GTA is a popular game franchise with millions of copies sold. Like most gaming franchises, GTA continues to update its features so players always have something to look forward to. The GTA 5 now has the latest update, with major graphical and technical upgrades. But is it really worth the price? Do the new features justify the hype? Let’s dissect the GTA 5 Enhanced PC edition.
What Has Changed In GTA 5 Enhanced Edition
Gamers got the free GTA 5 Enhanced Edition on March 4, 2025. A major feature of the upgrade is the ray tracing support. It comes with a ray-traced ambient occlusion and global illumination, ray-traced shadows and reflections, and three tracing options: Maximum RT, Very High RT, and High RT.
The game here runs as smoothly as the games on https://www.thesportsgeek.com/online-casinos/real-money/, thanks to feature updates. Similar to real money online casinos, high frame rates on the GTA 5 Enhanced version are maintained. With features like the AMD FSR1 and FSR3 and the NVIDIA DLSS 3, the frame rates are surreal. Gamers who struggled to hit 60 fps on Legacy now cruise past 100 fps.
Hao's Special Works auto shop now offers unique vehicle upgrades and new high-performance cars. It also comes with wildlife throughout Southern San Andreas and daily Wildlife Photography Challenges.
The game loads faster on compatible SSDs and supports DirectStorage. Gamers also get better audio with Dolby Atmos support and the DualSense controller.
GTA 5 Enhanced Vs GTA 5 Legacy
Rockstar created two separate PC versions. However, these versions have some big differences. The Enhanced Edition has better visuals and higher resolutions, while the Legacy Edition has the same 2015 graphics.
The Enhanced Edition requires roughly 91.5 GB of storage, whilst the Legacy Edition requires 114 GB. Modern GPU features like global illumination, ambient occlusion, and ray-traced shadows and reflections are also included in the Enhanced Edition. Without mods, the Legacy Edition cannot manage these features.
The new version adds exclusive cars like the Coil Cyclone II, Imponte Arbiter GT, Karin S95, Pegassi Weaponized Ignus, and Pfister Astron Custom; none of which you can fully upgrade in Legacy. Furthermore, the Enhanced Edition gives PC players access to GTA Plus membership, which is unavailable in Legacy. Subscribers get $500,000 monthly in-game cash, a free vehicle, better Shark Card values, and access to The Vinewood Club vehicle garage.
New Content And Features In GTA 5 Enhanced
Major features of the Enhanced option are the kernel-level anti-cheat protection, voice chat moderation, and space for 100 vehicles in The Vinewood Club Garage. It also adds five new vehicles, which console players have enjoyed since 2022. You will find top-tier performance upgrades at Hao's Special Works auto shop.
Players can join weekly HSW Time Trials, Premium Test Rides, and specialized HSW Races. The daily Wildlife Photography Challenge rewards players who capture photos of three different animals through the LS Tourist Board. The Career Builder gives players a $4 million starting bonus.
Additionally, the Money Fronts update comes with a new business network for laundering cash. Players can buy the Hands On Car Wash as their main hub, along with Higgins Helitours and Smoke on the Water. Each business generates passive income with perks like free helicopter spawns or daily collectibles. These boost Counterfeit Cash, Air Freight, and Weed Farm sell missions. You can read more about the plot and new content of the GTA 5 Enhanced on https://en.wikipedia.org/.
Is The Upgrade Worth It For PC Players?
PC gamers looking to upgrade to the Enhanced Edition need to check their hardware capabilities and gaming priorities first. The upgrade comes completely free to all current GTA 5 owners. But you should know what your system can handle before taking the plunge.
Your PC needs much better specs to use the Enhanced Edition. The basics include Windows 10, an Intel Core i7-4770 or AMD FX-9590 processor, 8 GB RAM, and an SSD. You will also need at least an NVIDIA GTX 1630 (4GB VRAM) or AMD RX 6400 (4GB VRAM).
Microsoft DirectStorage support comes with the upgrade. This cuts down texture pop-in and makes loading much faster. You'll notice the difference when you zoom across Los Santos's big open world in aircraft. Of course, hardware isn't everything. The Enhanced Edition runs separately from Legacy, and both versions will take up over 200 GB of storage.
The upgrade is worth it to gamers with modern hardware and those who mostly play the base game or GTA Online.
What This Means For GTA 6
GTA 5 Enhanced on PC gives us an exciting peek into Rockstar's technical plans for GTA 6. According to https://www.gfinityesports.com/, the ray-traced global illumination (RTGI) is similar to the first GTA 6 trailer. This connection between both games is a solid hint about GTA 6's visual style and performance.
GTA 6 will likely take GTA 5’s RTGI system even further. Although these visual upgrades will come at a cost. GTA 6 will likely run on 30 fps instead of 60 fps, so players who want 60 fps might need to wait for the PC version.