GTA 5 Next-Gen PS5 Graphics Analysis: Is It A Worthy Upgrade?

With over 160 million copies sold and a solid rating of 97 on Metacritic, Grand Theft Auto 5 is easily the biggest game that Rockstar Games has developed up until this point. Released during the tail-end of the seventh console generation way back in 2013, Grand Theft Auto 5 still stands tall as one of the most relevant and frequently discussed games even to this day, largely thanks to its ever-evolving online offerings.
As such, it's no surprise that Rockstar has once again brought its magnum opus of carnage back into the limelight once again with Grand Theft Auto 5's expanded re-releases on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S - which brings the console versions more in line with a maxed-out PC version of the game. Of course, the story doesn't end there - and Rockstar has added a few graphical touches here and there to make the upgrade worthwhile for interested fans.
On that note, we present our complete graphical analysis of Grand Theft Auto 5 on PS5. Please note that most conclusions of feature additions are drawn using PS5's Fidelity graphics mode, unless stated otherwise.

[@ohdanggaming2653]

Making loyal gamers pay for an upgrade on a game they kept popular seems wildly rude by Rockstar. They should have had more to offer for the price they asked.

[@Thawhid]

Agreed. Or they should've just charged for story mode because people use shark cards online anyway. Greedy prix

[@B.D.F.]

I’m surprised that the PS3 was able to hang on this long. That Cell processor really was a beast once developers knew how to optimize for it.

[@connectivitytissues1429]

I agree... the pa3 was a horror to program for, but when you nailed it... like mgs4 and other pa3 exclusives, you gotta give pa3 some credit.

[@Javierdepp]

Aún así 360 era más potente X360 512 Mb ram 240 gflops.500 millones de polígonos Power pc xnon PS3 256 Mb para juegos 256 Mb para vídeo 235 gflops 270 millones de polígonos Y un cell potente pero se q Da mál con 360

[@sarcasticbotbol2098]

it wasn't the only 7th gen console able to run it 🤦‍♂

[@jasonprendergast7493]

@@connectivitytissues1429 what’s this Pa3 you speak of. Here we are talking about the PS3 (Xbox’s far weaker little brother these day’s), and you’re randomly going on about some Pa3! 😂🤣🤣😂🤣😂

[@Eddycut]

​@@Javierdeppspeak English taco eater

[@requiem5179]

This should be free if you own it already on either console or PC. This is ridiculous.

[@darkhaven9119]

If you already own it then it’s only 10 bucks instead of full price

[@darkhaven9119]

@Slomoshun yeah but again it’s an upgrade for people on consoles so it’s worth 10 bucks. For pc users no it’s not worth it

[@timothymceachron9127]

@@darkhaven9119 yeah if I wanted fancier graphics on PC I'd install a mod it's not that hard

[@darkhaven9119]

@@timothymceachron9127 what part of THIS IS FOR CONSOLE do you not understand dude?🤦🏻‍♂️ Stfu about pc Jesus Christ. If you have a pc then this is worthless. For console users it’s a good upgrade. So again stfu about pc.

[@BhrisQ60]

It was free for me idk why

[@ACameronUK]

I mean - sure it’s technically a graphical upgrade, but why should console gamers be made to pay for what can be achieved from the graphics setting menu on PC? 😳 This would have been a nice goodwill gesture if given away for free (to make up for the disaster that was the definitive edition trilogy) but as is, it’s just another slap in the face…

[@esaahmed786]

Online is free and can be downloaded separately for PS5 owners but yeah they should have done more

[@godsson7779]

Well we should just ask ourselves why should gamers be made to pay anything? Because that's the mentality of gaming now. We shouldn't have to pay for anything. I don't want to play PC because I'm not a PC gamer I'm a console gamer. That's why I'll pay for it again. So let's just never pay for anything in gaming again since that's the mentality

[@ACameronUK]

@@godsson7779 …that’s just daft 😂 I’m very happy to pay for anything when I’m getting value for money - this is about as far from that as you can get…they might as well say next week you can pay money to change the difficulty of the game, or you can pay money to jump higher etc, these just aren’t things that a decent company should be charging money for - that goes for resolution and frame rate upgrades as well

[@djob7384]

@@godsson7779 .... uhh

[@darkhaven9119]

They gave it to ps4 users for only 10 bucks instead of making them pay for price

[@thechicagobox]

60FPS with RT has been pretty good. It’s like they finally realized what they had in mind almost 10 years ago. It’s impressive how much this game still holds up, to the point where it still shames newer titles.

