Skip to main content

Grand Theft Auto V upgrade brings three graphics modes

After months of speculation, we finally know exactly what improvements are coming to Grand Theft Auto V in its upcoming PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions on March 15. The news comes via the official Rockstar blog, where the developer shares specifics regarding graphical updates, character migration, and more.

Most notable among the current-gen console enhancements is a series of new graphics modes aimed at letting players tailor the experience to their own preferences. Fidelity Mode provides 4K resolution at 30 frames per second (fps) with ray tracing, while Performance Mode offers an upscaled 4K resolution with a targeted 60 fps. Lastly is Performance RT Mode, which acts as a combination of the other two modes, with upscaled 4K resolution, ray tracing, and a targeted 60 fps.

Related Videos

Rockstar stated that the new version of the game will also feature “increased population and traffic variety, increased vegetation density, improved lighting quality across shadows, water reflections, and other elements. Plus improved anti-aliasing, motion-blur, highly detailed new explosions, fire, and much more.”

Due to the SSD in both current-gen consoles, the game will also have considerably faster load times. Meanwhile, PS5 players can take advantage of the DualSense controller’s haptic feedback for deeper immersion.

Grand Theft Auto Online, the game’s immensely popular multiplayer sandbox, is also receiving a handful of quality-of-life improvements, including an updated main menu and a fresh intro and tutorial for new players. There is likely to be plenty of those, too, considering that GTA Online will be available as a stand-alone title going forward and will be free to download and keep for the first three months for PS5 users. Those who don’t get the game during that period will have to purchase it later, though Rockstar hasn’t shared pricing details yet.

Lastly, players will have the ability to transfer their GTA V and GTA Online characters from last-gen hardware to PS5 and Xbox Series X. There will even be an option to migrate to an entirely new platform. However, this will be a one-time move and will not be reversible.

The PS5 and Xbox Series X versions of GTA V will be the third major release of the beloved open-world game. Its initial launch on PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2013 was followed by a remaster for PS4 and Xbox One in 2014. You can check out the new-gen version when it launches on March 15.

Editors' Recommendations

You can still get a Thunder Shotgun in Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 2. Here’s how
Fortnite characters in a city.

Fortnite has received plenty of exciting new weapons in Chapter 4 Season 2, and in typical fashion, Epic has also vaulted some of last season's weapons to clean up the loot pool. Among the weapons vaulted for Season 2 is the Thunder Shotgun -- but weirdly, it can still be obtained, as it appears Epic possibly overlooked one NPC who drops it.

Anyone who wants to score the Thunder Shotgun in Season 2 can head over to Frenzy Fields and look for the NPC named Sunflower who walks around the farm. Simply eliminate her and pick up the weapon she drops. It's unclear if this is actually something Epic missed, or if the team just simply didn't want to bother changing up Sunflower's loot drops. Either way, it's currently the only way to obtain the Thunder Shotgun.

Read more
Time is running out to play Battlefield 2042 for free
Crawford shoots enemies with a turret he place in Battlefield 2042.

If you want to try Battlefield 2042 for free on PC, your time is running out. You have just over a day to download and play it on Steam before it goes back to being a full-price release.
Battlefield 2042's free access period on Steam began on March 13, about two weeks after the start of Season 4: Eleventh Hour. If you go to its store page on Steam, you can download and play it for free until 12 p.m. ET on March 16. The game is also discounted on Steam during this time, so you can pick Battlefield 2042 up for $18 instead of $60.
If you don't want to buy the game directly but still want to continue playing after this free trial period, you have some options. Battlefield 2042 is included in multiple subscription services at the moment. It is one of March 2023's monthly PlayStation Plus titles for both PS4 and PS5 subscribers. Meanwhile, it's available as part of the EA Play game library, which Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S all have access to.
If you use the same EA account on those platforms, you'll be able to carry over all of your account progression and items and not lose any progress. As such, this free access period on Steam is a great time to check out Battlefield 2042 if you've been on the fence about picking it up. 
Battlefield 2042 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Its free Steam demo ends on March 16.

Read more
All GTA games, ranked from worst to best
The protagonists of GTA V pose for the camera.

Few video game series are as legendary as Grand Theft Auto, which made a name for itself thanks to developer Rockstar Games. GTA has been around since 1997, spanning numerous console generations, and taking place during versions of the 1960s to the 2020s. It's a controversial series that has been featured in the news for its violence and adult themes, but this has led to even more sales, increasing its allure and popularity.

Beyond its controversies, the Grand Theft Auto series is comprised of fantastic games -- some of which have completely revolutionized the medium as a whole. Many modern hits owe a lot to the Grand Theft Auto series, proving just how important these games are, even decades later.

Read more