GTA 5 comes in two PC versions, and each has its own system requirements. The newer GTA 5 Enhanced needs at least Windows 10, 8 GB of RAM, a GeForce GTX 1630 class GPU and 105 GB on an SSD, and it will not run without an SSD. The older GTA 5 Legacy gets by with 4 GB of RAM and very old hardware, but takes up 125 GB. Below you will find both sets of requirements as listed on Steam, the differences between the versions, other platforms and whether you can play GTA 5 in the cloud. Accurate as of 19 October 2026.
Legacy and Enhanced: two versions of GTA 5 on PC
The original PC version arrived on Steam in April 2015. When GTA 5 Enhanced launched on 4 March 2025, Rockstar renamed the original to GTA 5 Legacy and keeps supporting it. So Steam now has two separate games:
- GTA 5 Legacy – the original 2015 release with low requirements.
- GTA 5 Enhanced – the upgraded 2025 version.
Enhanced adds ray tracing (ambient occlusion, global illumination, shadows and reflections), AMD FSR and NVIDIA DLSS support, and DualSense controller support with adaptive triggers. It also brought GTA Online features to PC that had previously been exclusive to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S: Hao’s Special Works, Career Progress and Career Builder. Rockstar summed it all up in its Steam announcement.
If you already owned GTA 5 on PC, you got Enhanced for free and can transfer your Story Mode and GTA Online progress to it. The transfer to Enhanced can only be done once, and for GTA Online it cannot be undone. Your Legacy progress is not deleted.
GTA 5 Enhanced system requirements
These are the requirements as Steam lists them. Note the last row: an SSD is mandatory for Enhanced even at minimum spec.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 64-bit | Windows 11 |
| CPU | Intel Core i7-4770 / AMD FX-9590 | Intel Core i5-9600K / AMD Ryzen 5 3600 |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630 (4 GB) / AMD Radeon RX 6400 (4 GB) | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (8 GB) / AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT (8 GB) |
| Storage | 105 GB | 105 GB |
| Drive | SSD required | SSD with DirectStorage support |
GTA 5 Legacy system requirements
For Legacy, Steam lists both minimum and recommended requirements. The minimum ones are so low that even a very old PC can handle the game:
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 64-bit | Windows 10 64-bit |
| CPU | Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 / AMD Phenom 9850 | Intel Core i5-3470 / AMD FX-8350 |
| Memory | 4 GB RAM | 8 GB RAM |
| GPU | NVIDIA 9800 GT 1 GB / AMD HD 4870 1 GB | NVIDIA GTX 660 2 GB / AMD HD 7870 2 GB |
| Storage | 125 GB | 125 GB |
Legacy also requires you to sign in to Rockstar Games Social Club, so you cannot start without a Rockstar account.
How much storage GTA 5 needs and why an SSD matters
Oddly enough, the older version needs more space: Legacy takes 125 GB, Enhanced 105 GB. The key difference is the type of drive. Enhanced lists an SSD in its minimum requirements, so do not count on running it from a traditional hard drive. For the recommended setup, Steam lists an SSD with DirectStorage support. Legacy does not list an SSD at all.
In practice the choice is simple. Do you have an SSD with 105 GB free and at least a GTX 1630 class GPU? Play Enhanced, it looks better and its GTA Online has the newer features. Is your PC older or weaker, without an SSD? Stick with Legacy.
Price, languages and other platforms
On Steam, GTA 5 Enhanced costs €29.99 (price checked in the Czech store), and the bundle with a Great White Shark Card costs €44.99. Story Mode is also part of the GTA+ subscription (the GTA+ Games Library), which costs €7.99 a month on Steam. The game is available in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Korean, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Chinese and Japanese.
On consoles, GTA 5 has been on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S since 15 March 2022. Players on PS4 and Xbox One can transfer their Story Mode and GTA Online progress, but only to PS5 or Xbox Series X|S respectively.
On Steam Deck you can play Story Mode, but not GTA Online. GTA Online on PC has also used the BattlEye anti-cheat since September 2024, as Rockstar stated in the patch notes. Story Mode can be launched with BattlEye disabled, either through an option in the Rockstar Games Launcher or with the launch parameter -nobattleye. Built-in cheats only work in Story Mode, and you will find the console codes in our PC cheats guide.
Can you play GTA 5 in the cloud?
Not on GeForce NOW for now. The service’s official game list (as of 19 October 2026) does not include any GTA game or any other Rockstar title. Our overview of games on GeForce NOW shows what the library does offer. How cloud gaming works in general and what to expect from it is explained in our cloud gaming guide.
So if your PC is not powerful enough, the realistic route to GTA 5 is the Legacy version or a console. And if you are more curious about what Rockstar is doing next, read GTA 6 news.
Join our Discord, where other players can help you pick a version or a build and you can find a crew for GTA Online: Discord GamersTogether.
How players and critics rate the game is summed up in our GTA 5 review (8/10).
FAQ
For Enhanced: Windows 10 64-bit, Intel Core i7-4770 or AMD FX-9590, 8 GB RAM, a GeForce GTX 1630 or Radeon RX 6400 with 4 GB, and 105 GB on an SSD. Legacy gets by with 4 GB RAM and a 9800 GT or HD 4870, but needs 125 GB.
For Enhanced, yes, an SSD is in its minimum requirements. Legacy does not list one.
According to Steam, Enhanced needs 105 GB and Legacy 125 GB of free space.
No. As of 19 October 2026, the official GeForce NOW game list has no GTA game and no other Rockstar title.
No, if you owned GTA 5 on PC, you got Enhanced for free. You can transfer your progress once, and the GTA Online transfer cannot be undone.
Information verified on 19 October 2026. More guides and cheats for the series are in our GTA section.