[@zamblot3324]

What's not impressive is how the game has stayed the same for ages, and they just keep milking older franchises as opposed to actually making a new game. Imagine what GTA VI could be like, considering how good GTA V was when it released nearly 10 years ago

[@thechicagobox]

@@zamblot3324 the single player has stayed the same, online is constantly changing and it’s what has kept this title going for so long. It’s good business plain and simple. However, it’s silly to think that they are not making a GTA6. After 5, they put a ton of effort and resources into RDR2. On top of managing the online portion of both games. It’s expensive and time consuming to make the quality level of a next gen RStar game, so I expect to see some wizardry from them when 6 does come. If not, then they will have to suffer the wrath of millions while we are out a top tier developer. I want games quick too, but not at the expense of a new quality experience. Seems to me that it’s a 5 year dev cycle just for a typical current gen banger, and GTA is anything but typical.

[@HatCHeTHaZ]

Should have been a free upgrade but here we are

[@jaymac7203]

The upgrade looks way better for me because the old version (on disc) when played on my Series X had weird shimmering and aliasing on edges it looked garbage for some reason, does anyone know why? 🤔 Red dead redemption 1 looked fine on my Series X and that game is 3 years older yet it looked sharp and amazing!

[@limenade444]

GTA 5 also had aliasing issues on my PC. I think it's completely game-related

[@bobmus6241]

Depends on the video card, video card driver. Rd1 was probably upscaled. When you play at higher resolution like 1440p, anti aliasing is really not needed. When the pixels are smaller and finer, you sometimes don't need anti aliasing to smooth the edges. 16x antisc filtering is all you need. That's why 30fps last Gen games use motion blur, film grain, chromatic abberation, dof and other junk to hide the juttery frame rate. 60fps and higher let's our eyes focus on the finer things while in motion. It also depends on the game engine they use too.

[@TheBigFlirtyGuy]

I have the same issue. The xbox one disc version gives weird graphics on my xbox series x. How much did you pay for the upgrade ?

[@denisestevam2368]

If at least we had some extension of the story like the 3 protagonists at the end to justify charging for the launch of the PS5 relaunch, it would be justified to purchase and exist for the "launch"

[@aggee10]

It's $10. If you can't afford $10 you bigger concerns in life.

[@S3RAVA3LM]

Rdr2 would have been the better choice for upgrade.

[@Ketchupnoodles]

Why

[@Stylebender1989]

Doesn't need one, it's already beautiful

[@jtrisvan8047]

Agreed 💯 I love that game

[@S3RAVA3LM]

@@Stylebender1989 on console it's 30 frames at that isn't beautiful.

[@uwu-uv4mg]

I cant imagine how much more you can make rdr2 graphics better. It's the best one as of late.

[@Starfield-Guy]

I tried not to buy it, I don’t even play online but I really wanted the 60fps story mode and it really is very nice, but it should have been free for sure. Also still no new story content which is disappointing and typical rockstar laziness. I still play the story mode and it’s very nice on my OLED, it angers me that I had to pay for it though

[@rainor77]

for those with the previous generation version,5usd would be reasonable price for the upgrade

[@jreamr4425]

Ps5 or series x?

[@L96A2]

I’m super disappointed they didn’t include more online guns and vehicles into the story mode.

[@andreasmoller9798]

No, why buy the same game 3 times

[@sgood1995]

It’s these idiots that are keeping them in business will I fuck buy this game lol

[@gtibro6799]

Cyberpunk 2077 is way more brilliant and my God graphical elements. It's such a beautiful looking and great RPG game since 1.5 update I hope they make DLC I'll buy in a heart-beat

[@zoltanwilson4277]

I respect your opinion. Lol

[@gtibro6799]

@@zoltanwilson4277 thanks bro I respect yours as well. But I gotta say since this update on my 4k TV it's soooo beautifully sharp and I love the story 😍

[@jeremiahhunter4709]

Cyberpunk 2077 is a beautiful game

[@zoltanwilson4277]

@@jeremiahhunter4709 Good to know.

