[Last Updated: February 2026]
[This guide will be fully updated on GTA 6 PC launch day with tested, verified settings.]
When GTA 6 hits PC (expected Fall 2027), you’ll want optimized settings from Day 1 instead of spending hours tweaking sliders. Based on RDR2’s extensive settings menu and GTA 6’s confirmed technical features, we’ve prepared settings templates for every GPU tier.
This guide covers expected settings categories, which ones impact performance most, and our recommended configurations for each hardware level.
Expected Settings Menu: What to Expect
RDR2 had one of the most comprehensive settings menus in PC gaming history. GTA 6 will likely follow suit. Here’s what we expect:
Display Settings
- Resolution (up to 8K)
- Display Mode (Fullscreen, Windowed, Borderless)
- Refresh Rate
- V-Sync / G-Sync / FreeSync
- HDR toggle (HDR10 / Dolby Vision)
- Aspect Ratio
Upscaling Settings
- NVIDIA DLSS 4 (Quality/Balanced/Performance/Ultra Performance)
- DLSS Frame Generation (On/Off)
- AMD FSR 3 (Quality/Balanced/Performance/Ultra Performance)
- FSR Frame Generation (On/Off)
- Intel XeSS
- NVIDIA Reflex (On/On+Boost)
Graphics Quality Settings
- Overall Quality Preset (Low/Medium/High/Ultra)
- Texture Quality
- Anisotropic Filtering
- Shadow Quality
- Shadow Distance
- Volumetric Lighting/Fog
- Reflection Quality
- Water Quality
- Vegetation Quality
- Vegetation Draw Distance
- Ambient Occlusion (SSAO/HBAO+/RTAO)
- Particle Quality
- Population Density
- Population Variety
Ray Tracing Settings
- Ray-Traced Reflections (Off/Medium/High/Ultra)
- Ray-Traced Global Illumination (Off/Medium/High)
- Ray-Traced Shadows (Off/On)
- Path Tracing (Off/On — requires high-end GPU)
Advanced Settings
- Extended Draw Distance (GTA PC exclusive feature)
- High-Resolution Shadows
- Extended Shadow Distance
- Motion Blur (Off/Low/High)
- Depth of Field
- Lens Flare
Settings That Impact FPS the Most
Based on RDR2 and current AAA game trends, these settings have the biggest performance impact:
- Ray Tracing (30-50% FPS hit) — The single biggest performance killer. Turn it off if you need FPS.
- Shadow Quality + Distance (15-25% impact) — Dropping from Ultra to High recovers significant FPS with minimal visual difference.
- Volumetric Lighting (10-20% impact) — Beautiful but expensive. Medium is usually the sweet spot.
- Vegetation Draw Distance (10-15% impact) — Reducing from Ultra to High saves FPS in rural Leonida areas.
- Population Density (5-15% impact) — CPU-dependent. Lowering this reduces both GPU and CPU load in Vice City.
- Extended Draw Distance (5-10% impact) — PC exclusive setting. Turning it off or down recovers FPS.
Settings That Cost Almost Nothing
- Texture Quality: Mostly VRAM-dependent. If you have enough VRAM, Ultra textures are nearly free in terms of FPS.
- Anisotropic Filtering: Set to 16x always. Virtually zero FPS cost on modern GPUs.
- Motion Blur: Personal preference. Turning it off doesn’t gain FPS but many players prefer the clarity.
Recommended Settings by GPU Tier
Budget Tier: RTX 4060 / RX 7600 (1080p Target)
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 1080p |
| DLSS/FSR | Quality mode + Frame Gen ON |
| Overall Preset | High |
| Shadows | Medium |
| Volumetric Lighting | Medium |
| Ray Tracing | OFF |
| Population Density | Medium |
| Draw Distance | Medium |
| Expected FPS | 55-65 FPS |
Mid-Range: RTX 4070 / RX 7800 XT (1440p Target)
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 1440p |
| DLSS/FSR | Quality mode + Frame Gen ON |
| Overall Preset | High |
| Shadows | High |
| Volumetric Lighting | High |
| Ray Tracing | Reflections Only (Medium) |
| Population Density | High |
| Draw Distance | High |
| Expected FPS | 60-70 FPS |
High-End: RTX 5070 / RTX 4080 (1440p Ultra Target)
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 1440p |
| DLSS | Balanced + Frame Gen ON |
| Overall Preset | Ultra |
| Shadows | Ultra |
| Volumetric Lighting | Ultra |
| Ray Tracing | Reflections + GI (High) |
| Population Density | Ultra |
| Draw Distance | Ultra |
| Expected FPS | 65-80 FPS |
Enthusiast: RTX 5080 / RTX 5090 (4K Target)
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 4K |
| DLSS | Quality + Frame Gen ON |
| Everything | MAXED |
| Path Tracing | ON (5090 only) |
| Expected FPS | 60-80 FPS |
Day 1 Optimization Tips
- Update your GPU drivers: Both NVIDIA and AMD release Game Ready / day-one drivers for major launches. Install them before playing.
- Start with the High preset: Don’t start at Ultra. Begin at High, check your FPS, then selectively increase settings.
- Enable DLSS/FSR immediately: There’s no reason not to. Quality mode looks nearly identical to native and boosts FPS significantly.
- Turn on Frame Generation: If you have an RTX 40/50 series or use FSR 3, enable Frame Gen for a massive perceived FPS boost.
- Disable Motion Blur: Personal preference, but most competitive and clarity-focused players prefer it off.
- Use Fullscreen mode: Borderless Windowed adds latency. Fullscreen gives the best performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What settings should I use for GTA 6 on RTX 4060?
1080p, High preset, DLSS Quality + Frame Generation ON, Ray Tracing OFF, Shadows Medium. This should achieve 55-65 FPS.
Should I use DLSS or FSR for GTA 6?
Use DLSS on NVIDIA GPUs — it produces better image quality. Use FSR on AMD GPUs. Both are worthwhile and significantly boost performance.
Is ray tracing worth the performance cost?
At 1080p with mid-range hardware: no. At 1440p+ with high-end hardware (RTX 5070+): yes, the visual improvement in reflections and lighting is significant in Vice City’s neon-lit streets.
Will GTA 6 support ultrawide monitors?
Likely yes, based on RDR2’s ultrawide support. Expect 21:9 and possibly 32:9 support, though cutscenes may be letterboxed.
What FPS should I target for GTA 6?
60 FPS is the sweet spot for a single-player open-world game. Higher is better for multiplayer. If you have a 144Hz monitor, aim for 80+ FPS in online mode.
