The main difference between Grand Theft Auto 5 and the rest of the series is the inclusion of three protagonists instead of one. This change enabled Rockstar to tell a different type of story due to the additional perspectives. But it's not just a narrative choice, as it impacts gameplay, too.
You're constantly able to switch between Franklin, Michael, and Trevor during the adventure using the character wheel. Your GTA online avatar even takes up a spot on said wheel to give you quick access to multiplayer. If you want to know how to swap between each one, all of the relevant information is here.
How To Switch Characters On All Platforms
Your choice of platform doesn't heavily impact how you change characters. Here's how to do it on each one:
- On The PlayStation Systems - Hold down on the D-Pad to bring the wheel up, use the right analog stick to highlight the character of your choice, and let go of the D-Pad.
- On The Xbox Systems - Hold down on the D-Pad to bring the wheel up, use the right stick to highlight the character of your choice, and let go of the D-Pad.
- On PC - Hold the Alt key to bring the wheel up, use the directional keys to highlight the character of your choice, and let go of the Alt key.
When You Can Switch Characters
The game allows you to swap protagonists in both free-roam and specific missions, but there are restrictions.
Free-Roam
While free-roaming, you're able to bring up your character wheel at any time to switch to someone else - unless you've got a wanted level. When you do so, the game will move you to another part of Los Santos, where your chosen protagonist is currently roaming.
However, there are occasions where one or two of the guys aren't available due to narrative reasons. You can easily tell this by the absence of their faces on the wheel.
Missions
While each of the main protagonists has their own missions, they also team up on occasion. During many of these quests, you're able - and sometimes forced - to change characters at certain moments. This is indicated by their face lighting up on the wheel.
There are also times when someone on the wheel is flashing red, which means that person is in danger. When this happens, you must get rid of the threat whether you switch to them or not.