[@zoltanwilson4277]

@@gtibro6799 I know. And thanks. Thanks for the info.

[@StillND]

Short answer: Fnck no.

[@billyidolrockstar522]

F yes

[@MyRealDelusion]

who cares jesus 10 years old oh my god

[@godsson7779]

I could be wrong, but I think performance mode is dynamic 4k, not 1440p. And dynamic 1440p a day. Don't think that's the case at all.

[@adamdavis1737]

It's hard to get a straight answer, digital foundry just did their comparisons on it. They stated that both performance modes are displaying at 1440

[@godsson7779]

@@adamdavis1737 oh ok, I got the notification, but haven't had the chance to look at it yet. Ty for the info. Respect 💯

[@adamdavis1737]

@@godsson7779 no problem man I recommend checking out their video I had heard everything was dynamic 4K beforehand and wondered why anyone would choose anything other then performance RT in that case

[@godsson7779]

@@adamdavis1737 oh I'm going to check it out. I always do. Just can't look at a video right now. I will later though

[@universal_wisdom3416]

My question is: do the mirrors actually work on the cars now?

[@ayynoucer-dxd]

No

[@maximillionroivas3893]

This was pointless to bring GTAV to Series X and PS5. But whatever. It's still gonna sell like hot cakes.

[@Raz0r.0115]

For only $10 for the story and online being free, I think it was worth it

[@positivevibesrfc]

The online was always free to those who owned the game

[@Raz0r.0115]

@@positivevibesrfc regardless you don't need to have the story to get the online for free on PS5

[@Raz0r.0115]

@@positivevibesrfc every other edition requires it because it's one large package

[@positivevibesrfc]

@@Raz0r.0115 Not going to be many people who don't have the game now.

[@Raz0r.0115]

@@positivevibesrfc regardless it's still a good deal my guy

[@LordNelson6]

I feel like it looks like what it should have looked like on like the 1x or ps4pro or even just the xb1 or ps4... and they should have instead just added an option to the next gen versions and not change that much... resolution, balanced and frame rate. 30fps@4k. 60fps@1080 or 1440 and variable res @ variable refresh for up to 120fps (it prob wouldn't get to 120 often if at all)

[@denisionescu5072]

I feel like it looks like what it should have looked like...

[@LordNelson6]

@@denisionescu5072 Yes. it looks like it should have been a mid gen upgrade for the Xbox 1x and PS4 pro. You know, slightly better graphics with a performance mode option. Meaning its not worth the money.

[@denisionescu5072]

@@LordNelson6 I was just making fun of the overuse of like.

[@LordNelson6]

@@denisionescu5072 oh you can never have enough likes lol

[@jacileake700]

I thought I was the only one this is wack this is worth the money

[@SigmaLongshot]

Astonished that people defend this, but Microsoft have maybe spoiled me this gen. Free, seamless upgrades automatically applied, and 4 gens of my games ubiquitously accessible at any point.

[@WhoKnowsZombie]

You know what would of made people go out and buy this new version a ton? If they would of made a special co op mode so people could play the story with a friend. That would of made it way better, I’d honestly rather have a co op mode over graphics

[@burnsyd17]

So how about which mode works best for those of us who don't have a 4k TV and are still rocking 1080p60?

[@adamdavis1737]

Performance RT

[@YT-CesarB]

Waiting on Digital Foundary to do this…

[@lowskeelow9301]

I think that they have if I’m not mistaken

[@lowskeelow9301]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/o2a0eXykf7ibh9k

[@playnicegames]

@@lowskeelow9301 too bad they didn’t include the Xbox Series X|S, when they don’t I don’t watch the digital foundry video.I like to see all platforms compared not just picking favorites.

