More than thirteen years separate GTA 6 and GTA 5. GTA 5 launched on 17 September 2013, GTA 6 arrives on 19 November 2026. This guide only covers differences Rockstar has officially confirmed or that the stores list: characters, setting, platforms, online, performance and price. Which game is better is something we will judge after playing. You won’t find map sizes, mission counts or other leaked numbers here.
The differences at a glance
| What | GTA 5 | GTA 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Release | 17 September 2013 | 19 November 2026 |
| Launch platforms | PS3, Xbox 360 | PS5 (incl. PS5 Pro), Xbox Series X|S |
| Protagonists | three (Michael, Franklin, Trevor) | two (Jason Duval, Lucia Caminos) |
| Setting | Los Santos and Blaine County (Southern California) | the state of Leonida with Vice City (inspired by Florida) |
| Online | GTA Online, up to 30 players | single-player, no online mode announced |
| PC | since 14 April 2015 | not announced |
Two protagonists instead of three
GTA 5 was built around a trio. Rockstar describes them as a young street hustler, a retired bank robber and a terrifying psychopath, in other words Franklin, Michael and Trevor. They get tangled up with the criminal underworld, the U.S. government and the entertainment industry and have to pull off a series of dangerous heists to survive.
GTA 6 has two leads: Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos. According to Rockstar, an easy score goes wrong and they end up in the middle of a criminal conspiracy stretching across the state of Leonida, forced to rely on each other. Who they are and which side characters Rockstar has revealed is covered in our guide to GTA 6 characters.
Leonida and Vice City instead of Los Santos
GTA 5 is set in Los Santos and the surrounding Blaine County, a re-imagined present-day Southern California. GTA 6 returns to Vice City, this time as part of the fictional state of Leonida, Rockstar’s take on Florida. Besides Vice City, Rockstar has officially introduced five more regions: Leonida Keys, Grassrivers, Port Gellhorn, Ambrosia and Mount Kalaga. Each one is described in our GTA 6 map guide.
Platforms and PC
GTA 5 launched on PS3 and Xbox 360, came to PS4 and Xbox One on 18 November 2014, to PC on 14 April 2015 and to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on 15 March 2022. On PC there is GTA V Legacy and, since 4 March 2025, GTA V Enhanced.
GTA 6 is only coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. PlayStation Support states plainly that it will not be playable on PS4. As of 13 November 2026, Rockstar has not announced a PC version. PC players waited 19 months for GTA 5, more in our article on GTA 6 PC.
Online: GTA Online vs single-player
GTA 5 includes GTA Online, which Rockstar now describes as a world for up to 30 players. The stores and PlayStation Support describe GTA 6 as a single-player experience. Rockstar has not announced an online mode for GTA 6, so if you want to play with friends, GTA Online from GTA 5 is still the place. Details in our GTA 6 Online article.
Performance and graphics
On PS5, Xbox Series X|S and the Enhanced PC version, GTA 5 offers graphics modes with higher frame rates and ray-traced shadows and reflections, according to Rockstar. GTA 6 targets 30 frames per second on both PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. PS5 Pro adds sharper image quality thanks to PSSR plus ray-traced shadows, while the frame rate stays at 30 fps. Rockstar has not announced a performance mode for GTA 6.
New features Rockstar has confirmed
- For the first time in the series there are on-demand podcasts. You can listen to the radio and podcasts in a car or on foot through earbuds connected to Jason’s and Lucia’s phones.
- In the Extended Look, Jason slows down time to aim during a shootout. Outlets compare it to Michael’s ability in GTA 5. What we know about it is in our slow motion guide.
Price and languages
GTA 6 costs £69.99, €79.99 or $79.99 for the Standard Edition and £89.99, €99.99 or $99.99 for the Ultimate Edition on PlayStation Store and Xbox Store. GTA V Enhanced cost €29.99 on Steam as of 19 October 2026. Edition contents and bonuses are covered in our GTA 6 price guide.
GTA 6 has English voice acting only and text in 13 languages. Release times by region are in our article on the release time.
Join our Discord to talk about what you’re most looking forward to in GTA 6 and to find a crew for GTA Online: GamersTogether Discord.
FAQ
Two: Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos. GTA 5 had three: Michael, Franklin and Trevor.
In the fictional state of Leonida, which includes Vice City. GTA 5 is set in Los Santos and Blaine County.
No. GTA 6 is only coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. On Xbox One you can only play it through Xbox Cloud Gaming. GTA 5 runs on both PS4 and Xbox One.
Not at launch. GTA 6 is a single-player game and Rockstar has not announced an online mode. GTA Online from GTA 5 continues.
Information verified on 13 November 2026. More articles about the game are in our GTA 6 section, and everything confirmed so far is in our GTA 6 overview.