WhenGrand Theft Auto 5was first released in 2013, it quickly became one of the highest-rated video games ever made and an unprecedented sales success. A year later, Rockstar Games released an enhanced version ofGrand Theft Auto 5for the then-new PS4 and Xbox One consoles, making some meaningful improvements in the process. Fast-forward to 2022 and Rockstar Games is releasingGrand Theft Auto 5yet again, this time for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
The PS5 and Xbox Series X versions ofGrand Theft Auto 5don’t offer as big of a leap as the game enjoyed when it went from PS3 and Xbox 360 to PS4 and Xbox One, but there are still some notable upgrades.Grand Theft Auto 5next-gen graphics are definitely improved, though of course not in a way that fully takes advantage of the added horsepower. It also runs much smoother, with players able to choose between Performance, Performance RT, and Fidelity modes.
Grand Theft Auto 5’s graphics optionslet fans decide if they prefer higher resolution but a lower frame rate, or a higher frame rate at the cost of resolution. Performance mode seems like the best bet most of the time, as it allows players to enjoyGrand Theft Auto 5in 60 frames per second and the drop in graphical quality is hardly noticeable, whereas the drop in frame rate in the Fidelity mode is difficult to deal with after playing in Performance mode.
Grand Theft Auto 5on PS5 and Xbox Series X is a visual improvement across the board, regardless of what display option players go with. It performs better, it looks better, and the load times have also been vastly improved, which is easily one of the best changes when going from the PS4 and Xbox One version toGTA 5on PS5 and Xbox Series X.
Grand Theft Auto 5load timeshave been notoriously long for nearly a decade now, but they’re sped up considerably on PS5 and Xbox Series X. Just like playingGrand Theft Auto 5in 60 frames per second will make it impossible for players to go back to older versions, the faster load times also represent a meaningful upgrade that will make it difficult for fans to play the game any other way.
Besides these changes and smaller upgrades,Grand Theft Auto 5on PS5 and Xbox Series Xis otherwise the same game that fans have been playing for almost 10 years now. The story mode is phenomenal, with varied missions objectives, a gripping narrative, top-tier writing, and no shortage of things to do while exploring the vast open world of Los Santos. If someone has somehow avoided playingGTA 5until now, the story mode alone makes it worth the price of admission, but those that have already had their fill may not be totally satisfied by this new version of the game.
WhenGTA 5jumped to PS4 and Xbox One, it came with some significant new gameplay additions. Players were given the option to play the entire game in first-person mode, and they were also able to transform into animals by eating the new peyote plants that were added to the world map. The PS5 and Xbox Series X versions lack these new meaningful gameplay experiences. The PS5 version ofGrand Theft Auto 5uses the unique DualSense controller features, but otherwise players are basically signing up for the same exact experience that they’ve been playing for years, only with faster load times and better graphics.
Grand Theft Auto 5on PS5 and Xbox Series X doesn’t represent all that significant of a leap forward. The faster load times are nice, but anyone that’s already played the story mode plenty will find little reason to come back for all that long. The lack of new additions makes Rockstar’s decision to ask fans to pay for the next-gen version of the game a bit hard to swallow, especially since there are games that have provided more worthwhile next-gen upgrades completely free of charge. It does make it easier to understand why the company decided to stop marketing the game as “Expanded and Enhanced,” however.
On the bright side,Grand Theft Auto 5on PS5 and Xbox Series X is available at a steep discount right now, and PS5 gamers even have a few months toclaim the new version ofGTA Onlinefor free. As it so happens,Grand Theft Auto Onlinereally seems to be the centerpiece of this latest re-release. For those that have yet to jump into the chaotic world ofGrand Theft Auto Online, it has a new Career Builder mode that teaches new players how to play and gives them a nice $4 million to start their online adventures with.
Those that aren’t interested in startingGTA Onlinefrom scratch have the option of transferring their character from older versions of the game to the new version, which is a painless process. Even if one decides to transfer their existingGTA Onlinecharacter to the new version, though, they can still make a new character and start at the beginning if they’d like.
Grand Theft Auto Onlineactually has some exclusive content only available in the new version of the game in the form ofHao’s Special Works. This is a new shop that gives players more freedom when it comes to customization and upgrading special vehicles. The other notableGTA Onlinechange is the new menu, which allows players to more easily start specific activities - a greatly appreciated quality-of-life improvement that will help players start heists and get into the action much faster than before.
Otherwise,Grand Theft Auto Onlineis pretty much the same story as the single-player mode. Those playingGTA Onlineon PS5 and Xbox Series X can expect a superior experience than they’re used to, with improved graphics and performance, but it’s difficult to say that the upgrades make it worth buying all over again. Those that haven’t playedGrand Theft Auto Onlinefor a long time may get more out of it, though, as Rockstar Games has never stopped supporting the game, regularly releasing new content updates including rather substantial ones likeThe Cayo Perico Heist, for example.
Grand Theft Auto 5andGTA Onlinefor PS5 and Xbox Series X are still phenomenal games that one could easily sink hundreds of hours into, but there’s no getting around that they are fundamentally the same experiences as before, only with better graphics and performance. Someone that hasn’t playedGTA 5orGTA Onlinein a long time will get more mileage out of this new version, but those that have played both regularly since launch may be better off waiting for theeventualGrand Theft Auto 6.
The new version ofGrand Theft Auto 5is out now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X. Game Rant reviewed the Xbox Series X version of the game.
