GTA 6 leaked footage shows 170 NPCs in single frame; Reddit user explains if it is technically feasible

Rockstar Games and its GTA series never fail to surprise players, be it related to the open-world game, its graphics, characters, or storyline; every time there is something new that grabs the attention of its fans. Most recently, on Monday, a Reddit post grabbed many eyeballs amid players already being tired of waiting for GTA 6¡¯s release.

A post on Reddit shared by a user under the name @Temporary-Cicada-392, which shows over 170 NPCs (non-player characters) in a single frame. The picture has left people discussing the technical feasibility. The high NPC count in the trailer and leaked footage highlights the impressive GTA 6¡¯s open world.

The post has garnered massive reactions, with about 101 comments and 494 likes on it, and the caption on the post reads, ¡°Over 170 NPCs in a single frame: is it technically feasible?¡±

Credit: X

Over 170 NPCs in one frame¡ªwhat does that mean?

According to the user, in his last post, people were skeptical of the feasibility of such a high NPC density in a single scene in real-time. Hence, the user thought of experimenting, so he did a deep dive into whether the current-gen consoles (PS5, PS5 Pro, Xbox, Xbox Series X) can handle the estimated 170 NPCs in one frame in GTA 6.

The user simplified the results:

Massive NPC Increase: The first trailer of GTA 6 shows over 630 NPCs overall, a nearly 9x jump from GTA 5¡¯s first trailer (~70 NPCs). This indicates a huge focus on a denser, more dynamic world.

Beach Density is Key: The ~170 NPCs in the beach scene are a major benchmark for real-time rendering capabilities.

Console Hardware Breakdown:

CPU (Handles AI & Basic Updates):

PS5: 8-core AMD Zen 2 (up to 3.5 GHz)¡ªSignificant upgrade over last gen.

PS5 Pro: 8-core AMD Zen 2 (higher clock speed)¡ªbetter for managing more complex AI.

Xbox Series X: 8-core AMD Zen 2 (up to 3.8 GHz)¡ªsimilar strong performance.

GPU (Renders Visuals):

PS5: Custom AMD RDNA 2 (10.28 TFLOPS)¡ªCapable, but high NPC count is demanding.

PS5 Pro: Custom AMD RDNA 3 (16.7-18.05 TFLOPS, ~45% faster)¡ªSignificant boost for complex rendering.

Xbox Series X: Custom AMD RDNA 2 (12.155 TFLOPS)¡ªcomparable to the base PS5.

RAM (Stores Game Assets):

PS5: 16GB GDDR6 (448 GB/s)¡ªCrucial for loading NPC data.

PS5 Pro: 16GB GDDR6 (faster, ~560-576 GB/s) + 2GB DDR5¡ªFaster data transfer is key.

Xbox Series X: 16GB GDDR6 (split: 10GB @ 560 GB/s, 6GB @ 336 GB/s)¡ªFast pool likely prioritized for rendering.

Over 170 NPCs in a single frame: is it technically feasible?
byu/Temporary-Cicada-392 inGTA

Trailer and leaks evidence

The high NPC count in the trailer shows a deliberate design choice for crowded environments.

The leaks show significant crowds in gameplay, supporting the trailer's density.

Is it technically feasible?

As the conclusion of the post, it is highly feasible, particularly for the PS5 Pro, to render around 170 unique NPCs in a single frame in GTA 6¡¯s beach scene.

While for the PS5 and Xbox Series X, these consoles may face some challenges, Rockstar¡¯s proven optimization expertise and its technology make it a realistic possibility.