The ninth generation console and PC Enhanced versions of Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online were released for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on March 15, 2022, and for PC on March 4, 2025, respectively.
Description[]
This version of the game sees the addition of exclusive content as well as technical and graphical improvements. The initial console version was announced for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on September 9, 2021, where it was referred to as an "Expanded and Enhanced" version of the game.[1] While this title has not been used in an official capacity, it is widely accepted as one in the community.[ref?]
On November 1, 2024, Rockstar confirmed that content previously exclusive to these platforms will also be available on PC in 2025.[2] This would later be further explained on February 20, 2025, when it was announced that from March 4, 2025, owners of the PC version of GTA V would be able to upgrade to an "Enhanced" version of the game which introduces the aforementioned exclusive content and graphical improvements.[3] The former PC version would later be renamed to "Grand Theft Auto V Legacy".
Content[]
Hao's Special Works[]
Replacing the auto shop in the LS Car Meet, Hao operates this business offering best-in-class performance upgrades to a selection of vehicles.
Vehicles[]
5 brand-new vehicles were added exclusive to this release, all capable of HSW treatment:
| Image | Name | Description | HSW Conversion Example |
|---|---|---|---|
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Karin S95 | A 2-door sports coupe based on the Toyota GT86. |   |
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Pfister Astron Custom | A widebody upgraded version of the Astron. |   |
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Coil Cyclone II | An electric hyper car based on the Rimac Nevera. |   |
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Imponte Arbiter GT | A 2-door muscle car primarily based on the 1970 Pontiac GTO. |   |
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Pegassi Weaponized Ignus | A weaponized and upgraded version of the Ignus. |   |
There were also 4 existing vehicles given extensive extra performance options through Hao's Special Works, with two additional vehicles added in subsequent event weeks:
| Image | Name | Conversion Example | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Grotti Turismo Classic |   | |||
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Übermacht Sentinel XS |   | |||
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Bravado Banshee |   | |||
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Shitzu Hakuchou Drag |   | |||
| Subsequent releases | |||||
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Principe Deveste Eight |   | |||
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Grotti Brioso R/A |   | |||
HSW Specification Service[]
Hao can supply an exact duplicate of the customization options of any* player-owned Personal Vehicles found in the LS Car Meet, paying a commission[vague] to the original owner.
Premium Test Ride[]
A Hao-modified ride that can be used on the Test Track parked at the test track end of the workshop space.
Races[]
Hao's Special Works Race Series[]
A collection of 14 races for HSW-tuned vehicles only. Every track in this series is an identical duplicate of already existing Land Race tracks, such as Downtown Underground, Cutting Coroners, and Greenwich Meantime.
Hao's Special Works Time Trials[]
A Time Trials race similar to existing Time Trials, but exclusive to HSW-tuned vehicles. The featured trial is changed to a new course weekly. Completing all HSW Time Trials unlocks the ability to purchase the "HSW Elite" livery for all HSW-tuned vehicles.
Functionality/QoL[]
Character Transfer[]
PS4 and Xbox One players could also transfer both their GTA Online characters and progression to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S with a one-time migration. At the launch of Expanded and Enhanced, this would permanently move the profile rather than copying it like previous transfers, meaning players would be forced to decide which platform to restart or start from scratch on if they wanted to continue playing them both independently as the PS4/Xbox One profile would be deleted from those versions of GTA Online. However with the release of the San Andreas Mercenaries update, the one time transfer no longer permanently removes the PS4/Xbox One profiles and moves them to PS5/Xbox Series X|S. Instead, the profile is copied and sent directly to the current versions of GTA Online, meaning all progress done on PS4/Xbox One is able to be resumed on the current version while still being retained on those versions, allowing players to play either version of the game whenever they want to. Any progress made on the PS5/Xbox Series X|S versions of GTA Online is unable to be sent back to the PS4/Xbox One versions of GTA Online and vice versa.
Main Menu[]
A brand new front-end Main Menu was added, allowing players to jump directly into Freemode, Heists, Races, Adversary Modes, the latest featured weekly event content, and more.
Racing[]
The race organiser can select whether to permit HSW vehicles in existing race types.
Pause Menu[]
Find New Session now adds the option to select the free mode session type (public, friend, invite, crew, solo).
