GTA 5 has been released in a new version for the Next-Gen consoles. We take a look at what PC players are missing – and what they’re not – in a direct comparison.
Rockstar’s long-running hit Grand Theft Auto 5 from 2013 has been available since 15 March 2022 in a new version for the current consoles PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, including ray tracing. So far it is not known whether the changes are also coming for the PC version from 2015, but how much are we missing out on if that doesn’t happen?
This is exactly the question we will address in more detail, both from a technical and a gameplay perspective. This much can already be revealed: We really don’t miss much, even if the PlayStation 5 used for comparison is clearly ahead of our test PC, especially in the first point of the following overview.
GTA 5 for the PS5 – main differences compared to the PC:
- faster loading times
- Shadow rendering with ray tracing
- better explosions with dynamic shadow casting
- additional content for GTA Online
But there are also aspects where the PC is further ahead, such as support for more than 60 FPS and maximum viewing distance, as our comparison images below show.
Table of Contents
Main advantage loading times
For the comparison of the loading times, we use a high-end PC with a fast NVMe SSD (Samsung SSD 960 Pro), a Core i9 10900K and Nvidia’s Geforce RTX 3080, which is significantly more expensive (the RTX 3080 alone currently costs over 1,000 euros), in addition to a PlayStation 5. However, the loading time is primarily influenced by the data carrier and the operating system.
Even the start of the game is much faster with the PlayStation 5, as the benchmarks below show, with the exception of the very first start after installation, which took about 35 seconds.
Load time game start to main menu
Grand Theft Auto 5
Since then, despite switching off the console and disconnecting from the power, we are always in the selection menu for the story or online mode after about four seconds. Via Steam, on the other hand, we can only load the story mode after about 48 seconds, whereby logging into the Rockstar service alone takes about 18 seconds.
Smaller, but still clearly present, are advantages for the PS5 when loading the game world, both from the menu and from within the game itself.
Why such advantages for the PS5 and Xbox Series X might generally diminish or become less common in the future, find out in the article DirectStorage: Windows gets biggest new feature for PC gamers in years.
Graphics comparison: The most important differences
For the most part, the PC version with maximum details and the next-gen version for the PlayStation 5 differ only slightly in terms of visuals. This is especially true for the actual gameplay, in which the differences shown here and the improved explosions are not as noticeable as in the direct comparison.
The main difference is the shadows, where GTA 5 has so far not delivered a brilliant performance. The next-gen version also relies on ray tracing here, but not only. In other areas, such as lighting and reflections, ray tracing is not used, according to our impressions.
As can be seen in the picture above, the shadows in the Next Gen version are clearly softer compared to the PC with maximum shadow detail and Nvidia’s PCSS technology. However, this is already true in the graphics mode Performance, for which Rockstar does not mention ray tracing activation in the official description.
In Playback Fidelity mode, which explicitly runs with ray tracing, the shadows become even more inconspicuous. As a result, some shadows are even barely recognisable in the gameplay. A positive side effect is that the appearance of shadows is less noticeable when moving quickly through the world.
In terms of distance representation, however, the PC is ahead, as the following picture shows. This is a greatly enlarged section of a scene in 4K.
On the textures, the PlayStation 5 again has a minimal lead. But you have to look very closely to notice that. So far, we haven’t really noticed it in the gameplay itself.
You can find the scenes in their original size as well as other comparison images between the PC and the PS5 version at the end of the article in the section All comparison images: PlayStation 5 vs. PC
And what’s happening in terms of content?
PC players won’t get this new content for the time being: GTA 5 will also get new game content for NextGen consoles, which PC players will have to do without, at least for the time being. It is currently not known whether this will also reach the home computer at some point. The following list shows what is missing on the PC:
- GTA Online as a decoupled standalone version
- New menu screen that allows direct navigation to specific content
- Revised online tutorial explaining basic controls to players
- New online entry via Career Builder that comes with free real estate and cash bonuses
- Five new vehicles for GTA Online available via in-game websites
- New performance upgrades for select cars in GTA Online via Hao’s Special Works
All comparison images: PlayStation 5 vs. PC
For the best comparison of the scenes, click on the respective image and select View in original size at the bottom left. This will allow you to view the scenes in full 4K resolution.
Editorial conclusion
With the new next-gen versions, GTA 5 has been released for three different console generations at once – you don’t see that every day either. But the PC version, which was released about seven years ago, is on a par with the PS5 version in many respects, even without a suitable update.
I do find the improved shadow representation to be an important aspect, especially because the PC version doesn’t exactly shine in this area. However, I don’t notice it very much in the gameplay itself.
The advantages in the loading time, which are somewhat greater with the next-gen version on the PS5 than with the PS4 version, are much more noticeable. Above all, the start of the game is extremely fast, while I have to wait almost 50 seconds on the PC despite the fast NVMe SSD.
At least the recently released DirectStorage for Windows 10 and Windows 11 lays the foundation for eliminating this disadvantage on the PC. For this to happen, however, Rockstar must follow suit and release a suitable update for the PC, preferably directly with the improved shadow display. This could be difficult, however, considering that players on consoles have to pay for the next-gen advantages.
The new ability to play at 60 FPS on PS5 and Xbox Series X in particular should be a potentially big upgrade from a console gamer’s perspective. Personally, however, I would have liked Rockstar to bring the innovations to both the PC and the consoles for free – even if that may sound naïve.
