[News] GTA 5 PS5 and Xbox Series X: release date, enhancements and news

[Mr.ShoK]

link: https://www.techradar.com/news/gta-5-ps5-xbox-series-x

When it releases later this month, GTA 5 PS5 and Xbox Series X will bring an 'expanded and enhanced' version of the hugely po[CENSORED]r Grand Theft Auto 5 to the latest generation of consoles.

Having originally released on Xbox 360 and PS3, GTA 5 is now around nine years old but this new version of the game and its online counterpart, GTA Online, intends to make the most of the power of the PS5 and Xbox Series X. 

What will the most powerful consoles on the market allow for? Well, Rockstar has told players that they can expect new graphics modes (three in total), HDR options, ray-tracing, faster load times, 3D audio and more besides. Whether or not these enhancements will be enough to tempt players remains to be seen but those who do make the jump from Xbox One and PS4 will, at least, be able to transfer their existing saves so that they’re not starting from scratch all over again. 

Now that development of GTA 6 has finally been confirmed as being “well underway”, you might be wondering why Rockstar is even bothering with this release. Well, GTA 5 and GTA Online are still hugely successful for Rockstar, so it’s not entirely shocking that the studio would want to bring that success to a third console generation if it has the power to do so.

Plus, while GTA 6 is definitely in development, we have no idea when it’ll release, so this expanded and enhanced edition of GTA 5 could still be the only new-gen GTA adventure we have for a while yet.

Want to know more? Read on for everything we know about GTA 5 PS5 and Xbox Series X, including all the enhancements that have been confirmed so far.

[Update: Rockstar has confirmed the three graphics modes that will be available in GTA 5 Expanded and Enhanced. Read on to find out more about them.]

GTA 5 PS5 and Xbox Series X: cut to the chase
What is it? A remastered version of GTA 5 for PS5 and Xbox Series X
When can I play it? March 15, 2022
What can I play it on? PS5 and Xbox Series X

Rockstar has confirmed that GTA 5 is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S on March 15, 2022, with GTA Online also releasing for the consoles as a separate standalone edition. 

GTA 5 on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S was initially meant to release on November 11, 2021, but Rockstar Games announced the upgraded edition of the game was delayed until March 2022 in September 2021. The new release date was then confirmed, alongside the announcement of GTA 6, in February 2022.

PlayStation owners have a significant advantage in all of this. If you play GTA Online on PS4, you'll get GTA$1 million to spend in-game every month until the PS5 version of GTA launches. And when GTA Online's standalone edition arrives on PS5 in March 2022, owners of the console will have three months to claim the game for free after release - until June 2022. That means that Xbox Series X/S owners will have to pay if they want to play the new version of GTA Online at launch, though a price hasn't been disclosed just yet.

Rockstar has said that the expanded and enhanced editions of GTA 5 and GTA Online will be available digitally on March 15 though the PS5 console store and the Microsoft store, with pre-purchase and pre-load available on March 8. 

For those who prefer to pick up physical games, Rockstar has confirmed that physical releases are due in April, with more details on that to come.