The pricing structures for GTA 5 on PS5 and Xbox Series X is way more complicated than it needs to be. Whether you're upgrading GTA 5 from last-gen to current-gen systems, or looking to purchase GTA Online as a standalone game, there's a couple of things you need to be aware of before the GTA 5 expanded and enhanced edition release date of March 15. As it turns out, there is no free upgrade and a pretty massive difference in the price across PS5 and Xbox Series X, with each system enjoying its own limited-time discount window too.
Much of the confusion stems from an agreement that was put in place for GTA Online on PS5. Announced during the PS5 Future of Gaming event in June 2020, Sony revealed that GTA Online would be free for PS5 owners for the first three months and, as an added bonus, PlayStation Plus subscribers could even claim a complimentary bundle of in-game cash to spend. It's a move that spoke to PlayStation's long-standing relationship with the Grand Theft Auto series, and with it, the multi-tiered pricing structure you see today was likely born.
For a more detailed breakdown of the platform discounts and shark card costs heading into the expanded and enhanced release, read our GTA 5 price explained.
Say what you will about GTA 5 creeping into yet another console generation, but it's one hell of a way to bridge the gap to GTA 6. After all, Grand Theft Auto 5 is one of the biggest video games of all time. In November, developer Rockstar Games announced that the Grand Theft Auto series – from the original top-down game in 1997, through to its fifth main series entry that first launched in 2013 – has accrued 355 million sales total; with GTA 5 itself accounting for almost half of that number. At ground level, none of this means much to individual players – but it is the reason we're welcoming the enduring crime simulator (and its online offshoot, GTA Online) to its third console cycle this week. Which is pretty amazing.
The PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game are still playable on current-gen hardware, but I must admit, despite having played GTA 5 and GTA Online to death over the last eight years, I am nevertheless looking forward to visuals in shiny 4K resolution, frame rates of up to 60fps, ray-tracing, and, a big one for me, shorter loading times. Before we set off for another city break in Los Santos, though, let's first make sense of GTA 5's complicated pricing across PS5 and Xbox Series X.
GTA 5 on PS5
GTA 5 PS5
GTA 5 on PS5 can now be purchased on the PlayStation Store and is available for preload. The game will cost $9.99 / £8.75 at launch on March 15 through to June 14, with a 75% discount on its RRP. After June 14, GTA 5 on PS5 will then cost $39.99 / £34.99.
Storage-wise, it's a biggy – with 86.84 GB of free storage space required. It's worth noting that GTA 5 comes with GTA Online as standard, and that you should look out for the PS5 logo at the bottom of the GTA 5 thumbnail on the PlayStation Store. If you can only see the PS4 version, open the thumbnail, hit the three dots next to 'Wishlist' ("..."), and select the PS5 version of the game.
GTA Online PS5
Until now, GTA Online has always been accessed via GTA 5's main menu, but will now also be available as a standalone game. Like its story mode stablemate, GTA Online on PS5 can be purchased on the PlayStation Store and is also available for preload. At launch on March 15, GTA Online will be free on PS5 until June 14, whereafter it'll cost $19.99 / £17.45 standalone.
Moreover, PlayStation Plus subscribers can get a one-off complimentary payment of GTA$1 million in-game virtual currency for GTA Online by signing in at least once between March 15 and June 14, 2022.
Crystal clear? Here's a no-frills GTA 5 pricing breakdown for PlayStation owners:
GTA PS5, until June 14:
GTA Online: Free
GTA Online and Story Mode: $9.99 / £8.75
GTA PS5, after June 14
GTA Online $19.99 / £17.45
GTA Online and Story Mode: $39.99 / $34.99
GTA 5 on Xbox Series X
GTA 5 Xbox Series X
GTA 5 on Xbox Series X can now be purchased on the Xbox store and is available for preload. The game will cost $19.99 / £17.49 at launch on March 15 through to June 14, with a 50% discount on its RRP. After June 14, GTA 5 on Xbox Series X will then cost $39.99 / £34.99.
GTA Online Xbox Series X
GTA Online on Xbox Series can be purchased on the Xbox Games Store and is also available for preload. At launch on March 15, GTA Online will cost $9.99 / £8.99 until June 14, whereafter it'll cost $19.99 / £17.45 standalone.
Here's a no-frills GTA 5 pricing breakdown for Xbox owners:
Xbox Series X, until 14th June:
GTA Online: $9.99 / $8.99
GTA Online and Story Mode: $19.99 / £17.49
Xbox Series X, after 14th June:
GTA Online: $19.99 / £17.45
GTA Online and Story Mode: $39.99 / £34.99
We'll be diving into GTA 5 and GTA Online for PS5 and Xbox Series X this week to see what the new graphical and performance enhancements do to the look and feel of Los Santos, but before we let you rummage around in your storefront of choice we should give you one last tip:
There are also a handful of steps you'll need to go through if you want to transfer GTA 5 Story Mode progress to PS5 and XSX. This is strictly for players who are upgrading from PS4 or Xbox One, but you might want to run through the steps in our how to guide before leaping into the game properly.
So with that covered, I'll see you out in the streets of San Andreas. Look out for me, I'll be the guy roleplaying a murderous garbageman who got in too deep with the GTA Online mafia.
