Rockstar seems to enjoy teasing PC players with its releases. GTA 5 took nearly two years to hit PC after its original launch on Xbox 360 and PS3. Red Dead Redemption 2? A one-year wait. The first Red Dead Redemption? A staggering 14 years. As for GTA 6? The wait remains unknown—and potentially infinite.
That’s why PC players should be grateful that GTA 5’s next-gen update, originally launched for consoles in 2022, finally has a solid PC release date. The update arrives on March 4, just under two weeks from now, and will be completely free. Rockstar has confirmed that players can transfer their Story Mode and Online progress via a “one-time Character Migration flow.”
Enhanced Graphics and Performance Features
The update introduces several technical upgrades for PC players. Beyond the ray-traced shadows and reflections that the console version received, the PC release will add exclusive features such as:
- Ray-traced ambient occlusion and global illumination
- Support for AMD’s FSR1, FSR3, and NVIDIA’s DLSS 3
- Faster loading times using SSDs and DirectStorage (for supported configurations)
- Higher resolution, improved aspect ratio support, and higher framerates
- Full support for the DualSense controller’s adaptive triggers and haptic feedback
- Dolby Atmos audio support
With these enhancements, GTA 5 will finally take full advantage of modern PC hardware, allowing players to experience the game in its most visually impressive form yet.
GTA Online Additions
For GTA Online players, the update brings a host of new content, including:
- New vehicles, including five that were previously console-exclusive, with additional upgrades available at Hao’s Special Works inside the LS Car Meet.
- Ambient animals roaming southern San Andreas, which can be photographed for a challenge.
- GTA+ subscription service, offering “special benefits” for players looking to expand their criminal empire.
- Career Progress feature, which tracks a player’s achievements across GTAO’s many updates.
- Revamped Landing Page to improve the onboarding experience for new players, along with a GTA$4,000,000 cash bonus to help jumpstart their online journey.
With all these improvements, now might be the perfect time to revisit GTA 5. Whether you’re excited to relive the single-player campaign with upgraded visuals or explore the ever-expanding world of GTA Online, this update ensures that the decade-old game remains fresh. But Rockstar, if you’re reading this—can we not wait another three years for GTA 6?
