If you own a digital copy of Grand Theft Auto V on Xbox One or PS4, you’ll be entitled to a free upgrade to the current-gen versions of the game starting tomorrow, June 18.
Rockstar Games announced the upgrades while detailing GTA Online’s next big update, which arrives in July. Players will only be eligible for this upgrade if they have a digital copy, and presumably, this will only apply within platform families (PS4 to PS5, for example). As has been the case for years, you’ll also be able to migrate all of your progress over, ensuring everything you’ve earned transfers with you.
Currently, GTA 5 costs $39.99 on current-gen platforms, so this is a steal. If you haven’t been interested in double (or triple!) dipping on GTA 5, Rockstar is making things easy on you. The current-gen versions of GTA 5 have been available since March 2022, and while it isn’t a wildly dramatic leap from last-gen, it does provide a much smoother experience thanks to things like 60 FPS.
Although this is partly to get people interested in the upcoming update, which will revolve around yet another heist, there is another big reason: GTA 6 is finally coming out this November, which means sales for the juggernaut title will likely begin to soften a bit over the next few months as fans prepare for what’s next. It makes sense to give GTA 5 one last big push before it is inevitably sent out with a bang.
As of right now, Rockstar has yet to release any details about GTA 6’s online mode, so it’s hard to say if any of your progress will carry over. Given that people have spent 13 years building a life in GTA Online, some fans are hoping they’ll get to bring some goodies with them to Vice City, but it wouldn’t be surprising if everyone got a fresh start when the mode drops.
Fans are currently waiting with bated breath for the next look at GTA 6, which is expected to arrive this summer. It wouldn’t be surprising if Rockstar waits until after the release of this new update in July, so it doesn’t distract anyone from the new content it’s trying to push to fans.
Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN’s news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.
