Rockstar Games has confirmed that the next entry in the Grand Theft Auto series in in active development. But until then, fans can look forward to replaying Grand Theft Auto 5 – along with Grand Theft Auto Online – on Xbox Series X/S and PS5 soon. The developer announced that current-gen versions of the game would launch on March 15th.
Newer graphics modes are being added which offer up to 4K resolution, up to 60 FPS support, ray tracing, HDR and upgrades for textures and draw distance. Players can also look forward to faster loading times and 3D audio along with support for the DualSense’s haptic feedback. Story Mode progress and online characters can also be transferred from previous gen consoles, though the latter seems to be a one-time deal at launch.
Grand Theft Auto Online is also getting several improvements. Along with the option to skip the GTA 5 Story Mode prologue and go straight into online play, there’s a new tutorial and Career Builder that provides immediate access to four businesses (Executive, Gunrunner, Nightclub Owner and Biker). Players will also receive a good chunk of money along with weapons and a “high-end vehicle”. Those returning to the game will also have the option to restart their character and take advantage of the Career Builder.
As teased previously, you can upgrade vehicles as well. Hao’s Special Works in the LS Car Meet will help in that regard with five existing vehicles and five new vehicles capable of being upgraded. What these upgrades do remains to be seen but the developer said they’ll provide “elite driving performance that takes full advantage of the upgraded power of new console hardware.”
Grand Theft Auto Online will have a standalone version debuting as well with PS5 players receiving it for free within the first three months of launch. Stay tuned for more details en route to its release.
