The longstanding presence and success of Grand Theft Auto Online stands as one of Rockstar's greatest achievements, with the wacky multiplayer experience for 2013's GTA 5 growing to become an industry powerhouse and a standalone title in its own right. GTA Online has played a massive role in the overall longevity of GTA 5, which has gone on to become the most profitable piece of media ever made, and Rockstar recently added one late twist to the title.
Recently, the "enhanced" port of Grand Theft Auto Online was released for PC players, adding new quality of life features to the game that are reflective of the modern-gen console versions of the release, acting as a kind of definitive version of GTA Online that can now be enjoyed across any platform. Although the enhanced port is in need of some polishing, it has some big positive implications for the near-future of GTA Online, while crucially offering some potential hints toward when the hotly anticipated online mode of GTA 6 might be released.
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GTA Online's Recent Enhanced Port Might Indicate a Later Release For GTA 6's Online Mode
The enhanced port for Grand Theft Auto Online has been a long time coming for PC players, finally being released as a comprehensive free update for the game on March 4. Crucially, the enhanced version allows for performance and graphical improvements to GTA Online such as ray tracing capabilities and higher resolutions, allowing players to take full advantage of the power of modern PC hardware.
Additionally, the enhanced version of GTA Online opens PC players to GTA+ subscriptions, in-game animal encounters, as well as full access to DLC such as Hao's Special Works. While some issues have been reported with how the enhanced version can currently cause issues with things like radio audio, some upcoming tweaks should mark the port as a well-received new era for Grand Theft Auto Online.
Of course, so much attention is currently being placed on the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6, with the project having levels of anticipation and massive expectations that have not really been seen across the gaming industry in the past. Rockstar is still holding steady on GTA 6's reported late-2025 release window as things stand, although some question marks have already been raised about when fans can expect to dive into the game's equally anticipated multiplayer experience. Assuming there is a longer gap between the release of GTA 6's singleplayer and online content, potentially even one that is months long, then making an enhanced version of GTA 5 more accessible could be Rockstar's way of preparing gamers for that potential wait.
GTA Online's Enhanced Port Could Buy Some Time Between the Launch of GTA 6's Singleplayer and Multiplayer
Some theories have explained the controversial rumors of GTA 6 costing $100+ by suggesting this price might include a bundle of GTA 6's story and its multiplayer, with it being very possible that the game's online mode will release as its own standalone title at launch. Of course, releasing both of these experiences at the same time could cause a split between the GTA 6 playerbase while potentially reducing the success and engagement of its single-player offering, meaning that Rockstar releasing GTA 6's online mode a few months after the launch of the game's base-game story would make sense.
While a lot of debate has been had over GTA 6 potentially re-writing what players can expect to pay for AAA releases going forward, no official information about the game's price has been revealed as things stand.
With PC players already being prepared for a later release of GTA 6 compared to console players, the recent launch of GTA Online's enhanced port for PC could be a confirmation of GTA 6 releasing its own multiplayer at a later date. Even after the launch of GTA 6's single-player, Rockstar will still need to ensure that the vibrant GTA Online community has a multiplayer outlet to enjoy in the downtime before the release of GTA 6's multiplayer, and the enhanced version of GTA Online seems like the best way to achieve this. While players are likely to flock over to GTA 6's online mode when it launches, GTA Online's enhanced port seems like a great way to hold the fort for that little while longer before GTA 6's own online mode takes the world by storm.
- Released
- October 1, 2013
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar North
- Publisher(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Engine
- Rockstar Advanced Game Engine
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action
