GTA 5 Expanded And Enhanced - What We Know So Far
Grand Theft Auto 5 is the GTA title that refuses to die. The game originally released at the tail end of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 lifecycles. Understandably, Rockstar Games released PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of GTA 5 to extend its viability, as well as give gamers the GTA MMO experience they always wanted in the form of Grand Theft Auto Online.
Fans didn't complain, but they also expected Rockstar to eventually announce Grand Theft Auto 6. Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 reveals came and went with nary a hint of the sequel, but Rockstar didn't leave gamers empty handed. The studio had an ace up its sleeve during the June 11 PS5 event: Grand Theft Auto 5 Expanded and Enhanced.
Just what is Grand Theft Auto 5 Expanded and Enhanced? Why, it's an expanded and enhanced version of GTA 5, of course. Joking aside, GTA 5 Expanded and Enhanced is a blessing since it gives gamers who didn't turn 18 before 2020 the chance to experience a game that is more successful than Hollywood blockbusters.
When will GTA 5 Expanded and Enhanced launch, and what exactly can you expect from the remaster? Read on.
When will Grand Theft Auto 5 Expanded and Enhanced release?
Grand Theft Auto 5 released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in September 2013 (feel old yet?), barely a month before the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 launches. However, Rockstar hadn't put the finishing touches on the newer versions, so audiences had to wait until 2014 to play the game on new consoles. While the company was given over half a decade to work on GTA5's next-gen ports, history is repeating itself with Grand Theft Auto 5 Expanded and Enhanced.
Even though the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X will probably top the 2020 holiday season's charts, GTA5 Expanded and Enhanced won't make it to the finish line by then. Instead, you have to wait until the second half of 2021 before you can get our hands on the game. Moreover, GTA 5 Expanded and Enhanced will technically include a standalone version of GTA Online, which will also release during the second half of 2021. However, Rockstar didn't say if the game will launch before, after, or alongside Expanded and Enhanced proper.
Is there a trailer for Grand Theft Auto 5 Expanded and Enhanced?
Grand Theft Auto 5 Expanded and Enhanced's trailer premiered during the June 11 PlayStation 5 event and provided a taste of what the game should look like on the next-gen console. Since many gamers have the plot of GTA 5 memorized forwards and backwards in two different languages, the trailer didn't need to win over audiences with teased plot threads. Sure, it provided some minor plot and set piece clips, but the main focus was the insanity players can enjoy thanks to GTA Online.
Want to rob a bank? Bank heists are proudly displayed twice in the trailer. What about participating in a Mad Max-styled demolition derby? The trailer shows that particular brand of car-on-carnage. Ever wanted to mow down enemies with a minigun while dressed as a gingerbread man? The trailer ends on that sugar-coated note.
Rockstar didn't need to create a trailer. It could have just made a general announcement, but it went the extra mile to celebrate the next generation of GTA 5.
Which platforms will Grand Theft Auto 5 Expanded and Enhanced release on?
Since Sony received the honor of revealing Grand Theft Auto 5 Expanded and Enhanced, you might assume the game will be a PlayStation 5 exclusive. Well, you know what they say about assumptions: they're the easiest way to get on Trevor Philips' bad side, and he's the kind of guy who shoots people for making fun of his accent.
Rockstar Games promises GTA 5 Expanded and Enhanced will release on next-gen consoles (that's consoles plural, so the Xbox Series X is included) and PC. It's unclear if the remaster will ever come to the Nintendo Switch — stranger things have happened. But, anyone who purchases a PS5, Xbox Series X, or modern gaming PC will get to join in on the action.
As for the standalone version of GTA Online, that will also launch on next-gen consoles, but PS5 owners will experience the game before other players. Maybe the PS5 exclusivity assumption wasn't as unwarranted as initially thought.
How will Grand Theft Auto 5 Expanded and Enhanced change the game?
This question is on everyone's minds right now. Rockstar Games has provided a glut of content to keep gamers coming back to GTA 5 for years, or at least to GTA Online. The multiplayer component has been updated with enough new weapons, vehicles, missions, and features to keep even the most diehard of completionists busy. So, what can the company bring to the table that will convince gamers to buy GTA 5 for a third generation of consoles?
Since GTA 5 Expanded and Enhanced will launch on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, the game will obviously take advantage of the more powerful hardware. Visual and performance improvements will be the most noticeable changes, and players can also look forward to new GTA Online content that will be exclusive to Expanded and Enhanced.
While Rockstar might have a few more announcements waiting in the wings, apparently the "expanded and enhanced" part of GTA 5 Expanded and Enhanced is split down the middle: GTA 5 will be enhanced, while GTA Online will be expanded.