Rockstar says development on the next GTA is 'well underway'

Rockstar Games has revealed when Grand Theft Auto V fans will be able to get their hands on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions, while teasing what's next for the blockbuster franchise. The current-gen editions will arrive on March 15th. Rockstar previously delayed the release from November to some time in March.

When GTA V and GTA Online hit their third console generation (putting aside the fact previous versions work on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S through backward compatibility), players will have new features to check out. Rockstar is adding several graphics modes, including a frame rate of up to 60 fps, up to 4K resolution, ray-tracing, HDR and upgrades to textures and draw distances. You can also expect faster load times and 3D audio, among other features. The developers are also taking advantage of the DualShock controller's capabilities to offer PS5 plasters "advanced haptic feedback."

Players will be able to skip the GTA V prologue and dive straight into GTA Online if they wish. There's a new tutorial for the multiplayer experience too. Newcomers can access a Career Builder, which allows them to start operating a business as a biker, executive, gunrunner or nightclub owner from the jump. They'll receive a "sizable" bag of in-game currency to kickstart their virtual life of crime as well. Veteran players will have the option to restart their character and hop into the Career Builder at any time.

Those playing the PS4 or Xbox One versions will be able to transfer their progress for both GTA V and GTA Online, as well as their characters from the latter. This is a one-time migration though, so don't expect to be able to bounce back and forth between console generations.

A standalone version of GTA Online is also coming to current-gen consoles on March 15th. PS5 players will have three months of free access. However, Rockstar hasn't revealed pricing for the new versions of GTA V or GTA Online. The upgrade path from the PS4 and Xbox One versions is also unclear.

Meanwhile, in the year's most shocking video game news thus far, Rockstar confirmed that GTA 6 (or whatever the next entry in the series will actually be called) is coming. It says that active development on the game is well underway, and it will share more details when it's ready.