As the long wait for Grand Theft Auto VI continues, fans are finding new ways to appreciate what Rockstar has been building. The latest obsession? Towels. A side‑by‑side image comparison circulating on Reddit pits a towel from GTA 5 against one spotted in a GTA VI screenshot—and the difference is nothing short of staggering.
A Study in Fidelity
In the GTA V image, the towel appears flat, with a simple repeating pattern and little to no texture depth. It looks like what it is: a low‑resolution texture from a game originally designed for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 hardware, even after multiple re‑releases and enhancements.
In the GTA VI screenshot, the towel next to protagonist Lucia is a revelation. Individual fibers are visible. The fabric has a soft, realistic fold. The lighting catches the texture in a way that mimics real life. It’s a small, seemingly mundane object, but it encapsulates the generational leap Rockstar is aiming for.
The comparison doesn’t stop at fabric. The mobile device resting beside Lucia has sharp, realistic edges, accurate screen reflections, and the kind of material shading that was impossible a decade ago. The lighting, shadows, and ambient occlusion all contribute to a scene that feels tangible.
GTA 5 looks like a PS1 game when compared to GTA 6
by u/Witty_Librarian5672 in GTA
What We’re Looking At
The GTA VI screenshots come from the second trailer and accompanying promotional materials released in May 2025. While the game has been delayed twice since then—now targeting a November 19, 2026 release—the visual bar was already set exceptionally high.
Grand Theft Auto V, by contrast, has been ported across three console generations. The most recent “Enhanced Edition” for PC (2025) added ray tracing and improved loading times, but the core assets remain rooted in 2013. A towel can only be polished so much.
Also, Read
- Thousands Of GTA 6 Players To Miss Out After PlayStation Controversy
- GTA 6 Fans Think They’ve Figured Out the Game’s Massive Budget
- Rockstar’s Hot Streak – Why GTA 6 Will Change Open-World Games Forever
The Bigger Picture
This single comparison speaks to the immense technical investment behind GTA VI. Rumors of a $2–3 billion budget now seem plausible when you consider the level of detail being applied to every surface, every object, every NPC. Rockstar isn’t just building a bigger world; it’s building a more dense one, where even a towel deserves attention.
With marketing set to begin this summer and the November release date reaffirmed by Take‑Two CEO Strauss Zelnick, fans won’t have to rely on screenshots much longer. Soon, they’ll be able to see—and touch—every fiber for themselves.