Analysis of GTA 6 on PS2: we tested the ‘vendor version’ of the game

The GTA 6 trailer is completing a week of release on the internet, which was enough time to break several viewing records on YouTube. Furthermore, seven days was also enough time for Brazilians to achieve create playable copies of Rockstar’s future game for the PS2.

That’s right: in less than a week, It is now possible to find GTA 6 to be played in Brazil, but in a very limited version and made as a meme. On social media, a video that went viral with this joke is from the Bomba Patch profile, which also updates football games for the PS2.

The Geomatrix team, which is famous for developing alternative versions of GTA San Andreas, placed the protagonist of the new Grand Theft Auto in GTA Vice City, which features the same city where the next game will take place. However, another Brazilian went further and launched a “playable” version of this meme.

Discover the PS2 version of GTA 6

Straight from the city of Antônio Carlos, Santa Catarina, businessman and farmer Pedro Petri created, in his spare time, a modification of GTA Vice City inspired by GTA 6 that is fully playable on the PS2. Despite the “vendor game” aspect, loved by many players, the project was made available for free through YouTube and can be downloaded via Google Drive.

And the developer leaves a warning in the video description: the project was created quickly and aims to show the potential for modifications in GTA Vice City. After all, the game is far from being as popular in the scene as GTA San Andreas, which has versions ranging from Sonic to Dragon Ball Z.

In addition to running on the Sony console through means involving piracy, GTA 6 on PS2 also works on the computer via emulators. As I’m really excited to play Rockstar’s big release and can’t wait until 2025, I had to download and test the alternative edition.

What is it like to play GTA 6 and PS2?

Considering the jaw-dropping graphics I saw in the first GTA 6 trailer, I decided to use my best hardware to run the alternative version of the game, just in case. With that, I left the PS2 on the side, downloaded an emulator and opened the game in an emulator on the PC with an RTX 4070 and the Intel Core i9-13900K.

Needless to say, this was like shooting a bazooka to kill a flea. GTA 6 on PS2 opened with the glorious original resolution below Full HD and the stunning graphics of Sony’s best-selling console. The lack of pixels is so great that even the trailer for the new Grand Theft Auto, which appears when opening the ISO, was in low quality.

The character Jason has not even been confirmed as playable in GTA 6, but already appears in the PS2 version.

Then, the alternative game presents us with a loading screen with the GTA 6 logo, also with compression reminiscent of the classic era of pirated PS2 games. After loading, we are finally invited to discover Vice City through Lucia’s eyes.

For those who have already watched the preview of GTA 6 several times, be warned: the PS2 version of the protagonist, as expected, is far from bringing the high definition that we see in the trailer for the new Grand Theft Auto. However, we need to recognize the Brazilian modder’s effort in simulating the protagonist’s clothes based on the leaks that took place last year.

PS2’s Lucia isn’t as stunning as the character in the GTA 6 trailer.

However, the part that impresses most is the character switching. By pressing the arrow to the left, it is possible to play with Jason, the supposed second protagonist of Grand Theft Auto 6. With a brief loading time, the player is transported to control the bad boy in the style of GTA V.

As for gameplay: all we have is the classic GTA Vice City gameplay, but with menus in Brazilian Portuguese. In other words, the tip is to stay away from the water, as the character that serves as the basis for the game, Tommy Vercetti, doesn’t know how to swim.

With no missions to be carried out, the player can explore the map with the protagonists, commit crimes and take part in the iconic city, using codes to earn weapons and money. In the end, the mod is a joke that came to life and ends up fulfilling its main purpose: showing that the game has a lot of potential for mods.

Downloading the content is only worth it if you want to make a video “playing GTA 6” or are a mod enthusiast. Otherwise, the joke serves more as proof of the strength of Brazil’s modding community.

The creation of GTA 6 for PS2

According to Pedro Petri, as the mod is quite simple, this type of work can be done in about a day by a developer already connected to Rockstar game tools. And this is precisely his case: the farmer has been creating Grand Theft Auto mods for around 12 years, since when everything in the scene “was grass”.

Speaking to Voxel, the developer said he was away from this hobby for a long time. However, he returned in 2021 and now works with the Generations Moddings team, responsible for projects such as GTA Brasil and San Andreas Definitive Edition, available for free on Mix Mods.

GTA Brasil, mod de Grand Theft Auto San Andreas.

According to Petri, the project is non-profit and only aims to encourage the modification of games and keep old titles alive. Because of this, the GTA 6 he created will not be sold in street vendors or on the web. “Mods are a hobby, a pastime. I don’t see it as income support”, explains the developer.

“My idea was not to even post the mod. I did more because I like creating modifications for the PS2”, says the developer. “But with the release of the trailer, I had the idea of ​​putting the same intro and using the arts and logo. Taking advantage of the hype and the meme, I finished everything the same night the trailer was released.“

The rush to close the mod after the release of the GTA 6 trailer gave a good result. According to Petri, the impact of the content exceeded expectations, with many players downloading and testing the game.

Despite being a simple joke and made as a meme, the “launch of GTA 6 on PS2” shows the strength of the Brazilian modding community. Projects like this are just the tip of the iceberg for a world that also involves bigger ambitions, like a fan initiative that dubbed GTA San Andreas in full.

If Brazilian modders can already create content with just a GTA 6 trailer, it is difficult to imagine the possibilities when the full game is available on PC, something that should only happen after 2025.