Rockstar Games is making the upgraded version of GTA 5 free for eligible owners on Thursday, ending the $10 charge that had applied before Wednesday’s announcement. Players who bought the PS4 or Xbox One versions will be able to move to the PS5 and Xbox Series version at no extra cost.
The timing matters because GTA 5 is still one of Rockstar’s biggest long-running releases, and the company is pushing the newer version just ahead of GTA 6. Rockstar first released the PS5 and Xbox Series editions in March 2022, but anyone upgrading before now had to pay for it.
The new version is not just a copy of the old one on newer hardware. It adds better visuals, ray tracing upgrades, new content, and support for SSDs, DualSense, and improved audio. It also includes Hao's Special Works for high-performance vehicles and upgrades, along with Career Progress rewards.
For PC players, Rockstar is also moving the older Legacy version to the Enhanced version. That gives them the same broad step up in features without changing the fact that the company is still asking players to move toward a newer build of a game that has already been out for nearly 13 years.
The shift leaves one small but important gap in the bigger rollout: Rockstar has not given a date for the Thursday upgrade beyond that day itself, and there is still no word on a PC version or a Switch 2 version of GTA 6. For now, the message is simple enough. If you own the older console versions of GTA 5, the next upgrade is free, and the next big release from Rockstar is set for Nov. 19.
Rockstar makes GTA 5 upgrade free for PS5 and Xbox Series owners on Thursday
