It's been a busy old time for video game launches these last few weeks, and the run of new releases isn't over yet. Well, new releases might not be apt here as next on the agenda is the arrival of GTA 5. A game that launched for the first time all the way back in 2013, but will be getting its PS5 and Xbox Series X|S upgrades in the form of a separate game on March 15.
The Enhanced & Expanded version of GTA 5 is now available to preorder on both platforms, giving us our first indication of how much it is going to cost. The game will be $40 at full price, which some might label a little steep for what is effectively a next-gen upgrade. However, Rockstar is currently offering heavy discounts for the game on both platforms, although PlayStation owners are getting a better deal than those of you who plan to buy the game on Xbox.
GTA 5 is currently just $9.99 to preorder on the PS5's PlayStation Store, as pointed out by VGC. In addition to that, PS Plus subscribers can download GTA Online and keep it forever, or for as long as they have a subscription. That deal will run for the next three months. Xbox owners won't be getting GTA Online for free, and GTA 5 is only 50 percent off as opposed to the 75 percent cut on PlayStation, which means it currently costs $19.99.
Yes, it is a little and perhaps unnecessarily confusing. It seems the key difference is GTA Online being free to PS Plus subscribers. Since the PlayStation version of the game you have to pay money for is technically just its story mode, while the Xbox version includes both sides of the game, that appears to be why the pricing is so different. Whatever platform you plan on playing the upgrade on though, now is the time to pick up a copy before the price returns to $40 on both platforms.
Rockstar has promised a lot from this upgrade, so it will really need to deliver. Faster load times, more NPCs, traffic, and vegetation, and better quality shadows and reflections. Not to mention the game making use of the DualSense's adaptive triggers and haptic feedback. Whether you pay $10, $20, or $40, players are going to want to feel like they are playing a very different version of a game they are likely already familiar with to feel like it was worth the money.