If you own an Xbox One and you want to play Grand Theft Auto VI, there is good news - albeit it comes with a catch. For starters, the game still doesn't run on the last-gen console. Rockstar Games built GTA VI for the current generation of consoles so you'll need to upgrade to an Xbox Series S or X to play it natively. However you can still play it on day one by streaming it through Xbox Cloud Gaming, with the heavy lifting done on Microsoft's servers instead of your console.
As per the latest announcement, three Xbox consoles can play GTA VI and each does it differently. For example, an Xbox Series X runs it natively for the best experience. The Xbox Series S does too but at lower settings. An Xbox One cannot run it at all, so streaming is its only route. However you stream though, you get the Series S version of GTA 6, which should come with certain compromises although what it is exactly has yet to be confirmed.
For now, what's only confirmed is that GTA 6 will target 30 frames per second on all current-gen consoles but with certain PlayStation 5 Pro exclusive upgrades.
How to play GTA 6 on Xbox
- Cloud streaming:
- Yes, Series S visuals
Platform | Native play | Cloud streaming | Pre-install |
|---|---|---|---|
Xbox Series X | Yes, best experience | Yes, Series S visuals | Yes |
Xbox Series S | Yes | Yes, Series S visuals | Yes |
Xbox One | No | Yes, Series S visuals | Stream only |
Series X and S play natively or stream, while Xbox One is streaming only.
Owning a console is only half of the conversation. GTA VI is not part of Game Pass, so you buy the game separately whichever way you play. To stream it, you'll also need Xbox Cloud Gaming access, either through a Game Pass tier with monthly streaming hours or, from November 11, by buying standalone cloud playtime hours with no subscription at all in supported markets.
The overall experience depends on your connection. A stream sends video from Microsoft's servers to whatever Xbox console you have at home, so it layers compression, input lag and the odd stutter on top of the game. A weak internet line makes all of that worse. Rockstar targets 30 frames per second on consoles, which is what the stream aims to deliver, though a native install off a Series X or S should provide a better, more steady experience than a cloud feed.
With a fast, stable connection, the gap may be less noticeable. For a shaky one, it is the difference between playing and fighting the picture. Xbox Cloud Gaming runs the game on Microsoft's own servers, while Remote Play is a different thing. Rockstar confirmed it works on both PlayStation and Xbox, streaming GTA VI from a console you already own to another screen, so it needs you to have a current-gen machine running the game in the first place.
You also can't stream GTA VI to a PC or a phone. Previously, we covered a report that Xbox had exclusive cloud rights that seemed to open a day-one PC route, before Xbox strategy chief Matthew Ball knocked it down. The November 10 posts from Xbox and Rockstar match his denial, no PC streaming, no exclusivity, just console cloud play. A native PC version is still not available.
This latest development is a real win for last-gen Xbox owners. An Xbox One that cannot run GTA VI can still stream it on launch day, at Series S quality, with a separate game purchase, Xbox Cloud Gaming access and a good connection. It is not the full native experience and it is not the PC workaround some hoped for, but it means almost no Xbox owner has to sit launch out. For everyone else, your console of choice or the console already in your cabinet decides how Vice City looks.
Speaking of Xbox, did you know that you have a shot at owning a one-of-a-kind Xbox console that may or may not be inspired by GTA VI and its Leonida setting?