RAGE 9 proves it was just the prototype. The new iteration of Rockstar's proprietary engine has moved almost entirely to Physically Based Rendering (PBR) pipeline that handles material density, not just texture.
When you crash a car in GTA VI, the metal doesn't just crumple based on a pre-set animation. The engine calculates the velocity, the angle of impact, and the structural integrity of the specific vehicle part. We have seen chassis twist, axles snap, and glass shatter in procedural patterns that never repeat. This is "Soft Body Physics" applied to an open world scale, something previously only seen in tech demos like BeamNG.drive.
2. Hydro-Physics: The Ocean is Alive
Since Leonida is based on Florida, water is everywhere. Rockstar knew the old "flat plane" water texture wouldn't cut it. RAGE 9 introduces a real-time Fluid Dynamics System.
WaveWorks Integration: The ocean is no longer a static animation. Waves possess mass and drag. Driving a speedboat against the current feels heavy; the boat slams down physically, and the water displacement is calculated in real-time. Subsurface Scattering: Underwater rendering has seen a massive upgrade. Light refracts correctly through the silt and depth, creating murky visibility in the swamps and crystal clear turquoise in the Keys. If you stand in the surf, the water doesn't just clip through your legs; it flows around them, creating foam and drag. It is, without hyperbole, the best water ever rendered in a game.
3. Euphoria 2.0: Muscle and Pain
Rockstar's use of the Euphoria physics engine has always been legendary, but GTA VI introduces Euphoria 2.0. This system simulates a central nervous system for every NPC.
- Self-Preservation: In GTA V, if you shot an NPC, they went limp (Ragdoll). In GTA VI, they react to the impact force but try to stay standing. They stumble, reach out to grab a wall for balance, or clutch the specific area of injury.
- Weight Distribution: Hand-to-hand combat feels visceral because of "Inverse Kinematics" (IK). When you punch someone, your character's fist connects with their jaw, and their head snaps back based on the force. It doesn't feel like a canned animation; it feels like a physics collision. It’s brutal, realistic, and incredibly impressive.
4. The "Florida Man" AI: Generative Chaos
The biggest criticism of open worlds is that NPCs feel like robots. Rockstar solved this by leaning into the meme: "Florida Man" energy.
The AI system in GTA VI is designed for Emergent Behavior. NPCs interact with each other without player input. We observed traffic accidents where the drivers got out, argued, and exchanged insurance info (or started a fistfight) while we just watched from the sidewalk. We saw alligators wander into gas stations, causing NPCs to panic or—in true Florida fashion—try to take a selfie with the beast. The world doesn't revolve around the player; it exists despite the player.
5. Lighting: Ray-Traced Global Illumination (RTGI)
Vice City at night is a stress test for any GPU. The neon lights of Ocean Drive are not "baked" lighting. RAGE 9 utilizes a hybrid Ray-Traced Global Illumination solution.
This means pink neon signs reflect accurately in puddles, on car hoods, and even in the sweat on a character's skin. The shadows are soft and diffuse where they need to be. Combined with the Volumetric Cloud system (an evolution of RDR2's clouds), the atmospheric lighting creates sunsets that look indistinguishable from real life. Flying a plane through a thunderstorm, seeing the lightning illuminate the volumetric cumulonimbus clouds from the inside, is a spiritual experience.
6. The Cost: The 30FPS Reality
Now, the hard truth. On both the **PS5 Pro** and **Xbox Series X**, GTA VI targets 30 FPS. Some gamers are disappointed, but from an engineering standpoint, it is understandable. The CPU load required to calculate the AI routines, the water physics, and the soft-body car damage is immense. The GPU could handle 60fps at lower resolution, but the CPU is the bottleneck.
However, the Frame Pacing is perfect. It is a rock-solid, cinematic 30fps. On the PS5 Pro, the PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) upscaling makes the image look incredibly sharp, almost native 4K.
7. Verdict: The New Standard
GTA VI is not perfect. We have seen physics glitches where cars launch into space. But these are the side effects of a true simulation.
Rockstar Games has once again moved the goalposts. They haven't just created a game; they have built a virtual world that simulates physics, biology, and sociology. For the next decade, every open-world game will be asked the same unfair question: "But is the physics as good as GTA VI?" The answer will likely be "No."