GTA 5 on PS5 and Xbox Series X is actually worth buying again
Date:
Tue, 15 Mar 2022 13:55:33 +0000
Description:
GTA 5 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X delivers and is a must for those who still havent played Rockstars evergreen title.
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I may have misjudged GTA 5 on PS5 and Xbox Series X, as it turns out
Rockstars second console remaster of its 2013 open-world epic might be the best way to experience Michael, Franklin, and Trevors disturbingly violent
and intertwining stories to date.
I wasnt expecting to be impressed by GTA 5s graphics especially when Ive
also played the game on PC and enjoyed running over pedestrians and causing all sorts of chaos at frame rates that sit far above 60fps.
However, GTA 5 s new lighting engine is what struck me first. It has a transformative effect on almost every element of the game, and its hard to imagine what the bustling streets of Los Santos were like without it. From
the neon-lit signs at night to the searing hot sun that hangs in the sky over Vespucci Beach, I've found myself awestruck at times at just how
aesthetically pleasing it all looks.
Whether the impressive lighting model is a consequence of GTA 5s ray tracing is unclear, though. Despite flicking between Fidelity, Performance, and Performance RT modes, which thankfully can be done on the fly, I didnt notice a massive difference with ray tracing turned on or off. Other than the stark contrast between 30 and 60fps, which really helps combat the high input lag present in Rockstars games, each graphic mode looked great to my eye. Frame rate has also been rock solid in Performance RT mode so far, something which
I feared would suffer. Face lift (Image credit: Rockstar)
The resolution in all three graphic modes is also razor-sharp. GTA 5 on PS5 and Xbox Series X benefits from the new high-resolution textures which help breathe new life into the scenery and materials of Los Santos often grimy setting. It also appears as though the games color palette is more vibrant than before, though that might just be a consequence of how the PS5 uses a slightly lower gamma level than the PS4 .
Its not just the graphical enhancements that help GTA 5 feel fresh again, though. The shorter load times are extremely welcome on console, as it now takes less than 30 seconds to load up GTA 5s story mode a massive
improvement over the minute and a half wait we were subjected to on PS4.
Thats still not quite as snappy as weve come to expect from other games this generation, but the speedy SSD in the PS5 does help ease the frustration of failing and waiting to restart a mission. Sense of danger (Image credit: Take-Two Interactive / Rockstar Games)
GTA 5 also benefits from PS5-specific features on Sony's platform, such as haptic feedback and adaptive triggers , a feature thats sorely missing on the Xbox Series X version of GTA 5. While not everyones a fan of Sonys clever controller, I absolutely love the difference the pads haptics and triggers
can make, especially to games Ive already played before. The controller lets you feel the rumble of your car engine, the screech of your tires, and the rough terrain of Los Santos off-road, desert areas. It just makes Rockstars frighteningly detailed world a little more convincing.
Even the DualSenses lightbar a feature which I never thought Id praise furiously flashes red and blue when youve obtained a wanted level, and switches to green, blue, and orange, depending on which of the three protagonists youre controlling. Its something that was present on PS4, but
due to the DualSenses forward-facing and more prominent lightbar, its far
more impactful this time around.
All of these changes might not sound like much individually, but they add up to reinvigorate a game that was, undoubtedly, ahead of its time. You only
need to play something like Cyberpunk 2077 to get a poignant reminder of just how incredible and alive Rockstars open-worlds feel compared to the competition. Its not even close. Its a steal (Image credit: Rockstar)
It would have been nice for a game as old as GTA 5 to get a free update, but its currently available for the surprisingly low introductory price of $9.99
/ 8.75 / AU$ 14.99 on PS5 , though its slightly more expensive on Xbox Series X at $19.99 / 17.49 / $29.97. Thats a shame for Xbox Series X/S owners, particularly as the game is arguably more feature-rich on PlayStation 5 due
to the extra bells and whistles the DualSense controller provides.
Its worth noting that this offer is only available until June 14, so if youre even remotely curious about playing GTA 5 again, Id recommend snapping it up now. After June 14, the game will cost $39.99 / 34.99 / AU$ 59.95, which isnt nearly as tempting. Is GTA 5 Enhanced Edition really the best version? (Image credit: Rockstar)
As fantastic as GTA 5 Enhanced Edition is, you still cant mod the game like you can on PC. If you have the know-how and capable hardware, GTA 5 can be modded to look nearly photorealistic. However, GTA 5 on PS5 and Xbox Series X is the most approachable version of the game, and I think its enough of a
step up over the vanilla PC version to justify its fourth release. Although please dont re-release it again, Rockstar. Four times is more than enough. Just keep working on GTA 6 , please.
Despite being adamant that nothing could tempt me back into the seedy world
of Los Santos, particularly as Id already picked up Rockstars open-world epic on PS3, Xbox One , and PC, I have nothing but good things to say about this remaster from the short time Ive played.
Ive never denied that GTA 5 is a fantastic game, but I cant comprehend how
its still so good after all this time. It wouldnt have sold a bajillion
copies if it wasnt, of course, so don't be shocked if it tops the best-seller list on PS5 and Xbox Series X for many months to come.
GTA 5 also has a huge online community, an area of the game which I never truly explored. That might be enough reason for some players to return to GTA 5, but Im honestly just glad the game didnt turn out like the disastrous release of the GTA Trilogy: Definitive Edition . The less said about that,
the better. I was wrong about the DualSense controller
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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/news/gta-5-on-ps5-and-xbox-series-x-is-actually-wort h-buying-again/
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