GTA 5 and GTA Online Enhancements for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S Get Detailed

With less than two weeks left until the games’ release on the latest consoles from Sony and Microsoft, Rockstar has finally shed some light on what we should expect from the enhanced GTA 5 and GTA Online.

The first thing mentioned by Rockstar is that the games will be brought up to par with the PC version when it comes to visuals. Expect new graphics modes featuring up to 4K resolution, a frame rate of up to 60 FPS (frames per second), improved texture quality, HDR options, and ray tracing.

Since both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S are more powerful than the previous generation of consoles, players will also notice faster loading times. Additionally, the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions will benefit from immersive 3D audio, as well as support for platform-specific features.

GTA 5 will have three detailed new graphics settings that allow players to customize gameplay experience for what they wish. For example, Fidelity Mode has been specifically designed to provide the highest visual quality and targets 30 FPS. Also, the mode supports 4K resolution with ray tracing enabled, while Xbox Series S supports upscaled 4K resolution.

Next, Performance Mode is customized for a more responsive gameplay experience and targets 60 FPS. Both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X support upscaled 4K resolution, while the Xbox Serie S supports a resolution of 1080p.

Finally, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X will also have a Performance RT mode, a hybrid of the Fidelity and Performance modes supporting upscaled 4K resolution with ray tracing enabled and targeting 60 FPS.

Besides the obvious (hopefully) visual enhancements, GTA 5 and GTA Online will also offer other improvements including faster loading times, increased population and traffic variety, increased vegetation density, improved lighting quality across shadows, water reflections, and other elements.

Additionally, improved anti-aliasing, motion-blur, highly detailed new explosions, fire, and other improvements are part of these enhanced versions too.

Rockstar also announced that Haptic Feedback and dynamic resistance via the Adaptive Triggers on PlayStation 5’s DualSense wireless controller will be added too, along with new sensations to weather effects, directional damage, rough road surfaces, explosions and more.

Audiophiles will be pleased to know that GTA 5 and GTA Online will benefit from immersive audio using Tempest 3D positional audio on PlayStation 5 and Spatial Sound on Xbox Series X/S.

GTA Online gets a bucketload of improvements too

As far as GTA Online improvements go, apart from everything mentioned above, the game will include a range of new vehicles and a new addition to the LS Car Meet: Hao’s Special Works. The latter is a new class of Races where players can drive specially modified cars. The event will also feature a weekly rotation of Hao’s Special Works Time Trials, along with a Premium Test Ride, where players can drive these modified vehicles for free.

Furthermore, a new Career Builder feature will be available in GTA Online, which will allow new players or veterans willing to reset their character, to get an advantage when they start the game in the form of GTA$4,000,000 windfall to select essentials including Business Properties, Vehicles, and Weapons.

Various other QOL (quality-of-life) improvements have been added to GTA Online, including a newly designed tutorial for new players, a new Main Menu that lets you jump directly into Freemode, Heists, Races, Adversary Modes, the latest featured weekly event content, and more.

Although GTA Online is accessible as part of GTA 5, Rockstar announced it would launch GTA Online as a standalone title for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, so players will have to purchase it separately at some point this year. However, for the first three months from launch, GTA Online would be available to download and keep for free for PlayStation 5 players (sorry Xbox owners).

Last but not least, Rockstar announced that PlayStation 4 and Xbox One players will be able to transfer both their GTA 5 Story Mode progress and their current GTA Online characters and progression to PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, or across console platforms, with a one-time migration for each.

The transfer can be done by uploading the save to the Rockstar Games Social Club. Simply enter your console account and head to the Game tab of the Pause Menu. From there, select the Upload Save Game option (only one game save per platform can be stored at a time).

Anyone with a Rockstar Games Social Club account will be able to migrate their GTA Online character progress to PS5 or Xbox Series X/S on March 15 upon loading up the game. The migration includes any characters, GTA$, progression, stats, vehicles, properties, weapons, clothing, and player-created jobs.