20 November 2025

If RDR2 Perfected Visuals and Physics 7 years ago, How Much Better Can GTA 6 Really Get?

By newsgame

The wait for Grand Theft Auto 6 has been just as much of a hot topic as the game itself, and with Rockstar recently delaying it once more, a few more months have been added. Grand Theft Auto 6 is expected to be a historic launch for the industry, but with such immense hype also comes huge expectations. I, like tons of others, am practically foaming at the mouth for GTA 6 to finally get here, but the longer the wait gets, the more concerns I have, too.

As excited as I am, I make sure to remind myself that I have to keep my expectations in check, especially when it comes to GTA 6‘s visuals. Over the years, games have increasingly looked more and more realistic, with many being incredibly immersive. Rockstar, in particular, has always seemed to have a special skill for bringing worlds to life. Now that the developer is gearing up to have one of its biggest launches ever with GTA 6, I keep wondering how it will look compared to Red Dead Redemption 2, because it’s going to be incredibly difficult to improve upon what Rockstar managed to achieve with that game.

GTA 6‘s new release date is set for November 19, 2026.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is Still Considered a Masterpiece When it Comes to Visuals and Physics, Which Could Actually Hurt GTA 6

Rockstar released Red Dead Redemption 2 in 2018.
Despite its age, the game is still used to measure how good new releases look.

RDR2 launched for a last-gen console and still oftentimes looks better than brand-new games. Across the internet, when a new AAA game releases, there is almost always someone commenting, “RDR2 looks better.” Even for those who don’t like RDR2, it’s hard to deny that it’s one of the best looking games ever made. From the lighting to the attention to detail, Rockstar knocked it out of the park with the western adventure. What’s even more shocking is looking at comparisons between GTA 5 and RDR2. There were five years between their launches, but RDR2 looks a full decade ahead of its Rockstar predecessor in terms of visuals and realistic physics.

On the one hand, it makes the promise of GTA 6 that much more exciting, but on the other, it could leave some players feeling left down at launch, at least for a little bit. Granted, GTA 6 is bound to have better visuals and physics than RDR2, but it’s really hard to imagine a scenario where it one-ups the western by leaps and bounds, like RDR2 did with GTA 5. Even from the two GTA 6 trailers that have been released, it’s clear that the game is incredibly visually impressive. However, it doesn’t look exceedingly different from RDR2‘s visuals, and that might kickstart some post-launch debate about whether realistic graphics and physics have mostly hit their limits or not.

The first Red Dead Redemption is coming to the Switch 2 on December 2, 2025. After that, many are hoping for RDR2 to be ported. There are even rumors that Rockstar is considering a Switch 2 port for GTA 6, but this should be taken with a grain of salt.

Can Visuals and Physics in Gaming Really Get That Much Better After RDR2?

These Are Some of the Most Visually Realistic Games Since RDR2

The Last of Us Part 2
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
Alan Wake 2
Ghost of Yotei
God of War Ragnarok
Cyberpunk 2077
Ghost of Tsushima

Whether it’s the realistic brutality of The Last of Us Part 2 or the mind-bending, but lifelike, design of Alan Wake 2, the games on this list have all hit their visual limits. It’s truly difficult to imagine them looking any better without just completely making them fully live-action films. RDR2 will be able to look slightly better with a current gen upgrade, but honestly, it may not be by much. RDR2 and this list of visual powerhouses might be a sign that it’s time for the industry to steer away from trying to make games look as realistic as possible and pivot that focus to something else.

GTA 6 might be the deciding factor in this. Once GTA 6 launches, it could be a stark demonstration that game development has likely hit the heights of achieving realism. Of course, it’s also hard to say what else is possible with visuals and physics when it’s unclear what the next-gen PlayStation and Xbox consoles are capable of, but even if games can get more realistic, it makes me wonder if they even should be.

GTA 6 is bound to have better visuals and physics than RDR2, but it’s really hard to imagine a scenario where it one-ups the western by leaps and bounds, like RDR2 did with GTA 5.

GTA 6 is Going to Transform the Industry in More Ways Than One

Yes, GTA 6 is going to rake in a staggering amount of money and potentially even ignite a new price point for AAA titles, but it also may signal a change in direction for in-game visuals and physics. If GTA 6 doesn’t move RDR2‘s visual needle too much, then some developers may start putting their attention to other features, like stylistic character design and even deeper, more complex stories. There are plenty of games around that have these qualities, but narrative-building and unique designs could be more common in discussion about what makes a game good instead of how it looks.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a great example of this hypothetical post-GTA 6 world I’m dreaming of. Visually, the game is still stunning and has fantastic physics, but it also doesn’t get hung up on realism. The character designs are more stylistic, but it still clearly looks like a modern game. The success and praise that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has seen might be the ripples that create a larger wave of future games that can finally shake the years-long question, “But does it look better than RDR2?”

Of course, only time will tell, and RDR2 still may continue to be the ultimate test of a game’s visual success for years to come, but I hope not. I stand by the claim that RDR2 is one of the greatest games ever made, but I also don’t think lifelike graphics and physics have to be the epitome of great development. GTA 6 is going to look fantastic. It may not look much better than RDR2, but it’s still going to look great, and it will hopefully also serve as a reminder that realism isn’t everything.