[@blazevoptixzz9748]

@@playnicegames less than 30 minutes later, check Digital Foundary now LMAO You got your wish

[@playnicegames]

@@blazevoptixzz9748 I just saw that too lol

[@sirpugstudios]

bro this guys voice is everywhere

[@Astro1554]

i got it for my xbox series x for $20 and let me tell you it looks great definitely can see a difference

[@sgood1995]

It’s the same shit why are you lying lmao

[@Astro1554]

@@sgood1995 cause im not lying it's look better i can see the difference if you can't o well

[@Astro1554]

@@sgood1995 also mabye if you weren't playing on a potato you would be able to notice as well

[@sgood1995]

@@Astro1554 make all the excuse you want for this bullshit, most ppl see exactly what rockstar are doing ripping people off and if you don’t see it then I’ve got nothing to say for you buddy

[@Astro1554]

@@sgood1995 lol okay buddy not making any excuses i was just saying my opinion on the game and you come along and talk shit i like it i think it looks good and that's all there is to it dude im done with your ratchet self to peace

[@skatefilter5]

The npc models look like ps3-ish in ps5, Rockstar is lazy to update them

[@momsspaghetti4064]

So the females are still grannies? No better textures?

[@skatefilter5]

@@momsspaghetti4064 Nope

[@robertkeane9393]

Am I the only one who plus in director mode? I sent all the characters in the whole game to play with. Console player.

[@ianjohne]

It should be free

[@billyidolrockstar522]

Noting is free in this world

[@theofficialrashalsingh]

I had gta5 on my xbox 360 back in 2013 and i skipped the ps4 version and i didn't buy gta 5 on my ps4 but now i guess i should buy gta5 on ps5 because gta6 is far from home 😁

[@Frostbite351]

Very cool on ps5 with added dolby atmos sound.

[@ITSJUSTAH6]

I recently upgraded to the Xbox X & purchased the GTA next gen bundle, do I need to keep GTA V installed for story mode? I uninstalled it & launched the GTA Online title & im still be able to play both story mode & online from the menu screen

[@BelialSpade]

the TLDR it took consoles 9 years to make a game look as good as a PC version and they are yet again behind before they even caught up

[@FunnyGA1ex]

I love how the bug where the hospital charge never goes away. The text just stays there til you reload or probably die again

[@robbiefazle7802]

It does really look better on PC and Series S, X, PS5, what do you expect? They're next-gen, except for PC - there's no gen for it tho.

[@himgod6495]

Trevor and Michael should of always been arrested by police while Franklin always gets shot at.

[@latamikalundie9237]

Wait. So if we have it on ps4, we have to purchase it again when you buy a ps5?

[@MrHenrikAndersson]

It's only a $10 upgrade, I think that is fine, I'm not asking someone to work for free on something. I would rather they charged a tenner than not releasing it at all.

[@lukebickner6013]

Half of this video is just of this guy praising PC...

[@nerijus7]

Its only rt shadows, no rt reflections

[@ajjohnson3416]

Almost 9 years ago (gta5 quote) gta5 has been out and we still ain't got a new gta

[@kc4276]

Why is this game still a thing in 2022?

[@PapaTanduo]

Great review

[@ryanbunce5150]

Let the game go bro, let it go

[@xeno_dork]

My pet peeve? Such a vast and detailed open world, but so many businesses and other buildings have those flat, cardboard cutout paintings of an interior used over the windows! They look so bad! Get that PS1/PS2 era graphical technique out of your supposed next-gen update!

[@mrlopez7173]

I bought it on ps3 ,ps4 and pc . I cant justify ps5 again

[@Kontakt13]

Wtf is this video? PC versions and PC games in general have all those options, EVERY GAME!

[@y87_99Firebird]

I still really only play this on my PS3 simply because online was trash since 2018....mind I played on my buddys PS4 often...it seemed the same expierence sub for graphics and content online. The base game play didnt pull me in again to buy for my PS4

[@basedwolf]

I think it’s a great graphical update just sucks it costs

[@xoalinehue]

Fuck GTA .. they need to upgrade PUBG BATTLEGROUNDS TO PS5 instead of LAME ASS GTAV

[@thatguyfawkes2328]

Anyone else annoyed at rockstar for presumably doing away with story expansions for their single player games? I'm looking at you red dead (ಠ ∩ಠ)

[@DonkeyKongGamerJr]

Pass

[@NaruneWatercrest]

The PS5 version does not have improved LODs or extended rendering distance. The raytracing is also limited to just ray-traced sun shadows. Pretty piss poor additions.

[@Cl04d]

It does have more render distance.

[@positivevibesrfc]

I own a PC, PS5 and Series X. There is not much of a difference, certainly not one that justifies paying more money for.

[@marcanderson-jones3518]

Can I get a re-re-re-release?!?!

