Which Expanded and Enhanced Features will the GTA 5 PC version get?
Rockstar finally announced that GTA 5’s PC version will get the PS5 and Xbox Series enhanced features, but which ones will it get?
Grand Theft Auto 5 is easily one of the most popular games of all time. Holding various record-breaking titles, Rockstar’s magnum opus has spanned various console generations. The game initially came out when the PS3 and Xbox 360 were reigning supreme and are going strong with the PS5 Pro’s release on the horizon.
However, while the console versions of the game have received various graphical enhancements and expanded features, the same can’t be said for the PC version. As a matter of fact, Rockstar has a habit of neglecting PC players in favor of console players. This has been seen multiple times in the past.
However, fortunately, Rockstar has finally confirmed that PC players will be getting the expanded and enhanced features that PS5 and Xbox Series players already have.
Rockstar teases GTA 5’s expanded and enhanced version for PC
Most fans would assume that Rockstar would reveal the PC version of one of its biggest games in a social media post. If not a full reveal video like console players got then maybe something like an event. However, that didn’t happen. On the contrary, most players don’t even know about it.
The reason this news went under the radar for many is that it was revealed in a blog post that Rockstar shared on its official website. The GTA Online Community Update post gave information about GTA Online’s upcoming December update, which most players likely skimmed through and left. However, the important part comes at the end of the post in a small paragraph.
The final paragraph of the blog post revealed there are plans “to bring the much-requested PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S features of GTA Online to the PC platform in the new year.“
While the blog specifically states the features will come to GTA Online, they’ll very likely come to GTA 5 as well. After all, GTA Online and GTA 5 are like two peas in a pod, at least until GTA 6 comes out.
When will GTA 5 PC get the enhanced version?
At this point in time, Rockstar has not given an exact date for when PC players can expect their version of GTA 5 to get the enhanced and expanded update. However, the same blog post we mentioned gives a slight hint.
According to the post, there are plans to bring the PS5 and Xbox Series S/X features to PC in the new year. This means the update will likely come out in early 2025, maybe before January ends.
Naturally, the expanded and enhanced version is a big deal, so players can expect Rockstar to give more information on it as the release date approaches. GTA 6 is scheduled to come out in 2025 too, so it would be in Rockstar’s best interest to get the enhanced version out before that. After all, most players will likely jump ship to the sequel then.
On the other hand, it’s important to remember that GTA 6 won’t come out on PC and consoles simultaneously. Console players will get the game first and then PC gamers will get their hands on it after an undisclosed amount of time. Therefore, releasing the enhanced version late may be Rockstar’s way of keeping PC players busy until GTA 6 comes out on the platform.
What will GTA 5 PC’s enhanced version have?
Currently, Rockstar has not given any concrete details about what PC players can expect from the enhanced version of GTA 5. However, the blog post does give some hints about what the GTA Online version will likely get.
The PS5 and Xbox Series S/X versions of GTA Online have a handful of things that PC players lack. These include Hao’s Special Works, The Vinewood Clib, the Career Builder, and various vehicles that GTA Online players would no doubt want to get their hands on. It’s unknown if the PC update will add every single thing or if some things will be left out.
Will GTA 5 PC’s enhanced version get graphic upgrades?
While the Rockstar Blog basically confirms the PC upgrade will add in-game items and events to GTA Online, there’s no mention of graphical upgrades. It’s important to keep in mind that the major selling point of the PS5 and Xbox Series S/X versions of GTA 5 were the graphical and fidelity upgrades.
Below is a list of some of the graphical enhancements the PS5 and Xbox Series S/X versions of GTA 5 got with the expanded and enhanced upgrade:
60 frames per second
- Improved texture qualities
- HDR options
- Ray Tracing
- Faster loading times
- Immersive 3D audio
- Platform-specific features
- Increased population and traffic variety
- Increased vegetation density
- Improved lighting quality cross shadows, water reflections, and other elements
- Improved anti-aliasing
- Motion-blur
- Highly detailed new explosions, fire, and more
- New sensations to weather effects, directional damage, rough road surfaces, and explosions
Additionally, console players also had the choice to play in one of three modes. The first is fidelity mode, which targets 3- FPS and is tuned for the highest visual quality. If added, PC players will likely be able to play the game with 4K resolution and ray tracing enabled with this mode.
Performance mode, on the other hand, is tuned for the most responsive gameplay experience. This mode targets 60 FPS while supporting upscaled 4K resolution. Finally, there’s performance ray tracing mode, which is a hybrid of the other two modes. Not only does it support upscaled 4K resolution with ray tracing enabled but it also targets 60 FPS.
Finally, this version of the game had certain platform-specific features. For example, those playing on a PS5 could take advantage of the PS5 DualSense controller’s haptic feedback technology for a more immersive experience. The PC version will likely not have this feature as Sony tends to add it mostly for first-party games like Ghost of Tsushima and God of War Ragnarok.
Will the GTA 5 PC expanded and enhanced upgrade be free?
It’s currently unknown if the GTA 5 PC version’s expanded and enhanced upgrade will be free. However, it’s important to keep in mind that console players had to pay money to upgrade to the enhanced version, so PC players will likely have to do the same.
While the price was higher for Xbox Series S/X players, PS5 players had to pay a total of $20 for the upgrade. This price point was met with much criticism, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Rockstar drops the price for PC players to around the $10 mark. After all, that’s the amount most next-gen upgrades cost, so it would make sense.
On the other hand, Rockstar may make the upgrade free for PC players. The biggest reason for this is that the version isn’t exactly a DLC so it doesn’t make sense for PC players to pay extra. At the end of the day, PS5 and Xbox Series S/X players were paying to get a version of the game for a different platform, while the same doesn’t apply to PC. Therefore, the expanded and enhanced features may come in the form of a free update.
