GTA 6 is changing the way players carry and select weapons.

Instead of using the large weapon wheel seen in GTA 5, Rockstar Games has redesigned the system to make weapons, equipment, and useful items easier to access during gameplay.

The new GTA 6 weapon wheel was clearly shown during the game’s 26-minute Extended Look.

It is built around a radial menu that lets players quickly switch between their weapons and other items without having to open a traditional inventory screen.

The new system also appears to be more focused on what Jason and Lucia are actually carrying.

Weapons can be picked up from the ground, ammunition is shown directly on the wheel, and useful items can be accessed without completely stopping the action.

Here is everything currently known about how the GTA 6 weapon wheel works, how players switch between weapons and items, and what makes it different from GTA 5.

How Does the GTA 6 Weapon Wheel Work?

The GTA 6 weapon wheel works as a radial menu that appears while the player holds the weapon-wheel button.

On PlayStation, the Extended Look shows an R1 prompt at the top of the wheel. Pressing R1 while the wheel is open switches between the WEAPONS and ITEMS sections.

On Xbox, the equivalent shoulder button is used.

This means players do not have to close the wheel and open another menu every time they want to reach an item. Weapons and useful equipment can be accessed from the same overall system.

The wheel also keeps the game world visible behind it.

Instead of feeling like a normal pause screen, the background is blurred while the wheel is open, allowing the player to quickly choose something and return to the action.

GTA 6 Has Separate Weapons and Items Tabs

One of the biggest changes is the separation between WEAPONS and ITEMS.

The Weapons side is designed for firearms and other combat choices. The Items side is used for equipment and other things that Jason or Lucia can carry.

Current gameplay footage shows options such as Unarmed, Sidearm, explosives and body armor around the weapon-wheel interface.

The exact contents can change depending on what the character is carrying.

This makes the wheel much easier to understand than simply putting every weapon and item into one large list.

For example, if Jason is carrying a pistol and a Molotov, the pistol can be selected from the weapons section while the Molotov appears in the appropriate explosive slot.

How to Switch Between Weapons and Items in GTA 6

Switching between the two sections is designed to be quick.

On PlayStation, the player holds the weapon-wheel button and presses R1 to move between the WEAPONS and ITEMS tabs.

The Xbox version uses the equivalent shoulder button.

This is important because GTA 6 appears to be designed around faster combat.

A player can select a weapon, switch to another type of equipment, or use a useful item without spending a long time inside a menu.

The system shown in the Extended Look suggests that Rockstar wants the inventory to remain part of normal gameplay rather than feeling like a separate menu.

What Appears on the GTA 6 Weapons Wheel?

The exact number of weapons a character can carry at launch has not been fully explained by Rockstar.

However, the Extended Look gives a good idea of how the weapon slots are organized.

One visible option is UNARMED, allowing the character to fight without holding a weapon.

A SIDEARM slot is also visible.

This is where a pistol or similar handgun can be selected. The wheel can also display the amount of ammunition available for the selected weapon.

An EXPLOSIVES option has also been shown, with a Molotov cocktail appearing in this section.

Long guns can also appear on the wheel when they are part of the character’s current loadout.

The important difference is that GTA 6 does not appear to treat the weapon wheel as an unlimited collection of every gun the character owns.

GTA 6 Shows Ammo Directly on the Weapon Wheel

The new wheel also makes ammunition easier to check.

During the Extended Look, ammunition numbers can be seen next to the selected weapon.

For example, a pistol can show a number such as 20/80, with the first number representing ammunition currently loaded and the second number representing reserve ammunition.

The exact numbers naturally change depending on the weapon and how much ammunition the character has.

This means players can check their ammunition without needing to leave the weapon wheel or search through another menu.

The same idea applies to throwable weapons. A Molotov can show how many are currently available.

This is a small change, but it makes the weapon wheel more useful during combat.

