Is GTA 5 Expanded and Enhanced a game you should buy? A compilation and comparison of the visuals might aid in your decision.
Fans of Grand Theft Auto will be happy to hear that GTA 5 Remastered is now available on next-generation gaming consoles, albeit some of them would rather call it GTA 5 Expanded and Enhanced.
We’ve chosen to go through what’s new in Grand Theft Auto V: Expanded and Enhanced and if it’s actually worth purchasing now that the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S release date has arrived.
To assist you with determining whether or not to purchase GTA 5 Expanded and Enhanced, we’ve also included a video comparison of visuals and a review roundup. Continue reading for all of that useful information!
GTA 5: Expanded and Enhanced: What is it?
The Grand Theft Auto 5 remastered version was revealed in June 2020, and Rockstar’s creators said in an official blog post that it will be “expanded and upgraded with additional features and content” for the PS5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S.
This is where the phrase “extended and enhanced” appears to have originated, and certain fan communities have taken to this language and have become obsessive over it.
This is essentially the updated version of Grand Theft Auto 5, which is exclusive to next-generation gaming systems. This updated GTA 5 version should be available for purchase from the shop on your PlayStation 5 or Xbox next generation, if you’re fortunate enough to own one of those consoles. For upgraded accounts, you can check options here: https://csgosmurfkings.com/product-category/gta-5-accounts/.
What is new in Grand Theft Auto: Expanded and Enhanced?
Rockstar has outlined the additions and improvements that you can expect if you repurchase Grand Theft Auto 5 on the PS5 or Xbox Series X/S in another official blog post.
A 4K resolution, 60 frames per second, enhanced texture quality, HDR choices, ray tracing, quicker loading times, immersive 3D audio, platform-specific capabilities, and more are among the “new visual modes” promised on the site.
That essentially covers the technical improvements, but what about the “extended” aspect of things? What new material is genuinely being added to Grand Theft Auto V?
To be very honest, you shouldn’t anticipate a lot of new playable content. This game does not have any upcoming story chapters or additional gameplay options.
But as said, you will have the option to select from a variety of unique graphic options that were previously unattainable on consoles. They were detailed as follows in another official blog post:
- Fidelity Mode: “aimed at 30 frames per second and optimised for optimal visual quality.” The Xbox Series S offers upscaled 4K resolution in this mode, whereas the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X support native 4K resolution with ray tracing turned on.”
- Performance Mode: “aimed at 60 frames per second and optimised for the smoothest gameplay experience.” The Xbox Series S offers a 1080p resolution in this mode, whereas the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X support upscaled 4K resolution.”
- Performance RT mode (not available on Xbox Series S): “a combination of the Fidelity and Performance modes allowing upscaled 4K resolution with ray tracing enabled and aiming 60 FPS.”
Rockstar says that you will experience “better lighting quality across shadows, water reflections, and other components, greater population and traffic variation, and enhanced vegetation density” in the game itself. Along with enhanced motion-blur, anti-aliasing, and much more, there are new, intricate explosions and flames.
Owners of PS5 systems will also experience improved controller sensations thanks to Rockstar’s addition of support for the haptic feedback and adaptive trigger capabilities of the Dual Sense controller. “New sensations to weather effects, directional damage, uneven road surfaces, explosions and much more” are reportedly introduced by Rockstar.
Additionally, Rockstar promises “immersive audio” that maximizes the use of Xbox Series X/S Spatial Sound and Tempest 3D positional audio on the PS5.
Extended and Improved GTA 5 Comparative Video
Following the release of GTA 5’s enlarged and improved edition, visual comparisons have started to surface on YouTube and other video-sharing websites.
One of the clearest comparisons we’ve seen thus far is the 10-minute video above, which is broken up into pieces so you can go around and examine how various game elements seem in this updated version.
At this point, it’s important to note that you will want a TV or monitor that can support 4K visuals and/or 60 frames per second in order to play this updated version. Remasters such as this one might be difficult to notice sometimes if you’re still watching the same old television that you used to play the original game on.
Review roundup for GTA 5: Expanded and Enhanced
The improved edition of Grand Theft Auto 5 has started to see hands-on impressions pieces’ surface online, albeit not many seem to be assigning official review ratings to them.
“All three settings seem fine to our eye, however considering how sluggish and awkward GTA 5’s controls can feel at best of times, the 60 frames-per-second choices are real game changers,” writes Push Square’s Sammy Barker after playing the PS5 version.
The Push Square article continues, saying this: “The game does exhibit signs of ageing, though: certain textures that are obviously old occasionally appear, and the character models—especially their faces—aren’t up to par with more recent games like The Last of Us 2 or Horizon Forbidden West. Nevertheless, the title in question is from 2013.
Fraser Gilbert has given his own thoughts of the Xbox Series X version over at Pure Xbox. It should be noted that the Xbox Series S version has not yet been tested at the time of writing.
According to that post on Pure Xbox: “You’ll start in fidelity mode, which looks fairly good given this is a game that was created 10 years ago. The game’s lighting is also much better overall, with the three major characters (Michael, Trevor, and Franklin) in particular looking crisper and more detailed than they’ve ever done on Xbox.”
Later in the article, it states: “We think that the game’s use of HDR might have been a little bit glitchy at launch, as some scenes seem very dark to us. However, we’re only basing this off a few early hours of impressions; more testing needs to be done before we can make a definitive judgement on this.” Other than that, GTA 5 on Xbox Series X has improved both visually and performance, which has left us just as impressed as the 2014 Xbox One version did.
It’s also worth noting, according to both of those publications, that loading times have significantly decreased. So is it worth buying the latest GTA 5 on the PS5 or Xbox Series X/S? If you already own the previous edition, is it still worth buying?
Naturally, the choice is all yours, but let us say again that having a high-end TV will much aid in your ability to see the differences. Having said that, if you’re a huge fan, it could still be worthwhile if you play on an older screen because you should still be able to enjoy the quicker loading times, controller modifications, and improved audio.