Grand Theft Auto 5 first released two console generations ago, in September of 2013 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It was a landmark release in gaming history as it achieved an all-time record of 1 billion dollars in earnings in just three days after launch. It is no surprise that Grand Theft Auto 5 would continue to be a success on future console platforms as well. So much so that Grand Theft Auto 6 is still just rumored to be in development, despite being talked about so frequently 8 years after Grand Theft Auto 5 was released.
No one can say that Grand Theft Auto 5 isn't a standout entry in the series, but now that it will be releasing for the third generation of consoles in its lifetime, one has to wonder what Rockstar might have planned for this remaster of a remaster. Originally developed for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, GTA 5 proved that Rockstar still had what it took to push consoles to their limits. With Grand Theft Auto 6 still in rumor territory, it is possible that porting GTA 5 and GTA Online to PlayStation 5/Xbox Series X is Rockstar buying time before they are ready to announce a possible GTA sequel.
Grand theft Auto 5 Needs More Single Player Content
Todd Howard may be mighty jealous at the bold nature of Rockstar porting its prized game so many times. Skyrim is currently on six consoles, while this next release of GTA 5 to current platforms will make it available on seven consoles total. With Skyrim being ported to nearly everything under the sun to the point of becoming a meme, Rockstar has definitely learned that more accessibility is key. Despite the frequent releases, however, Rockstar will need to have some new incentive in order to coerce fans into paying money for GTA 5 for the third potential time.
One promise that Rockstar broke to its fans was the inclusion of singleplayer DLC for Grand Theft Auto 5. So far, the only thing fans have gotten in terms of content has been for GTA Online, and while this isn't necessarily a bad thing, it goes to show that Rockstar saw the success of the online mode. When GTA 5 launches for the PS5, it would be a treat to have something new in the singleplayer world to do or take part in. When Rockstar ported GTA 5 to the PS4, Rockstar Games included some new features and bonus content such as the ability to play in first person, new vehicles, guns, and a couple of new missions.
Grand Theft Auto 4 had two very successful singleplayer expansions that cleverly took place alongside the main story of GTA 4. This gave players not only new things to do and see, but also a different perspective on the storyline from GTA 4 that they were more likely already familiar with. If Rockstar wants to see a great deal of success with its second port of GTA 5, it would really help to add some new content to the main game. Not all fans of the series are willing to endure the sometimes toxic nature of GTA Online, so even giving players the chance to enjoy some online-only content in GTA 5's singleplayer world would be nice.
Grand Theft Auto 5 Needs VR Support
When Grand Theft Auto 5 was ported to the PS4 and Xbox One, one of the biggest features added was the ability to play the entire game in first-person mode. This included a more detailed interior of every vehicle, and the ability to aim down the sights of any weapon. The first-person mode was so well designed it's almost as if GTA 5 was built with first person in mind. Fans who played through GTA 5 again but in first-person noted that it was a completely different experience than playing strictly in third-person, so much so that it was almost worth the upgrade.
Sony announced earlier this year that the PlayStation 5 will have a new iteration of Virtual Reality in the form of PSVR2, the next generation of the PSVR. Sony introduced the new orb-shaped controllers that comes alongside the new device and it will share features that the PS5 controller has such as adaptive triggers, haptic feedback, and also finger touch detection. The PSVR2 headset will track the controllers, making hand movement more accurate than the previous PSVR setup. If this was utilized for GTA 5 and GTA Online one could only imagine the possibilities.
If Rockstar wants to create a huge impact when they drop GTA 5 and GTA Online onto the PlayStation 5, then what better way to do that then to introduce yet another way to experience the legendary game. Much like adding first-person to GTA 5 when it relaunched on PS4, adding the ability to experience GTA 5 in VR would naturally be the next step. The original PSVR on PS4 could handle newer games like Hitman 3 in VR, so there is no reason to think that the new PSVR2 wouldn't be able to handle a game from 2013, two console generations back. Only time will tell as both GTA 5 and GTA Online, and the PSVR2 will be available later in the same year.
Grand Theft Auto 5 is available now on PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. PS5 and Xbox Series X versions release on November 11, 2021.