Summary
Released in late 2023 to the excitement of franchise fans worldwide, the first trailer for Rockstar’sGrand Theft Auto 6showed that the storied developer still has a knack for producing some of the most gorgeous games on the market. The in-engine teaser not only gave gamers their introduction toGTA 6protagonist Lucia, but it also showed off the varied and visually stunning open world players will be able to explore. In order to truly showcase Vice City’s impressive next-gen facelift, though, Rockstar should provide players with a dedicated, full-featured photo mode that’s equally as powerful as the ones found in other AAA titles.
At a time when a title’s social media strategy can be just as important to its Metascore as its gameplay, adding a way to easily take high-quality screenshots would be a simple way to build even more buzz aroundGTA 6. And to make the experience as friction-free as possible, the photo mode should be included as a standalone feature rather than requiring players to jump through hoops to access it like in previous Rockstar games. This would give gamers a simple, straightforward way toshare screenshots ofGTA 6and help put it on equal footing with some other impressive-looking recent releases.
Photo Mode Should Be a Core Feature in GTA 6
While some previous Rockstar games have included ways for players to take pictures of the action, this functionality has often been gated away behind game mechanics rather than being a core feature. Although it could be argued that design decisions like requiring players to own an in-game camera in order to access thephoto mode inRed Dead Redemption 2increase immersion, they also introduce an unnecessary layer of complexity to what should be a straightforward feature.
Rather than limiting players to Snapmatic cell phone pictures or fiddling with the Rockstar Editor to grab a quick screenshot like in its predecessor,GTA 6needs to have a dedicated photo mode included front and center in the options menu. GivingGTA 6players this gimmick-free way to quickly capture screenshots would be a surefire way to highlight theopen-world game’s gorgeous graphics. It would also bring the feature set of theGrand Theft Autoseries’ latest sequel in line with some similarly stunning recent releases.
Recent Releases Have Raised the Bar for Photo Modes in Games
Once an option largely limited to genres like racing games, dedicated photo modes have become a standard feature of many recent releases. Across both PC and consoles, games such asAlan Wake 2andHogwarts Legacyhave made it easier than ever for players to capture high-quality screenshotswithout relying on the use of external tools. Rockstar should not only follow this trend, but it should also give the photo mode inGTA 6the same level of polish as the rest of the game.
Rather than offering a photo mode with only basic functionality like focus and shutter speed adjustment,GTA 6should give gamers near-total freedom to adjust scenes as they see fit to capture the perfect picture. The recently releasedSenua’s Saga: Hellblade 2took this approach, letting players of thestunning Unreal Engine 5 titleadjust everything from in-game effects to the number and color of lights in a scene before snapping a picture, and could provide a perfect template for Rockstar to follow forGTA 6’s photo mode.
By including a powerful and full-featured photo mode whenGTA 6launches in Fall 2025, Rockstar can be certain that the game’s breathtaking graphics will get the attention they so richly deserve. And while even a franchise as famous asGrand Theft Autoneeds more than just good looks to succeed, making sure its criminal characters are always ready for their close-up would almost certainly get the series’ sixth entry off to a solid start.
