Which GTA 5 Version Should You Buy in 2026?

Thirteen years after launch, GTA 5 is still selling by the millions and closing in on 230 million copies sold. No surprise there: you can buy it on just about every machine on the market. But not every version is equal, and the right pick in 2026 mostly comes down to your hardware. Here’s how to choose without wasting a dollar.

On PS5 and Xbox Series, the Expanded & Enhanced edition rules

This is the one to aim for if you’re a console player. Released March 15, 2022, the Expanded & Enhanced edition pushes Los Santos all the way to 4K at 60 frames per second, with three modes to pick from: Fidelity (ray tracing at 30 fps), Performance (60 fps without ray tracing) and Performance RT, a hybrid that combines upscaled 4K, ray tracing and 60 fps. In practice, the real-time reflections and shadows finally give the city the look the RAGE engine always promised.

The real bonus is the exclusive content. The Hao’s Special Works garage, accessible from the LS Car Meet, unlocks performance upgrades reserved for this generation: cars that blow well past the speed ceilings of the original edition. On top of that, there’s the Career Builder, which hands GTA Online newcomers some starting cash, and the GTA+ subscription, built for current-gen. These consoles are also where the online community is most active.

To appreciate how far things have come since 2013, the original launch trailer is a reminder of everything that made Los Santos a cult playground, now elevated by current-gen.

On PC, GTA V Enhanced caught up in 2025

For a long time, the PC delivered the best-looking image but went without the next-gen content. That’s no longer true. On March 4, 2025, Rockstar rolled out a free upgrade called GTA V Enhanced, available to everyone who owns the game, whether they bought it on the Rockstar Games Launcher, Steam or the Epic Games Store. It brings full ray tracing, pushed further than on console since it adds ambient occlusion (RTAO) and global illumination (RTGI), along with Hao’s Special Works, for the first time off consoles. The older build stuck around under the name GTA V Legacy, for machines too weak to run the new one.

That leaves the PC’s trump card, the one no console will ever have: mods. Photorealistic graphics, vehicles, custom scenarios, the GTA 5 modding scene is in a league of its own, as we lay out in our guide to installing mods on PC. One big caveat, though: these mods stay locked to single-player. Touching GTA Online with mods means risking an instant ban. The PC also asks for a recent rig to make the most of ray tracing.

PS4 and Xbox One: still playable, but a step behind

The PS4 and Xbox One versions, released in 2014, remain perfectly functional and GTA Online is still updated on them. But they’re showing their age: 1080p, 30 frames per second, no ray tracing and no Hao’s Special Works. They’re only worth it if you don’t own a newer console. Good news if you’re upgrading machines: last-gen GTA Online progress could be migrated once to current-gen at the launch of the Expanded & Enhanced edition.

PS3 and Xbox 360: online is dead

This is the classic used-copy trap. Rockstar shut down the GTA Online servers on PS3 and Xbox 360 for good on December 16, 2021. On those consoles, single-player story mode still runs, but the entire online side, heists included, is permanently out of reach. If GTA Online is what you’re after, run from these editions.

Story mode or GTA Online: what are you really paying for?

On any modern platform, buying GTA 5 gives you both sides of the game: the single-player campaign starring Michael, Franklin and Trevor, and access to GTA Online, its sprawling multiplayer mode. The latter is what has kept the game alive since 2013 and explains why it still sells: between heists, businesses and regular updates, there’s enough to sink hundreds of hours into. If you’re new to the multiplayer side, take a look at our ranking of the best GTA Online heists and our tips for making money without a Shark Card. And to understand why this 2013 game is still on top, head over there.

One last note for the undecided holding out for the next installment: the platform question is about to start all over again, since GTA 6 is coming to PS5 and Xbox Series, with a PC version expected later.

FAQ

What's the best version of GTA 5 in 2026?

On console, the Expanded & Enhanced edition on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, released March 15, 2022: 4K up to 60 frames per second, ray tracing and exclusive Hao's Special Works upgrades. On PC, the free Enhanced upgrade from March 2025 matches it on the tech side and adds mods. Between the two it comes down to taste: controller and simplicity on one side, graphical fidelity and customization on the other.

Should you still buy GTA 5 on PS4 or Xbox One?

Only if you don't have a current-gen console. The PS4 and Xbox One version runs great and GTA Online is still active there, but it tops out at 1080p and 30 frames per second, with no ray tracing or Hao's Special Works. If you own a PS5 or Xbox Series, just go straight for the Expanded & Enhanced edition.

Is GTA 5 on PC worth it compared to consoles?

Yes, especially since the Enhanced upgrade of March 4, 2025, free for every PC owner, which added full ray tracing (including RTAO and RTGI) and Hao's Special Works. The PC keeps its longtime edge, mods, but only in single-player: modding GTA Online risks a ban. You do need a recent rig to take advantage of everything, though.

Can you still play GTA Online on PS3 and Xbox 360?

No. Rockstar permanently shut down the GTA Online servers on PS3 and Xbox 360 on December 16, 2021. On those machines, only the single-player story mode is still playable. Any used copy on these consoles cuts you off from the online side entirely.