Rockstar Games has finally announced the Grand Theft Auto 5 for PS5 and Xbox Series X’s release date. The upgraded version of the game was announced in 2020; until now the developer has kept quiet on when players would get their hands on it.
“Grand Theft Auto V and GTA Online for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S features new graphics modes with up to 4K resolution, up to 60 frames per second, texture and draw distance upgrades, HDR options and ray-tracing, as well as offering the technical advancements of the latest console generation with faster loading times, immersive 3D audio, platform-specific features like advanced haptic feedback, and much more,” Rockstar announced.
Another welcome feature is that players can transfer their save data from the PS4 and Xbox One to their more modern consoles, including their GTA Online characters.
For people who have yet to play GTA 5, there will also be a standalone release of the game. This standalone version will be “available for free for the first three months to PlayStation 5 players”.
Most importantly, Rockstar confirms the Grand Theft Auto 5 for PS5 and Xbox Series X release date will be March 15, 2022. So players have just over two months to wait until they can tear up Los Santos in 4K at 60 fps. It won't be long until you're in Los Santos loading up a ton of GTA 5 cheats and blasting through the world.
The new version of GTA Online features “a range of improvements including the ability to skip the GTAV Story Mode prologue before entering Online, and an all-new GTA Online Tutorial. New GTA Online players will now enter the Career Builder, with instant access to their choice of one of four illicit businesses — Biker, Executive, Nightclub Owner, or Gunrunner — and a sizable GTA$ windfall to help select a property, high-end vehicle, and the firepower required to kickstart their enterprise.”
In the same blog post, Rockstar also confirmed that work is "well underway" on GTA 6.
Analysis: is it enough?
Players have been eagerly awaiting news about the generational upgrade for GTA 5 and GTA Online. While Rockstar revealed the new version of its open-world game was in development, it kept details, such as the release date, quiet.
Rockstar was also vague on precisely what upgrades the new version would include. This isn’t GTA 5’s first generational upgrade; when the game launched on PC, the PS4 and Xbox One also saw an upgraded version of the game. That update included significant new features, such as the first-person mode.
The list of features Rockstar detailed today for the PS5 and Xbox Series X version is welcome, but there are no significant new features like those in the last release.
There may be more news to come, but GTA players may have expected something more radical, especially as this new version has been more than two years in the making.
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