Next month, Grand Theft Auto 5 will receive a significant free upgrade for PC, introducing a range of technical enhancements and features from GTA Online that were previously exclusive to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X editions. The upgrade, set to be released on March 4, will allow PC players to experience improved graphical quality and access to the GTA+ membership service, enriching their gameplay experience.
GTA 5 PC Upgrade Details
Rockstar Games shared the specifics of the upcoming PC upgrade in a blog post on Thursday. Among the enhancements, the PC version will now feature ray tracing capabilities, including ambient occlusion, global illumination, and support for ray-traced shadows and reflections. Players who choose to upgrade will also have the option to transfer their Story Mode and Online progress from the previous version.
In addition to ray tracing, the upgrade will introduce AI upscaling technologies such as AMD FSR1, FSR3, and NVIDIA DLSS 3. Other technical improvements will encompass reduced loading times on SSDs via DirectStorage, enhanced resolution support, varied aspect ratios, increased framerates, DualSense controller compatibility with adaptive triggers, and improved audio quality featuring Dolby Atmos. Players can expect enhanced clarity in speech, cinematics, and music throughout their gameplay.
For optimal performance with the upgraded version of GTA 5, Rockstar recommends that players have a minimum of 8GB of RAM, an Intel Core i7-4770 or AMD FX-9590 processor, and either an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1630 or AMD Radeon RX 6400 GPU with 4GB of VRAM.
The upgrade includes new vehicles and enhancements at Hao’s Special Works.
Photo Credit: Rockstar Games
New GTA Online Features
The free upgrade will also roll out several GTA Online features that were previously limited to PS5 and Xbox Series S/X users. Key additions include new vehicles and customization options available at Hao’s Special Works, Fresh Ambient Animal encounters throughout Southern San Andreas, an enhanced Career Progress feature, a revamped landing page, and an enticing introductory cash reward of GTA$4,000,000 for new players.
Improvements to the player experience in GTA Online will include kernel-based anti-cheat protections and proactive voice chat moderation to ensure a more secure and enjoyable gaming environment.
Furthermore, the upgrade extends the GTA+ membership program to PC players, allowing them to enjoy exclusive benefits such as a monthly stipend of GTA$500,000 (delivered upon billing), member-only Shark Cards that offer a 15 percent bonus, and access to a selection of classic Rockstar Games titles in the GTA+ Games Library, among other perks.
Rockstar also confirmed its commitment to maintaining support for the existing version of GTA 5 on PC. This means that players with hardware that does not meet the new upgrade’s requirements can continue playing. Ongoing support will also be available for FiveM mods, with plans to extend this support to the upgraded version in the future. However, players on the old version will not be able to participate in online sessions with those using the upgraded version of the game.