[@Mr.Strickland410]

Jokes on rockstar because only a small percent of gamers own a next gen console rn

[@slipstream7324]

I never played this. Looking forward to with the hipcat feedback and 60fps

[@juanlerma9379]

how have u never played gta in the last ten years

[@slipstream7324]

@@juanlerma9379 *shrugs

[@tyrannosaurusflex3698]

It's haptic* feedback you melon

[@TheCanadianDreamEvergreen]

Still better than cyberpunk

[@momsspaghetti4064]

So the booba on females still look like they are grannies and stuff? That is literally all I care about. If character model textures are not better. I see no reason to buy this.

[@Dolph_Loco]

Me and my friends downloaded PS5 GTA 5 online yesterday for free. .. just the online game

[@AngeAlexiel]

it's a shame that they want us to pay for this little patch , i mean all patches for old gen games are free on Xbox , it's a bad habit , and this video look like an ad for GTA 5 and PS5 , not a critique on the price , not a word about the xbox version ... not objective at all..

[@ajax7ox729]

I’m really for Skyrim

[@_Athanos]

No

[@Shadowbreaker1989]

If you got a 4K tv or monitor I’d say it’s worth it

[@soulskeeper7408]

No

[@djkaichi7736]

@@soulskeeper7408 I take it that you are still working with 1080i

[@sss-gh2wl]

is there enough players for me to dogfight ??

[@Scarface1982G]

Played for a few hours on ps5 it definitely looks dated but runs really smooth.Got bored after beating the story mode a few times over the years never cared for the online.

[@darkside2521]

Can u see rockstar robbed us again this is the same game as PS4 🥺

[@robertkeane9393]

Ray tracing? Ha! On the ps5 version? Where though? …..

[@TheLuckyShepherd]

And yet your "Smartphone" still can't play music. Ahahaha I'll stick to Watchdogs 2. Still the best modern day open world game.

[@madtownjeremy]

I was happy to drop the $10 for the upgrade; I guess it's the third time I've paid for it now? All three on sale, of course. 🤷‍♂️🤣 I'm happy to throw some coins in Rockstar's bucket though because the graphics just get better and better, the story mode still holds up and it's still the most alive and well-designed open-world you can buy IMHO. One of my fave things to do sometimes is call a cab to Michael's house and just ride it around town for a little bit; Los Santos is such a lively place and it's a joy to watch the world go by.

[@c-mo313]

Looks the same.

[@yadu_3]

Yes totally worth

[@godsson7779]

I don't think Ray tracing is in the Fidelity mode, that's why they have a performance RT mode.

[@christopher.costner]

Fidelity and performance rt have raytraced shadows

[@Curt_Randall]

egads, enough with the GTAV crap already.

[@JoshSTATiX]

Y'all still recording videos in 30fps while rendering them for 4K60fps. Seriously why do comparisons at this point when Digital Foundry can do a better job at showing than a pointless commentary. I'm out ✌️

[@BerticusBersht]

'Im Out" No one knows who you are and no one cares about your opinion or whereabouts. You absolute cringelord.

[@yajeivdaba9607]

Still the ps5 ed rocks especially if you dont have a very powerful pc.. for a 500usd ps5 vs a 2000 usd pc

[@AllenZang]

LOD is really really bad actually

[@0fficialdregs]

there's little to no reason for anyone to buy this game again

[@jd_adventures]

I upgraded to ps5

[@louisbrown7152]

It was just ten bucks so & all around 👍🏾 deal ✌🏾 🎮 a better version of a really fun game

[@NKal]

The fact that they had to compare the difference between PS3 and PS4 and then PS5 goes to show that the upgrade to PS5 should have been free

[@godsson7779]

I'm waiting for the physical copy of this. What is the exact day in April this gets released physically?

[@gtibro6799]

Physical will be the end very soon

[@zoltanwilson4277]

Oh wow....

[@godsson7779]

@@zoltanwilson4277 wow what

[@zoltanwilson4277]

@@godsson7779 No offense, but I just don't see any difference between physical and digital. ESPECIALLY if you already own next gen which most of us don't. Lol

[@godsson7779]

@@zoltanwilson4277 well physical, you can go and sell it again and get money for it which you can't do with digital, physical you will always own the copy of the game, digital you never own it. If they decide to shut down the servers for the game, then digitally you no longer can Play that game ever. Physical as long as it's not a live service game or based on the Internet to play I will always own this game and be able to play it. And it's other things too those are just the main ones to me. Physical has a serious advantage over digital. So the next time you purchase your digital game, just really understand you truly don't own that game if they shut off the service for it you would be out of luck where it's physically you have a disc to pop in and you still can play.