Health and Other Consumables Can Also Be Used Quickly

The new system is not only about firearms.

The GTA 6 weapon-wheel interface also includes quick-use consumables.

Current footage shows health-related items and an adrenaline-style item positioned around the bottom-left area of the wheel.

These items have their own button prompts, allowing them to be used quickly.

This is useful during a gunfight because the player does not have to move through several menus just to recover health or use another consumable.

The exact list of consumables available at launch may be larger than what has been shown so far.

Can Players Pick Up Weapons From Enemies in GTA 6?

Yes. The Extended Look clearly shows that weapons can be picked up from the ground.

This is one of the more interesting changes to GTA 6’s weapon system.

During combat, Jason and Lucia can take weapons from enemies who have been knocked down or killed.

This means a player does not always have to rely only on the weapons already selected before a fight begins.

The gameplay footage shows weapons being picked up during active combat, making the process look much faster than opening an inventory and manually managing equipment.

A shotgun called the Moreland 850 is one of the weapons clearly identified through an in-game pickup prompt.

This system could become especially useful during missions where enemies drop better weapons or where the player runs out of ammunition.

Jason and Lucia Have Their Own Weapon Loadouts

Another important detail is that Jason and Lucia have their own weapons.

The Extended Look shows both protagonists using their respective weapon selections.

This fits with Rockstar’s larger approach to giving Jason and Lucia their own identities rather than making them feel like two versions of the same character.

This also means the available weapon selection can depend on which protagonist is being controlled.

The two characters can also switch between each other during certain gameplay situations, so having separate weapon setups makes the system more believable.

Does GTA 6 Have a Weapon Carrying Limit?

Reports surrounding GTA 6 have claimed that characters can carry a much smaller selection of firearms than in GTA 5.

Several GTA 6 weapon databases and guides currently report a limit of two rifles and two pistols, with additional weapons being kept elsewhere, including vehicle storage.

However, this specific limit should not yet be treated as an official Rockstar specification.

The Extended Look clearly shows a more limited loadout system, but Rockstar has not published a complete list of weapon-carrying rules.

Therefore, the safest conclusion is that GTA 6 uses a more limited personal weapon loadout, while the exact final capacity remains subject to confirmation.

Can Extra Weapons Be Stored in Vehicles?

Current GTA 6 reporting also points toward vehicle trunks being used to store additional weapons and equipment.

This would represent a major change from GTA 5.

Instead of carrying a huge collection of weapons everywhere, players would have to think about what they want to take with them.

For example, a player preparing for a mission could choose a rifle and pistol before leaving a vehicle, while other weapons remain stored in the vehicle.

This system would make preparation more important, especially for missions where different types of weapons are useful.

However, the exact rules for vehicle weapon storage have not been fully explained by Rockstar, so they should be treated as reported information rather than a completely confirmed feature.

Can Weapons Be Dropped in GTA 6?

Current reporting indicates that weapons can be dropped and picked up again.

This works alongside the new weapon pickup system shown in the Extended Look.

Instead of treating every weapon as permanently attached to the character’s inventory, GTA 6 appears to allow weapons to exist more naturally in the game world.

This can make firefights feel more dynamic.

For example, a character could run out of ammunition, pick up an enemy’s shotgun and continue fighting instead of being forced to use the same weapon.

Does GTA 6 Have Dual-Wielding?

There is currently no clear evidence from the latest official gameplay footage that dual-wielding will be available in GTA 6.

Some older information about the game suggested that the weapon system would move away from Red Dead Redemption 2’s dual-wielding mechanics.

The safest conclusion at this stage is that GTA 6 is designed around using one weapon at a time, although players can carry several different weapons and switch between them.

Rockstar could still reveal additional weapon mechanics before release.

Can Players Switch Weapon Hands?

Current GTA 6 reporting also points to the ability to switch the weapon between hands.

This could be useful when taking cover or positioning the character around corners.

