New Grand Theft Auto is (almost) here, you need to know this

Tonight, exactly at 12:00, the polished Grand Theft Auto V will be released. Here’s everything you need to know about it.

Remember when there were only a few years between the releases of Grand Theft Auto titles? That is not the case with Grand Theft Auto V. Yes, there will be a number six, but it may be years in development. That is why Grand Theft Auto V has been the Grand Theft Auto game for almost ten years now. Why not? The game is still quite popular and can still generate considerable income for Rockstar Games. Never change a winning team…

Grand Theft Auto V ‘Next Gen’

In reality, however, there is a limit to how long you can milk a game without major changes. The same goes for the hardware it’s played on. The game originally came out for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2013, but the lifespan of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One is now behind us and the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series (S and X) have been out for a while. That’s why Grand Theft Auto V is being ‘re-released’ for the second time. This time exclusively for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and Series S. What exactly will change and will you have to spend money on it again? We will list everything for you.

On which consoles?

As mentioned: the new version of Grand Theft Auto V can only be played on PlayStation 5 (Digital or normal) and Xbox Series X and S. Remarkably enough, Rockstar has not mentioned PC for a second, while that version has always been updated. Whether you can play the latest Grand Theft Auto V on PC is unknown.

How expensive and when?

Grand Theft Auto V will be split into Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online. The latter is so bursting at the seams that it is worth offering it separately. Both games in one will cost you 39.99 euros and only Grand Theft Auto Online costs 19.99 euros. Please note: temporarily these prices have been halved. Then the whole set will cost you 19.99 euros and only 9.99 Online. Online will receive updates again in the future, the regular game is exactly the same in gameplay as it was in 2013. You can pre-order both games, the release is March 15th. When that is depends on the time zone. So in the Netherlands in a few hours, but players from New Zealand were able to get started this morning.

transfer

Do you have to start all over again in Grand Theft Auto V or Online? No definitely not. When purchasing Online you will be asked to migrate your GTA Online character. This will be taken from your PS4 or Xbox One account. Please note: the latter expire completely. Once you have transferred the new version, you will no longer be able to use the account on your old consoles.

What do you get?

So you will have to spend money on Grand Theft Auto V again. What exactly has been improved?

graphics
Firstly, better use is made of the hardware of the PS5 and Xbox Series X. The game supports 4k, HDR and 60 fps. 4k and 60 fps, as with many other games, is a choice. So you can choose between ‘fidelity’ and ‘performance’ in the settings. Below you can see the difference. Left is quality or ‘fidelity’ (4k and 30 fps) and right is smooth or ‘performance’ (1440p and 60 fps). Do what you think is better yourself, but if you want my opinion about it: you see very little difference in quality, while 60 fps is really a lot nicer. Performance is therefore the way to go†

New content
As mentioned, this version of Grand Theft Auto V Online will receive new updates, but you already get a few bonuses. If you transfer your character from your old account, you will get the above car for free, the Karin S95 (based on the Toyota GT86). In addition, there are some new cars for sale on the well-known websites in the game, which of course will cost a lot of your hard-earned (in game) money.

When you create a new character, you get four million in-game dollars to get you started. You can put a million of that in your pocket. You must use the other three million to pre-purchase a number of buildings, vehicles and services to help you on your way. After that, you have to earn your own money.

As for other new things, it is mainly a number of things that have to do with your car. You are introduced by Hao, a character that appears more often in the game. You get access to his tuning shop where you can dress up specific cars with ‘Hao upgrades’. This makes them faster and in the case of the above ‘livery’ (photo left), more beautiful. The other photo is a new addition for all cars: ‘chameleon colours’. You can choose from a number and these can brighten up any car you want. Hao also brings new races, challenges and missions.

Other

It actually is for the latest update of Grand Theft Auto V. It will feel like the old days, but a little nicer and a little smoother. Something more… up to date. However, it is clearly an update and if you are really looking for a good successor, you will have to be patient for a few more years. For a tenner it is quite a nice upgrade, but don’t expect any radical changes. We do expect one or two more updates for this version of Grand Theft Auto V before it’s time for number six.