Career Builder[]
If a character is not transferred, players can start a new character with the Career Builder. This replaces the original online tutorials Mall or Nothing and Learning the Ropes, and sees the player rob $4,000,000 to set themselves up in one of 4 career paths:Executive, Gunrunner, Nightclub Owner or Biker, which include Business Properties with pre-set upgrade packages and optional Vehicles, and Weapons.
Career Progress[]
Added with the San Andreas Mercenaries update, the Career Progress feature gives access to a range of challenges across GTA Online and provides exclusive rewards for players to earn. Career Progress can be accessed via the Landing Page and Pause menu. Each section of Career Progress will have four tiers of challenges added, and a reward to be claimed for completing each tier.
Enhancements[]
This version of Grand Theft Auto V and Online brought sweeping technological enhancements, taking advantage of the updated hardware of the PS5 and Series X|S:
Visuals[]
Expanded & Enhanced Edition features new graphics modes with up to 4K resolution, up to 60 frames per second, texture and draw distance upgrades, HDR options and ray-tracing, as well as across-the-board improvements including increased population and traffic variety, increased vegetation density, improved lighting quality across shadows, water reflections, and other elements. Plus improved anti-aliasing, motion-blur, highly detailed new explosions, fire, and much more.
Players can choose from one of three detailed new graphics settings to tailor their gameplay experience for what matters most to them, fidelity, performance, or both.
- Fidelity Mode is tuned for the highest visual quality and targets 30 FPS. In this mode the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X support native 4K resolution with ray tracing enabled while the Xbox Series S supports upscaled 4K resolution.
- Performance Mode is tuned for the most responsive gameplay experience and targets 60 FPS. In this mode the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X support upscaled 4K resolution while the Xbox Series S supports a resolution of 1080p.
- Performance RT mode is a hybrid of the Fidelity and Performance modes supporting upscaled 4K resolution with ray tracing enabled and targeting 60 FPS.
With the Los Santos Drug Wars update in 2022, the ray-tracing capabilities were further expanded with ray-traced reflections being added to Fidelity Mode, allowing for vehicles, characters, and more details to be shown on reflective and glossy surfaces[4].
The PC release of E&E in 2025 also brought additional ray tracing features exclusive to the PC release, such as ambient occlusion and global illumination.
Loading Times[]
Loading times both for Grand Theft Auto Online and switching characters in Grand Theft Auto V have been improved. E&E's PC release will also take advantage of Microsoft's DirectStorage API for Windows, further decreasing load times for PC players with eligible hardware.
Controls[]
The PlayStation 5 version of Expanded & Enhanced Edition added increased controller responsiveness utilizing the Haptic Feedback and Adaptive trigger mechanics found on the PS5's DualSense controller. These features will also be included in the PC release of E&E, allowing PC players who use the DualSense controller to experience these mechanics.
Audio[]
Hear the sounds of the world with pinpoint precision: the throttle of a stolen supercar, the rattle of neighboring gunfire, the roar of a helicopter overhead, and more.”
Expanded & Enhanced Edition also featured improved 3D audio capabilities, touted by Rockstar as assisting in precise audio. The PC version of E&E will also incorporate support for Dolby Atmos surround sound for improved fidelity of speech, cinematics, and music.
Unrecorded Changes[]
While the world of Grand Theft Auto V remained largely the same for the move to 9th generation consoles, several changes were made regarding what could be considered transgender stereotypes and transphobic content. These details remain in the 8th generation and Legacy PC versions of the game.[5]
- The "Drag Queen" models (referred to as "transvestites" in the in-game files) were removed from their spawn points outside the Cockatoos Nightclub in Burton. These NPCs are referred to as drag queens in Director Mode, but they include dialogue alluding to gender-affirming surgeries and horomone medications, confirming that a number of these characters are transgender.
- The models remain available in Director Mode on E&E versions of the game, though they have no available dialogue options in Director Mode's menu.
- The Captain Spacetoy action figure "Interstella Transgender" was entirely removed from all of its appearances. The figurine was advertised to feature "interchangeable genitalia" and was overall a caricature of many transgender stereotypes.
