GTA 6 is coming to Xbox One after all, although not quite in the way you might expect.
Microsoft has confirmed that the game will be playable through Xbox Cloud Gaming from 19 November, giving owners of its ageing console a way to explore Leonida without buying new hardware.
The catch is that this isn’t a native Xbox One release. Instead, Microsoft will stream the game from its cloud servers, with every session running at Xbox Series S graphics settings. That means players won’t get the full visual experience offered by more powerful consoles, but it’s a reasonable compromise for a machine that would otherwise miss out on Rockstar’s biggest release in years.
According to Microsoft’s Xbox Wire announcement, cloud access will be available on launch day, although the company has made one rather unusual decision. Despite Xbox Cloud Gaming already working across Windows PCs, smartphones, browsers and smart TVs, GTA 6 streaming will be restricted to Xbox consoles at launch.
That’s particularly disappointing for PC players, who are still waiting for a native version of the game. Cloud gaming could have offered a straightforward way to play on launch day without waiting for Rockstar to release a PC port, but Microsoft’s restriction closes off that option for now.
There’s no confirmed explanation for the decision, especially when the streaming technology already supports those devices.
Performance will also come with some compromises. All cloud sessions will use the Xbox Series S graphics configuration, while Rockstar is reportedly targeting 30fps across consoles, including the PS5 Pro. The exact visual settings haven’t been detailed, so it’s difficult to say how much cloud players will be giving up compared with those running the game locally.
There is another catch, and this one could prove more frustrating than the graphics. GTA 6 won’t be included with Xbox Game Pass, meaning players will need to purchase the game separately before streaming it.
Microsoft is also introducing monthly cloud gaming allowances, with Essential subscribers getting five hours, Premium members receiving 10 hours and Ultimate subscribers limited to 15 hours.
For a game that’s likely to keep players busy for dozens of hours, those limits aren’t particularly generous. Anyone planning a long weekend in Leonida could burn through an entire month’s allowance before making much progress, leaving them to buy additional streaming time or wait for their hours to reset.
Microsoft is offering standalone cloud gaming time as another option, with Insider preview pricing starting at $3.99 for 10 hours, rising to $7.99 for 25 hours and $11.99 for 50 hours. Those prices aren’t necessarily final and may differ by region, but they give an indication of what playing GTA 6 without a newer console could cost.
GTA 6 launches on 19 November, with Xbox One cloud streaming available from the same day.
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