At PlayStation's Future of Gaming showcase in 2020, where the PS5 was first revealed, it was announced that Grand Theft Auto Online would be free for PS5 owners at the time of the game's next-gen launch. The graphic on-screen included a PlayStation Plus logo along with a note that PS Plus was required to play. Fast-forward to 2022, and Rockstar Games blog post mentioned that Grand Theft Auto Online would be "available for free for the first three months to PlayStation 5 players," leading to some confusion.
The way Rockstar's announcement was worded led some to believe that Grand Theft Auto Online would only be available to play for free for the first three months after its launch, and it not making any mention of PlayStation Plus also had fans scratching their heads. However, the confusion surrounding GTA Online and its PS5 debut has now been cleared up.
It's been clarified that GTA Online will be free for PS5 gamers to download and keep as long as they claim the game in the first three months of its launch. This means that any interested PlayStation 5 gamers will have from March 15 until June 14 to claim the PS5 version of GTA Online for their digital libraries.
Some may be wondering how PlayStation Plus fits into the equation. As it so happens, a PlayStation Plus requirement is not necessary to claim Grand Theft Auto Online for one's PS5 library, so it's not technically one of the free PS Plus games for March 2022. This is why there was mention of Grand Theft Auto Online when Sony revealed the lineup of free PS Plus games for March, despite the fact that it's going to be free.
But while a PS Plus subscription is not required for one to claim Grand Theft Auto Online for PS5, it is required to actually play the game. Because of this requirement, GTA Online might as well be a PS Plus freebie, but this way someone who may own a PS5 but let their PS Plus lapse could still claim Grand Theft Auto Online now and then play it a later date when their subscription is active again.
GTA Online coming to PS5 is just one part of the equation. It's worth pointing out that the Grand Theft Auto 5 story mode is also making the jump to new consoles, but it must be purchased and will not be available for free.
Grand Theft Auto Online is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One with PS5 and Xbox Series X versions coming March 15.