GTA 5, GTA Online Release Date, Discounts, Review, Price, Data Migration, and More

GTA 5 — or Grand Theft Auto 5 — is one of the most popular games ever created by developer Rockstar Games. The game, which was released nearly a decade ago in 2013, has sold a whopping 160 million copes globally. While Rockstar has focused on other popular titles like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Red Dead Online during the years that followed, the developers have also been working to add support for current generation consoles — and the game is all set to arrive on Xbox Series S/X, and the PlayStation 5.

Right off the bat, it’s important to note that the new, enhanced versions of GTA 5 and GTA Online are essentially visual upgrades for the latest gaming consoles. This means that gamers who have been to Los Santos on their PS4 or Xbox One, aren’t likely to see any new Story Mode content. However, whether you’re picking up GTA 5 for the first time, or planning to play it all over again on your current-gen console, it looks like it will be a brand-new experience in terms of visual effects and design on consoles.

The enhanced version of GTA 5 features HDR and ray tracing on current generation consoles
Photo Credit: Rockstar Games

In the original GTA 5 title, gamers get to play as three criminals — Franklin Clinton, Michael De Santa, and Trevor Philips. The game’s Story Mode features the adventures (and misadventures) of these three protagonists as their paths cross one another over the course of the game. Rockstar Games previously teased the visual improvements coming to the game, mentioning locations like Blaine County and the metropolis of Los Santos.

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With the remastered version of the games for PS5 and Xbox Series S/X, gamers will be able to take advantage of new graphics modes featuring up to 4K resolution, a frame rate of up to 60 frames per second, improved texture quality, HDR options, and ray tracing, according to Rockstar. In addition to these graphical updates, the new versions of GTA 5 and GTA Online will also take advantage of faster loading rates, as well as features such as 3D audio, and platform specific features like advanced haptic feedback on the PlayStation’s DualSense controllers.

With that, here’s everything you need to know about GTA 5 and GTA Online before they arrive on PS5 and Xbox Series S/X next week.

GTA 5, GTA Online release date

GTA 5 and GTA Online will arrive on March 15 on PS5 and Xbox Series S/X. The digital version of the games will be available on the PlayStation Store and Xbox Store on the same day, while Rockstar recently revealed that both games are available for pre-purchase and pre-loading on both PS5 and Xbox Series S/X consoles.

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GTA 5 download size

The improved and enhanced versions of GTA 5 and GTA Online for current generation consoles is expected to take up 94.29GB of storage space on Xbox Series S/X, while another Twitter user reveals that the upcoming title takes up 86.83GB of storage space on the PlayStation 5.

Rockstar Games has made improvements to anti-aliasing and motion-blur in the enhanced version of GTA 5
Photo Credit: Rockstar Games

GTA 5, GTA Online PS5 price

The GTA 5 PS5 version is priced at Rs. 2,799 ($39.99/ GBP 34.99 / AUD 59.95) and this purchase will include both the Story Mode and GTA Online. However, PS5 gamers will be able to pick up the game at an introductory price of Rs. 700 ($9.99 / GBP 8.75 / AUD 14.99) on the PlayStation Store — a discount of 75 percent — until June 14. More importantly, gamers do not have to own an older version of the game to avail of the initial discount.

Earlier this week, Rockstar Games revealed that GTA Online is currently free for PS5 owners to preload via the PlayStation Store until June 14. This gives PS5 owners the ability to play the online component of the game for three months at no extra cost. After June 14, the GTA will cost Rs. 1,399 ($19.99 / GBP 17.99 / AUD 30.95), according to the publisher.

GTA 5, GTA Online Xbox Series S/X price

Unlike PS5 users, who have a 75 percent discount on GTA 5, Xbox Series S/X owners can avail of a 50 percent discount on the game until June 14, at Rs. 1,399 ($19.99 / GBP 17.49 / AUD 29.97). After that, the game will be priced at Rs. 2,799 ($39.99 / GBP 34.99 / AUD 59.95). Gamers who want to pick up GTA Online for Xbox Series S/X will have to pay Rs. 700 ($9.99 / GBP 8.99 / AUD 15.47), right away — there’s no three-month freebie for owners of Microsoft’s current generation consoles.