- The figurine's first appearance was in Lester Crest's home, where it appeared both in the original packaging on the wall as well as out of the packaging on a shelf in the main hallway, both alongside other Captain Spacetoy and The Barfs figurines. Both were removed.
- The figurine's second appearance came with The Diamond Casino Heist update for GTA Online, where the figure appeared on a wall in the GTA Online Protagonist's Arcade office when the "Total Focus" interior style is selected. The model here was also removed, and the existing figures were shifted over to fill in the gap.
Events[]
| Image | Name | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|
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GTA Online Bonuses (July 2022) | July 07, 2022 | July 25, 2022 |
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Independence Day 2022 | June 30, 2022 | July 06, 2022 |
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GTA+ July 2022 | June 30, 2022 | July 25, 2022 |
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Los Santos Tuners Bonuses Week | June 23, 2022 | June 29, 2022 |
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Import/Export Bonuses Week | June 16, 2022 | June 22, 2022 |
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Dewbauchee and Överflöd Spotlight Week | June 09, 2022 | June 15, 2022 |
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GTA Online Bonuses (June 2022) | June 02, 2022 | June 08, 2022 |
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GTA+ June 2022 | June 02, 2022 | June 29, 2022 |
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The Vespucci Job (Remix) Week | May 26, 2022 | June 01, 2022 |
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GTA Online Bonuses (May 2022 Part 3) | May 19, 2022 | May 25, 2022 |
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GTA Online Bonuses (May 2022 Part 2) | May 12, 2022 | May 18, 2022 |
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GTA Online Bonuses (May 2022 Part 1) | May 05, 2022 | May 11, 2022 |
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GTA Online Bonuses (April 2022 Part 4) | April 28, 2022 | May 04, 2022 |
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GTA+ May 2022 | April 28, 2022 | June 01, 2022 |
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GTA Online Bonuses (April 2022 Part 3) | April 21, 2022 | April 27, 2022 |
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GTA Online Bonuses (April 2022 Part 2) | April 14, 2022 | April 20, 2022 |
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GTA Online Bonuses (April 2022 Part 1) | April 07, 2022 | April 13, 2022 |
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GTA Online Bonuses (March 2022 Part 4) | March 31, 2022 | April 06, 2022 |
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GTA Online Bonuses (March 2022 Part 3) | March 24, 2022 | March 30, 2022 |
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GTA+ April 2022 | March 29, 2022 | April 28, 2022 |
Gallery[]
Official Screenshots[]
Grand Theft Auto V[]
![Nighttime view of the Hands On Car Wash. Note palm tree on the right side. This location features a shorter palm tree model in-game against what is displayed in this screenshot, and remains as such in-game[ref?], implying this model was changed for this promotional image only.](/wiki/File:HandsOnCarWash-GTAVee-E%26EScreenshot.jpg "HandsOnCarWash-GTAVee-E&EScreenshot.jpg (544 KB)")
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
PS5 & Xbox Series X|S release
PC release
Video[]
References[]
- ↑ Rockstar Games website(9/9/2021)https://www.rockstargames.com/newswire/article/3938k3oo9883o8/gtav-and-gta-online-coming-to-playstation-5-and-xbox-series-x-s-march
GTAV and GTA Online Coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X - ↑ Rockstar Games website(3/01/2025)https://www.rockstargames.com/newswire/article/k4479kk2k9ak2a/gta-online-community-update
"GTA Online Community Update" - Rockstar Newswire, November 1, 2024 - ↑ Rockstar Games website(2/20/2025)https://www.rockstargames.com/newswire/article/akk98a4o755825/free-upgrade-for-grand-theft-auto-v-on-pc-coming-march-4
"Free Upgrade for Grand Theft Auto V on PC Coming March 4" - Rockstar Newswire, February 20, 2025 - ↑ Grand Theft Auto V/Title Update Notes/Update-2022-12-13
- ↑ X (formerly Twitter)(06/07/2023)https://twitter.com/kirstycloud/status/1512260571248398342“In new-gen GTAV/GTAO, Rockstar appear to have disabled the trans caricatures or “drag queens” from spawning outside Cockatoos. This could be following a plea from OutMakingGames last year. I hope this provides comfort to anyone who felt these NPCs depicted harmful stereotypes”— @kirstycloud on Twitter/X, April 7, 2022