GTA 6 PS4 Version Leaves Gamers Torn, And We Can See Why

A Sony leak has revealed what appears to be a PlayStation 4 version of Grand Theft Auto 6, and fans aren’t sure what to think about it. The upcoming game, easily the most anticipated release of the year, recently popped up in a PlayStation database, suggesting that preorder sales could begin soon.

However, some fans, including @yAmethxst on X (formerly Twitter), noticed a strange detail: a PS4 version of GTA 6 also appeared in Sony’s database. GTA 6 is currently only confirmed for the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S; there’s not even a release date for a PC version, so for such a major game to go cross-generation so late in the PS5’s lifecycle seems weird, to say the least.

Will GTA 6 Really Be On PS4?

It seems unlikely

According to @yAmethxst on Twitter, a PS4 version of GTA 6 recently appeared in an internal Sony database alongisde other games available on the PlayStation Store. Ordinarily, this means Sony has set up a game’s PSN page, and is about to make it ready for preorder.

The choice of platform, however, struck many as unusual here. Rockstar hasn’t announced a PS4 version of GTA 6, and, while it’s not unheard of for some games to release cross-generation, that sort of thing isn’t typical for a big, graphically demanding title like GTA 6.

More likely, this is just a mistake on Sony’s part, like someone ticked a “PS4” box where they should’ve ticked “PS5,” or whatever the case may be. Or, some fans have suggested, this listing could be for an older, since-scrapped PS4 version. Remember, GTA 6 has been in development for over a decade; when Rockstar first started working on it, they were well within the PS4 era, and may have considered releasing GTA 6 on it.

Gamers Are Agreed: GTA 6 Should Be Current-Gen Only

“Way too ambitious to be held back”

Nice as it’d be to see a greater number of players able to access GTA 6 from day one, most fans aren’t convinced that a PS4 option would be a good idea, even if it were real. The replies of a Twitter thread discussing the leak are flooded with GIFs showing fiery explosions of every shape and size, suggesting PS4 consoles trying to run GTA 6 would get so overheated they’d blow.

From a more levelheaded perspective, though, another user said what we’ve all been thinking. “GTA 6 looks way aqmbitious to be held back by last-gen hardware.” In order to make GTA 6 work on the PS4, Rockstar would probably have to sacrifice certain graphical or gameplay elements from the current-gen version. Rather than accept a lesser version of GTA 6 for compatibility’s sake, players want the full experience, even if that means it’ll be PS5-only.

However, some fans say it’s still possible, citing leaks that showed Rockstar developers playing test builds of GTA 6 with what looked like PS4 UI. At least one player praised Rockstar for “still thinking in backwards compatibility,” but whether those leaks were real, we can’t say with any certainty.

It just doesn’t seem likely that such a modern title like GTA 6 would be able to run on a PS4. There are many simpler explanations that seem a lot more plausible. So I wouldn’t get my hopes up for Grand Theft Auto 6 on the PS4, no matter what pops up on Sony’s database.