GTA 6 Finally Ditches the Classic Face Button Sprint After 25 Years
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Grand Theft Auto VI is updating its control scheme by moving the sprint action to the left thumbstick, abandoning the traditional face button tapping used for 25 years.
For a quarter of a century, playing a Grand Theft Auto game meant committing to a very specific muscle memory, which was tapping the X or A button repeatedly just to get your character to run. As reporting from Eurogamer highlights, Rockstar is finally modernizing that setup for Grand Theft Auto VI. Recent previews shared by creators like MikeShowSha reveal that sprinting will now map to clicking the left thumbstick, or L3, bringing the franchise in line with standard modern third-person shooters and open-world titles.
This might seem like a small detail, but anyone who has spent hours navigating Vice City or Los Santos knows how exhausting continuous face button tapping can be on your thumb. Most modern games abandoned this control scheme years ago, reserving rapid button tapping mostly for quick-time events or letting players simply hold down an input. Transitioning to the thumbstick means smoother traversal, which matters immensely in an open world where you are constantly running from the cops or racing across the map.
Beyond control tweaks, the recent wave of previews has also sparked plenty of discussion around technical performance. Early showcases confirmed that the game targets 30 FPS on current generation consoles at launch, leaving many players in the community wondering if and when a 60 FPS performance mode might arrive. With the November release date closing in, these little quality-of-life adjustments and performance details are giving us a clearer picture of how Rockstar's next mega-hit will actually feel in our hands.
Tags: GTA 6, Rockstar Games, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Gaming News
Original article: Eurogamer