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GTA 5, GTA Online gameplay

As this is a visual overhaul of the popular GTA 5 title from 2013, gamers should not expect to see any new gameplay content added to Story Mode. On the graphics front, Rockstar explains that gamers will have access to three graphics modes in the game. The first is called Fidelity mode, which the publisher says is tuned for the highest visual quality (read 4K resolution) at 30fps. This mode enables ray tracing support on PS5 and Xbox Series X. Meanwhile, Xbox Series S users will get upscaled 4K resolution.

Gamers can also choose a Performance Mode that will feature upscaled 4K resolution on the PS5 and Xbox Series X, and 1080p resolution on the Xbox Series S at 60fps on all consoles. Meanwhile, a third graphics preset will be able for PS5 and Xbox Series X owners — Performance RT — which is a hybrid of Fidelity and Performance, with upscaled 4K resolution with ray tracing at 60fps, according to Rockstar.

Gamers can expect to see improved traffic variety and lighting quality across shadows
Photo Credit: Rockstar Games

According to Rockstar, gamers can look forward to faster loading times, increased population and vegetation density, along with improved traffic variety, lighting quality across shadows, water reflections, and other elements in the game. The publisher has also made improvements to anti-aliasing, motion-blur, and added highly detailed new effects for collisions, fire, explosions and more.

On GTA Online, Rockstar says that gamers will be able to skip the GTA 5 Story Mode prologue before entering GTA Online, granting them access to in-game GTA$ currency, so they can start their Biker, Executive, Nightclub Owner, or Gunrunner business. The upcoming enhanced and improved GTA Online for the latest consoles will also feature Hao’s Special Works auto shop for upgrading vehicles designed for the latest-gen consoles, according to the company.

GTA Online will also feature a Career Builder feature that will allow new players, or those who want to get a fresh start on current generation consoles, by granting them GTA$4,000,000 to select essentials including business properties, vehicles and weapons. GTA Online will also allow gamers to jump into freemode, heists, races, adversary modes, and the latest featured weekly events, from the new front-end Main Menu, according to Rockstar Games.

GTA 5, GTA Online data migration

Gamers who want to transfer their PS4 and Xbox One Story Mode progress and their current GTA Online characters and progression to the current generation PS5 and Xbox Series S/X consoles can take advantage of a one-time migration, according to Rockstar Games.

GTA Online players simply have to load up the game on PS5 or Xbox Series S/X to migrate their data
Photo Credit: Rockstar Games

Players must start playing GTA 5 on their console, then go to the Game tab of the Pause menu, and choose the Upload Save Game option, to upload a save to the Rockstar Games Social Club. This save will remain available to download for 90 days.

GTA 5, GTA Online to Launch for PS5, Xbox Series S/X on March 15

Gamers who have a Rockstar Games Social Club who want to transfer GTA Online characters and progression only have to load up the game on the PS5 or Xbox Series S/X on March 15, which will migrate their characters, GTA$ (in game currency), progression, stats, vehicles, properties, weapons, clothing, and player-created jobs. It is worth noting that GTA$ can only be transferred between platforms of the same family — like the PS4 to PS5 — according to Rockstar Games.

GTA 5, GTA Online trailer

In September 2021, Rockstar released a trailer for the upcoming improved and enhanced version of GTA 5 and GTA Online. The 70-second video shows off some of the detailed new graphics that users can expect to see in the game, including shots of wildlife, HDR enhanced sunsets and incredibly detailed crashes and damage from vehicle collisions.

The trailer also shows off a lot of the content in the game that has been enhanced with support for ray tracing, along with high octane and rash driving scenes, along with seamless character switching. Meanwhile, the last 20 seconds of the trailer also show visual enhancements to graphics on GTA Online, with a character walking to a window at a party, to watch a fighter jet flying by outside get blasted out of the sky.

GTA 5, GTA Online review

Reviews for the enhanced and improved versions of GTA 5 and GTA Online are currently awaited, but the original GTA 5 title received “universal acclaim” from critics — on rating aggregation service Metacritic, GTA 5 currently stands at a Metascore of 97 based on a total of 108 critic reviews for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game is currently listed as the fifth-highest rated game of all time, on the website.