The new GTA 6 trailer looks unbelievably lifelike: here's why

We already wrote about the newly released second GTA 6 trailer yesterday, predicting a renaissance for the game franchise based on our initial glimpse. Now we've gone back to rewatch it (several times) as fans point out specific technical design aspects that contribute to a stunning sense of realism in the graphics and VFX.

Some fans have been so entranced by the trailer that they've slowed it down by up to 8x to be able to catch more details, like a raccoon rummaging in garbage, light reflecting off beer bottles and parallax occlusion mapping on sand.

Grand Theft Auto VI Trailer 2 - 8X Slowed Ultra HD Cinematic - YouTube

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Some fans have already taken the time to compare GTA 6 graphics against GTA 5 based on the new cinematic. The result is like night and day in both the level of detail an realism of movement, lighting and reflections.

GTA 6 VS GTA 5 GRAPHICS AND DETAILS COMPARISON - YouTube

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5 technical feats in the new GTA 6 trailer

Fans have been picking the Grand Theft Auto VI trailer apart, and they've found a lot to be impressed by. Here are the technical feats that you may have missed.

01. Body physics

Writing on X, the game developer and artist Francesco Piacenti (FR3NKD) has pointed out Rockstar's attention to detail in GTA 6's graphics. He notes the addition body jiggle physics and muscle deformation to make character movements look highly realistic.

02. Complex hair physics and hair shaders

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Hair also behaves much more realistically, with convincing movement and shadows thanks to some complex physics simulation and, as Grizzly Bear points out over on YouTube, some impressive results from Rockstar's hair shader for both head hair and facial hair, including in dark scenes.

03. Light and reflections

Speaking of light, beyond the characters, it's apparent that Rockstar has been working on lighting and reflections in general. There are now realistic reflections in car mirrors and glasses, convincing lens flares, and volumetric clouds, too.

04. Realistic geometry

The geometry of things like fences appears to be true to life and coins and even blades of grass appear to have all been modelled individually.

05. Cinematic Explosions

Highly detailed explosions in the GTA 6 trailer look as realistic as some high-end movie VFX.

06. The raccoon

Yes, guys; the GTA 6 trailer features a raccoon rummaging in the trash! I'll be interested to see if this actually makes it into the game itself.

Technical mastery aside, there have also been plenty of jokes about the content of the new GTA 6 trailer. There's one thing element that no fan seems to have missed.

Perhaps this is why the GTA 6 release date has been pushed back to 26 May 2026. As always, to avoid possible disappointment, we have to remember that this is a cinematic trailer. We've yet to see gameplay, which may not look this impressive.

But overall, fans are much more convinced by this second trailer than they were by the first GTA 6 trailer, which caused several to complain about supposed graphics fails.

For a very different approach to game art and graphics, check out Odd Dorable, a new indie game made using a four-year old child's artwork. And if you're wanting to work on your own masterpiece, see our guide to the best game development software.