It would also fit with Rockstar’s focus on making gunplay more flexible than it was in GTA 5.

However, the exact controls and limitations for changing weapon hands should not be considered fully confirmed until Rockstar provides more information.

Does the GTA 6 Weapon Wheel Pause the Game?

The new weapon wheel does not appear to work like a traditional pause menu.

When it opens, the world behind it becomes blurred, but the presentation is designed to keep the player connected to the action.

This makes the wheel feel more like a quick-access gameplay tool.

The difference is important during missions and police chases. Players can quickly change equipment without feeling like they have completely left the game world.

The system is closer in spirit to Red Dead Redemption 2’s radial inventory, although GTA 6’s version has been adapted for the faster pace of Grand Theft Auto.

GTA 6 Weapon Wheel vs GTA 5 Weapon Wheel

The difference between the two games is quite noticeable.

In GTA 5, the weapon wheel gives the player access to a very large selection of weapons.

The system is simple and fast, but it also allows characters to carry an unrealistic number of firearms at the same time.

GTA 6 appears to take a different approach.

The new system focuses more on a character’s current loadout, with weapons and useful items separated into different sections.

GTA 6 also allows players to pick up weapons from the ground, shows ammunition directly on the wheel and appears to connect the weapon system more closely with the physical world.

This makes the new system feel more grounded while still keeping the fast weapon switching that GTA players expect.

GTA 6 Weapon Wheel vs Red Dead Redemption 2

The new GTA 6 system also has some similarities to Red Dead Redemption 2.

Both games use a radial weapon system and place more importance on what the character is actually carrying.

However, GTA 6 does not simply copy the Red Dead Redemption 2 system.

GTA 6 has a faster modern setting, more firearms and a much quicker style of combat.

Its weapon wheel is designed around modern guns, explosives, equipment and consumables.

The result is a system that appears to combine some of Red Dead Redemption 2’s inventory ideas with the faster gameplay of Grand Theft Auto.

Why the New Weapon Wheel Matters

The redesigned weapon wheel is more than just a visual change.

It changes how players are expected to think about their weapons.

In GTA 5, players can carry almost everything they need at any time. GTA 6 appears to put more importance on loadout management, weapon pickups and equipment.

A player may need to decide which weapons are worth carrying before starting a mission.

During a fight, picking up an enemy’s weapon can also become an important part of survival.

The addition of useful items to the same radial system makes the wheel even more important because it is no longer only a way to select guns.

What Is Still Unknown About the GTA 6 Weapon Wheel?

Despite everything shown so far, several details remain unknown.

Rockstar has not yet provided a complete official explanation of the weapon-wheel system.

The exact maximum number of firearms that Jason and Lucia can carry has not been fully confirmed.

The complete list of items available through the Items tab is also unknown.

It is also unclear whether the weapon wheel will change as the story progresses, whether different missions will temporarily restrict certain weapons, and exactly how vehicle storage will work.

The final controls could also change before launch.

Therefore, information shown in the current Extended Look should be considered the best available picture of the system, while details that come from databases or older reports should be treated carefully.

Conclusion

The GTA 6 weapon wheel looks like one of the biggest changes to the game’s combat and inventory system.

Instead of giving Jason and Lucia access to a huge collection of weapons at all times, Rockstar appears to be moving toward a more controlled loadout system.

The current gameplay shows a radial menu with WEAPONS and ITEMS, quick access to consumables, visible ammunition counts, explosives, body armor and other equipment.

Players can also pick up weapons from enemies and use them during combat.

The system combines the speed expected from a GTA game with some of the inventory ideas seen in Red Dead Redemption 2.

Most importantly, the weapon wheel now appears to be part of a larger system built around limited loadouts, physical weapon pickups and quick access to equipment.

Rockstar has not revealed every detail yet, but the Extended Look gives a much clearer idea of how weapons will work in GTA 6 than any previous trailer or leak.