GTA 5 Legacy vs Enhanced. Rockstar's game will be more beautiful than ever
GTA 5 on PC will soon receive a long-awaited update. Rockstar will finally introduce improvements previously only available on current-generation consoles, including ray tracing and GTA subscription.
Update (March 4)
In a few hours, we will be able to test the new version of GTA 5. Of course, with the upcoming GTA 6, it might be a good idea to replay this classic. No wonder that many players would like to know how Enhanced and Legacy editions differ. Should you come back to the Gtand Theft Auto series? Below we present the most important novelties which will be added to the game with its new iteration.
Update (February 27)
On Steam and Rockstar Launcher, you can now pre-download GTA 5 Enhanced. The new version of the game will be available from March 4th.
Original news (February 20)
Rockstar Games studio shared details about the upcoming major update for Grand Theft Auto V for personal computers. Players on PC will be very pleased with this, as they have been waiting for a patch for a long time, which has already been available on current-generation consoles (PS5 and XSX/S) since 2022. Among other things, it will make GTA V run and look even better on PC than before.
Ray tracing and higher PC system requirements for GTA 5
Even though Rockstar officially announced the update in November of last year, the developers have only just now confirmed the changes related to it. The creators announced that the "next-gen" patch will hit PC on March 4, 2024. Of course, it will be free for all owners of the game.
Focusing on technical issues alone - the fifth installment of the cult gangster series finally receives support for ray tracing on PC. Thanks to this, all light reflections and shadows will look better. Furthermore, after the update's release, players will be able to enjoy:
- support for AMD FSR1 and FSR3 technology and NVIDIA DLSS 3;
- shorter loading times (thanks to DirectStorage);
- even greater support for high-resolution monitors, screen ratios, and high refresh rates;
- compatibility with DualSense controllers.
GTA 5 on PC now has higher system requirements, which results from the implementation of these technologies, including ray tracing. Furthermore, starting March 4th, the enhanced version of the game will appear in our collection as a separate entry. This means, among other things, that PC players who want to play GTA Online together must use the same version. Both editions of GTA V (the one including improvements and the one without) will still be supported by Rockstar.
Below, you can take a look at the new system requirements for GTA 5 on PC, which will apply to the enhanced version of the game.
GTA V - minimum PC system requirements (next-gen update)
- Processor: Intel Core i7-4770 / AMD FX-9590
- Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1630 (4 GB VRAM) or AMD Radeon RX 6400 (4 GB VRAM)
- RAM: 8 GB
- Operating system: Windows 10
- Disk space: 105GB (SSD)
GTA V - recommended PC system requirements (next-gen update)
- Processor: Intel Core i5-9600K / AMD Ryzen 5 3600
- Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 (8 GB VRAM) or AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT (8 GB VRAM)
- RAM: 16 GB
- Operating system: Windows 11
- Disk space: 105GB (SSD)
New content in GTA Online
Rockstar Studio also detailed the new features that will come along with the discussed technical improvements to GTA Online (so far, only owners of the game on PS5 or XSX/S could enjoy them).
- New vehicles and upgrades will be added to Hao's Special Works, which is a car workshop located in the LS club. Cars can be tested in weekly rotating time trials, test track trials, and HSW races.
- There will be an opportunity to take pictures of wild animals in free mode in southern San Andreas, thanks to daily photography challenges.
- It's possible to "track the history of your criminal activities within all GTA Online updates thanks to the career progress section."
- A new anti-cheat will be introduced to GTA Online, as well as a system for proactive moderation of voice chats.
GTA+ on PC
The last big change that the developers have prepared for GTA fans playing on PC is the access to the GTA+ subscription on this platform. The Rockstar subscription will become available on PC on March 4, 2025.
GTA+ membership provides access to selected games from the studio responsible for the well-known gangster series. At the moment, subscribers can play several titles, including L.A. Noire, GTA: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition, Red Dead Redemption, and Bully.
Besides, thanks to the GTA+ service, we receive several benefits in GTA Online, such as a cash injection of 500,000 GTA$, free vehicles (which can be collected at the Vinewood Club), and access to the Vinewood Club garage, which has space for 100 vehicles and includes a workshop.
