And here we go talking about another release of Grand Theft Auto V e GTA Online. Since the games’ original debut in 2013, still in PlayStation 3 e Xbox 360, more than 160 million copies were sold. So why the Rockstar would not take the opportunity to make this number grow even more, desta vez no Playstation 5 e Xbox Series X|S? We know that interested in buying is what will not be missing, but is the change to the new generation worth it?
I spent the last few days playing GTA 5 e GTA Online no PlayStation 5, through a digital copy kindly provided by Rockstar Games. As someone who has experienced these games on all three console generations, it’s safe to say that the graphical improvements are excellent, but many of them will likely go unnoticed by the vast majority of gamers. The best news, in fact, is not related to the revamped look.
Los Santos 3.0: what changes in GTA 5 and GTA Online in the new generation?
The new versions of the game arrive to improve the quality of life for players and also to make the experience more beautiful than ever. Remember those PC mods that aim to make Los Santos look ultra-realistic? Well, now they’re a reality on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with Rockstar’s seal of creation and approval.
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Textures, shadows, lighting, sharpness, vegetation density and several other visual aspects have been improved, making it possible to run the game in three graphic modes, available for selection in the main menu. These are the options:
| Loyalty Mode | Modo Performance | Modo Performance RT | |
| PlayStation 5 | 4K nativo, ray tracing, 30 FPS | 4K em upscaling, 60 FPS | 4K em upscaling, ray tracing, 60 FPS |
| Xbox Series X | 4K nativo, ray tracing, 30 FPS | 4K em upscaling, 60 FPS | 4K em upscaling, ray tracing, 60 FPS |
| Xbox Series S | 4K em upscaling, 30 FPS | 1080p, 60 FPS | Not available |
I prioritized playing in Performance RT Mode, precisely to enjoy the gameplay at 60 frames per second with ray tracing. The visual differences between the three options aren’t far-fetched, however, which is great. Of course, playing in native 4K will bring sharper textures and edges and a better draw distance (maximum distance of objects rendered in a three-dimensional environment). But I, in particular, preferred not to sacrifice the lightness of 60 FPS — what a delight it is to drive through Los Santos at that rate!
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Many visual effects are more realistic: try blowing up a car to see how the smoke density has changed. Now all objects cast shadows and reflections are more elaborate — again, only the keenest eyes will notice these details. A noticeable change is in the colors: thanks to HDR, Los Santos is much cleaner and more vivid, with the colors presenting a more pleasant intensity that also contributes to the realistic look.
Don’t expect any significant changes to the characters’ animations or visuals, however. After all, we’re talking about a remaster, not a full remake. As beautiful as the game is, the fact that it was developed over 10 years ago is still noticeable.
Not that this is a problem that should have been solved by Rockstar, because the game has aged very well in this regard, but it is always good to make these details clear so that no one is disappointed. Many other changes and reformulations would be necessary for the GTA 5 would be closer to a game of the new generation, as dazzling as Horizon Forbidden West or even like the not so old Red Dead Redemption 2. But it wouldn’t make any sense to bet on it now. This will be a job for the to come GTA 6.
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Changes beyond graphics
On PlayStation 5, gamers can take advantage of DualSense’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. The control technologies were used to the right extent: you will feel, for example, the subtle intensity and frequency of an engine whose car is stopped (it’s almost as if you, in fact, have a small engine in your hands). Triggers adapt to the type of weapon you’re using, but don’t offer tiresome resistance to your fingers.
Oh, and the loading screens! Finally, we no longer need to waste years of life while we start the campaign of GTA 5 or exchange a session at GTA Online. Thanks to the power of the SSD, loading screens on the new generation are at least twice as fast. Starting the game for the first time will still take a while (about 25 seconds on PS5), but the multiplayer room switching really surprised me — I went from a public session to a private one in less than 10 seconds, practically an unimaginable miracle for anyone played the game on PS4 Where Xbox One (I’ve been very stressed about this in the past, I confess).
There is new and exclusive content for the new generation of consoles: Hao’s Special Works. When starting the new version of GTA Online, if you have imported your character, you will receive a call from Hao, who invites you to a Time Trial Challenge. After completing the mission, you will be able to visit the LS Car Event Mods Store to purchase new upgrades and modifications for selected vehicles. It’s nothing unmissable — thank goodness, because I don’t think it would be fair to leave faithful PS4 and Xbox One gamers excluded from some great content.
Finally, let’s open the paragraph of “Look at these changes that should have existed forever, but only arrived now!”. Ok, they are useful and welcome news, but simple and that should have been implemented before, since they don’t need the power of the new generation to exist. In order to improve the quality of life of players and properly welcome new criminals on duty, GTA Online now has a start menu that facilitates access to the main activities of the game, including missions, Heists and more.
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However, the menu could be better: it is still not possible, for example, to start a solo session or with friends from the home screen. For that, you need to enter Free Mode, and then load the desired session type. At least charging is faster.
And if you’re playing GTA Online For the first time or want to create a new character, you can select a career for your Los Santos criminal right at the beginning of the experience (choose between Executive, Arms Dealer, Nightclub Owner or Biker). This way, you won’t get lost in the options or the amount of massive content that the game has — after all, multiplayer has been getting updates for years.
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After all, is it worth it or not?
For anyone who owns a PS5, there’s nothing to discuss about the GTA Online for new generation. After all, the updated version of multiplayer will be available for free until June, just playing it during this period to keep it in your library forever. Do yourself a favor and don’t miss this opportunity — it’s a shame the offer is limited to PlayStation. On the other hand, it is not pleasant to think that owners of GTA 5 on PS4 and Xbox One need to pay for the new new version, even if it’s not the full amount.
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Do I think it’s unfair that Rockstar doesn’t offer the free upgrade? Yes a lot! Am I going to say it’s not worth the investment? I won’t, simply because there’s no way to say no to GTA 5, but that is entirely up to you. I don’t think you’ll be at a huge disadvantage if you choose to stick with the last-gen version, which has already done a great job of remastering the original game, even more so if you’ve completed the campaign mode in the past.
So you can’t say it’s a must-buy — unless you’re really excited to play the Franklin, Michael, and Trevor story again, or you’re a very active GTA Online (in the case of the Xbox people). If you choose to buy, wonderful! You’ll have one of the best games of the last few years at its best (and we hope it’s the last, right?).
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