Grand Theft Auto Online has three distinct editions; the former original edition, for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, which was shut down on December 16th, 2021; the "enhanced" edition, for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC and Expanded & Enhanced version for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X which includes a standalone version that no longer requires Grand Theft Auto V to access.
Original Edition[]
Announced on the Rockstar Newswire on May 23rd 2013, with the possibility to pre-order them starting that day. The three editions are:
- Standard Edition, featuring a printed map and a blimp code and has, therefore, the lowest price - US$60/£40/€60
- Special Edition, featuring additional digital content and has, therefore, a higher price - US$80/£60/€80
- Collector's Edition, featuring additional digital content and physical goodies and has, therefore, the highest price - US$150/£120/€130
As of December 16th 2021, these three editions of Grand Theft Auto V no longer include Grand Theft Auto Online.
Enhanced Edition[]
Main article: Grand Theft Auto V: Enhanced Edition
The enhanced edition was announced for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC on June 9, 2014 with a trailer. On September 12 the game's re-release was announced and it was released on November 18 on consoles, with a PC release delayed until April 14, 2015. The enhanced edition features ingame Special/Collector Edition content as bonus features which players can buy via in-game cash (although original owners of the special/collectors will continue to get these for free).
For the first time, First-Person View on foot and in vehicles is implemented and players are free to switch between this and Third-Person View on-the-fly.
On April 14, 2015, the enhanced edition was released for PC, more specifically for Windows Vista and greater.
Starting with September 10, 2018, the enhanced edition is no longer available for Windows Vista. Starting with January 30, 2024, the enhanced edition is no longer available for Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1.
Premium Online Edition[]
The Premium Online Edition was announced and released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC on April 20, 2018.
It includes Grand Theft Auto V, Grand Theft Auto Online and the Criminal Enterprise Starter Pack, therefore representing "over GTA$10 million in value".
Expanded & Enhanced Edition[]
Main article: GTA Online: PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S Editions
A further Expanded & Enhanced version for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X was released on March 15, 2022. Plus, a new standalone version of GTA Online for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S was also made available (for free for the first three months to PlayStation 5 players).
Grand Theft Auto Online for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S features new graphics modes with up to 4K resolution, up to 60 frames per second, texture and draw distance upgrades, HDR options and ray-tracing, as well as across-the-board improvements including faster loading times, increased population and traffic variety, increased vegetation density, improved lighting quality across shadows, water reflections, and other elements. Plus improved anti-aliasing, motion-blur, highly detailed new explosions, fire, and much more.
There’s also new levels of responsiveness with Haptic Feedback and dynamic resistance via the Adaptive Triggers on PlayStation 5’s DualSense wireless controller, adding new sensations to weather effects, directional damage, rough road surfaces, explosions and much more. Platform-specific features also include immersive audio using Tempest 3D positional audio on PlayStation 5 and Spatial Sound on Xbox Series X|S.
Players can choose from one of three detailed new graphics settings to tailor their gameplay experience for what matters most to them, fidelity, performance, or both.
- Fidelity Mode is tuned for the highest visual quality and targets 30 FPS. In this mode the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X support native 4K resolution with ray tracing enabled while the Xbox Series S supports upscaled 4K resolution.
- Performance Mode is tuned for the most responsive gameplay experience and targets 60 FPS. In this mode the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X support upscaled 4K resolution while the Xbox Series S supports a resolution of 1080p.
- Performance RT mode is a hybrid of the Fidelity and Performance modes supporting upscaled 4K resolution with ray tracing enabled and targeting 60 FPS.
Additional Content[]
A new Career Builder feature designed expressly for new players – or anyone who wants to reset their character and get a fresh start – to get an introductory leg up in the criminal world of Southern San Andreas. With this system, the player gets a GTA$4,000,000 windfall to select an initial career path from: Executive, Gunrunner, Nightclub Owner or Biker which include Business Properties with pre-set upgrade packages and optional Vehicles, and Weapons.
Hao's Special Works, a new auto shop located within the LS Car Meet, encompasses best-in-class vehicle upgrades, a new class of Races using specially modified vehicles, and a weekly rotation of Hao's Special Works Time Trials, along with a Premium Test Ride, where the player can get behind the wheel of these newly modified vehicles for free. Hao's Special Works will allow players to upgrade select vehicles (5 new vehicles and 5 existing vehicles at launch) for elite driving performance that takes full advantage of the upgraded power of new console hardware.
Furthermore, GTA Online for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S has an assortment of new quality of life improvements, including a newly designed introduction and tutorial for new players, a new front-end Main Menu that allows players to jump directly into Freemode, Heists, Races, Adversary Modes, the latest featured weekly event content, and more. There are changes to the Pause Menu to allow switching to any type of Free Mode session.
Character Transfer[]
Players could transfer their original console version progress to the "Enhanced" version until March 6, 2017. Players could continue to play the character(s) on either platform independently.
For the 9th generation console version of GTA Online, PS4 and Xbox One players could also transfer both their GTA Online characters and progression to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S with a one-time migration at launch. However, this originally moved the profile rather than copying it like the previous transfer, meaning players would have to decide which platform to restart from scratch on if they wanted to continue playing them both independently. After the San Andreas Mercenaries update, this is no longer the case, instead allowing the profile to be copied and sent over to the PS5 or Xbox Series X|S versions. The profile remains the same on PS4 or Xbox One, allowing players to continue progress on both platforms. Any progress made on the PS5 or Xbox Series X|S cannot be transferred back to the older version, and any progress made on PS4 or Xbox One after the transfer cannot be copied over again.