GTA 5’s PS5 port is being delayed, so keep playing it on your old consoles

By DeAngelo Epps September 9, 2021

Sony’s Showcase gave us what seems like our 100th look at Grand Theft Auto 5 — and this time it’s a new enhanced PlayStation 5 port.

Grand Theft Auto 5 released in 2013 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It released again in 2014 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. That release was followed up by another in 2015 for Microsoft Windows. Now, it’s coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S sometime in March.

The reveal trailer for this enhanced edition promises improved graphics, but going off visuals and fan response, not too much has really changed (aside from fans getting increasingly annoyed at a lack of GTA6 news).

First off they said November like a month ago, second it looks the exact same game💀💀💀

— Rhino (@TheeMockingjqy) September 9, 2021

As stated in the tweet above, Grand Theft Auto 5‘s enhanced port for new-gen consoles has been pushed back to 2022. It originally was slated for a November release. Rockstar has yet to share the cause for that delay (though, again, it’s likely not because of GTA6).

Beyond what was shown in the new reveal trailer, Rockstar has also stated that there will be “seamless” switching between the main characters during the game, which is the most familiar gimmick of this new console generation.

Grand Theft Auto 5 and its accompanying Grand Theft Auto Online are coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in March 2022, though no firm date was given. For those who can’t wait and still haven’t played GTA 5, you can find it for cheap on Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and Microsoft Windows right now on digital marketplaces and stores everywhere.

You can also get Grand Theft Auto Online for free for a limited time at launch on the PlayStation 5.

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De'Angelo Epps is a gaming writer passionate about the culture, communities, and industry surrounding gaming. His work ranges…

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PS5 slim vs. PS5: everything you need to know about the new PS5 model

The slimmer PS5 console laying on its side.

Sony consoles have always gotten multiple versions and editions ever since the original PlayStation 1. As technology becomes cheaper and more advanced, refreshed models that are both smaller and less expensive to produce typically come out a couple of years into a console's life cycle, and we have now hit that point for the PS5. The PS5 slim, as it is being referred to, is a smaller version of the launch models, and will eventually become the standard unit available to consumers once the stock of existing PS5s runs out. However, is this version worth getting if you're an existing owner, or is it only for new purchasers? There's also the question about which of the two versions to buy. To answer all these questions, let's compare the PS5 slim to the OG PS5.
Specs

Let's start with the most important part, which is whether or not there's more power under the hood of the PS5 slim compared to the launch models. No, the PS5 slim is not in any way more powerful than an existing PS5. This is not a PS5 Pro, which is currently just a rumor. Games will not look, run, or play any better or worse on either version. The only difference in terms of specs is that the slim versions have slightly more storage space at 1 TB compared to 825GB, which is just a small 175GB upgrade. There's nothing here that makes it worth buying a new system when you can expand the storage of your console yourself.
Size
Obviously, a slim model would mean that this new version would be smaller than the frankly comically large launch version. While that's true, it isn't a huge reduction in size. The PS5 Slim disc version weighs 3.2 kilograms (18% less that the original PS5) while the discless version weighs 2.6kg (24% less), and both are 30% smaller by volume.
Versions
Once again, you will have the option to choose between an all-digital and standard version of the PS5 Slim. However, unlike the original discless PS5, the new version will give you the option to add a disc drive later on if you purchase a separate detachable drive.
Price
The current PS5 models are priced at $400 and $500 for the digital and standard versions, respectively. While the PS5 slim standard version that includes the disc drive will remain at $500, the discless version will get a price increase to $450. This price increase had already been seen in other territories outside the U.S., but will now be introduced here once these new versions launch. It is also worth mentioning that the detachable disc drive you can get to upgrade your discless version will cost $80, meaning you would spend more to buy the digital version and add the drive than you would by simply buying the version with the drive already included.

Gaming

PS Plus members can cloud stream PS5 games in 4K later this month

Aloy stands on a mountain in Horizon Forbidden West.

PS Plus Premium is adding a new feature next month that will allow subscribers to cloud stream select PlayStation 5 games. The initial list includes heavy hitters like Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Horizon Forbidden West. Sony is targeting an October 30 launch in North America.

Cloud streaming has been one of the primary selling points of PS Plus since its relaunch last year. Subscribers can use the feature to access several games in the service's catalog, including PlayStation 3 games. The new feature will now extend that technology to newer PS5 releases, with Sony saying it plans to make "hundreds" of games streamable.

Gaming

PS5’s new Digital Edition brings console gaming one step closer to PC

A PS5 consxole is opened up, showing its removable hard drive.

When Sony revealed updated models for the PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition, one specific accessory for the latter caught my eye. That would be the Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Drive for PS5, which players can purchase separately and then attach to the Digital Edition console if they decide they do want to own physical media after all. Coming right in the middle of a console generation where multiple versions of each Sony and Microsoft console exist, it hews a lot closer to a console future that draws from the PC experience.

By that, I mean game consoles are becoming more modular and customizable. Something like the Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Drive points toward a future where you can swap console parts in and out as you would with a gaming PC. This not only gives companies a chance to be more digitally focused while still supporting physical media but potentially makes it easier to expand a console’s memory or power without doing a full-on mid-gen console refresh. It’s unknown if this is the real future for console gaming, but the new PS5 models at least lay a bit of groundwork.
A more modular future
While “slim” versions of consoles have been an industry trend for a while, the significance of mid-gen console refreshes has grown over the past decade. The PS4 improved with the PS4 Slim and then the PS4 Pro, while Microsoft flooded the Xbox One market with the One S, One S All-Digital Edition, and One X updated version of the console. And while the long-rumored Nintendo Switch Pro never came to fruition, the Switch still saw hardware variations with the Nintendo Switch Lite and Nintendo Switch OLED model. It's also already possible to tinker with your PS5 a bit and expand its storage capabilities, something that typically felt relegated to modded consoles in previous generations.
This more frequent and incremental hardware release cadence reflects other parts of the tech industry and allows these companies to test new ideas for hardware going forward. The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition played a role in paving the way for the digital-only Xbox Series S. As such, it wouldn't surprise me if Sony is experimenting with a new hardware approach with these updated PS5 models, even if they aren’t massive technical overhauls.