[@ClickDelete]

What ppl don’t know is that ps5 version of gta v is still better, first u get 60 fps that feels like ur playing on 120 or 144 fps, then the button presses on ps5 compared to a pc is so much faster, then the loading screens instant on ps5, on pc loading screens are pretty much the same as ps3 and ps4, next weapon fire ball when ur shooter guns, the weapon fire ball looks smoother and slower compared to the original versions of gta.

[@karon4050]

If you guys are really complaining about $10, you should probably make better life choices 😂😂

[@BerticusBersht]

Oh look another brotha projecting his insecurities about money. What a surprise

[@karon4050]

@@BerticusBersht Insecurities? Im simply saying that even though Rockstar is charging money for the next gen update, it’s literally only $10. Mind you, you don’t have to buy it, but if you’re crying about $10, maybe you should put the game down all together and spend your leisure time more productively. There are no insecurities here, I bought the game and have no complaints. The only person that seems insecure about any of this is you 😂😂

[@BerticusBersht]

@@karon4050 that why you wrote a paragraph? 🤡🎣

[@karon4050]

@@BerticusBersht I’ve seen your other comments where you complain about other bs as well. Get a life

[@anthonytenner5042]

So basically thru out a modded gta 😂

[@cherifgrib]

It's not worth it

[@jeremiahhunter4709]

definitely not worth 10$

[@Bakerwar]

If You don't have the money...

[@billyidolrockstar522]

Yes its good looking game on ps5

[@Stylebender1989]

It is

[@buzzsawgr81]

it shoulda been a free upgrade. there's really nothing added that's worth the greedy $20 upgrade asking price.

[@ronnywayne8707]

You can 100% tell the difference if you played on all 3 gens. It looks way better on the series than one

[@trizzysjourney3904]

Reason why rockstar keeps pumping gta5 for almost 10 years

[@UPxYOURs2]

No it don’t

[@Gazzoosethe1]

For how the game looks i'd keep playing the ps3 version. There's literally no difference.

[@cyberrunner6529]

Dude seriously do you know the difference between 15 to 20 fps and locked 60fps

[@Gazzoosethe1]

@@cyberrunner6529 the ps3 version runs at 30 to drops at 24 fps. But fundamentally, it's the same exact game and graphics. Sure there are some ehancements here and there but that's still ps3 graphics there. The ps3 version is the true game, the next gen version is just the ps3 version with ray tracing and better ehnancements like some shadows or foliage. Literally i expected more

[@cyberrunner6529]

@@Gazzoosethe1 well they are working on GTA 6 maybe that's why not many improvements

[@Gazzoosethe1]

@@cyberrunner6529 no excuse they had more than a year

[@sgood1995]

@@Gazzoosethe1 exactly he’s making a bunch of excuses for a shitty company that’s ripping people off, it’s the same fucking game

[@cormac154]

The game still looks terrible.

[@stoksyXL]

Ah, British monotonous sounding voice reviewer guy is back! Now I have to mute the sound on this.

[@emrys6719]

Sleeping Dogs is way better than this overrated game!

[@ahmadiii7783]

2nd lol

[@Gazzoosethe1]

Most of what is said in this video graphics aside, wich are minimal are bullshit. On ps4 on external ssd you get that "seamless character switching"that ps5 has. The game literally has nothing new to offer but for 9,99 it's okay since it's a goddamn 9 year old game

[@jgappy]

amogus

[@akaihanayume]

first comment lol

[@AlphaGamingClubOfficial]

Once you upgrade to the ps5 version you can’t go back to your ps4 version? Wtf is that dude.

[@geddybear9108]

Please just let this game die.

[@Sincethe80sGaming]

Sorry but there's not real Ray tracing at all in this game...

[@beastrellik]

But it’s the same game so who really cares there’s nothing new added & u don’t even get a free upgrade so until gta6 comes out rockstar will get no money from me