Rockstar Offers Free GTA V Upgrade to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S Ahead of New Heist

Rockstar Games has announced a free upgrade for Grand Theft Auto V, allowing players on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One to migrate their digital copies to the enhanced versions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S at no additional cost. The offer, which goes live on June 18, 2026, comes more than 13 years after the game's original release and is designed to prepare players for a major new GTA Online update scheduled for July.

The upgraded versions bring substantial technical improvements, including up to 4K resolution, 60 frames per second performance, HDR support, ray tracing, faster load times, and 3D audio. PlayStation 5 players will also benefit from the DualSense controller's adaptive triggers. PC players are not left out: those running the Legacy version can upgrade to the Enhanced edition for free, which includes ray-traced ambient occlusion and global illumination.

The timing of this move is strategic. With GTA 6 confirmed for release on November 19, 2026, the free upgrade aims to re-engage players and maintain an active GTA Online community as a bridge to the next title. The update also directly supports the upcoming "Kortz Center Heist," a multi-stage mission set in a cultural complex in Pacific Bluffs, where players must infiltrate an international art collection. To participate, players will need to add an Art Studio to their GTA Online mansion.

Eligible players can migrate their Story Mode progress and GTA Online profiles from the pause menu or in-game prompt on their new console. However, purchased GTA dollars cannot be transferred across different platform families (e.g., PS4 to Xbox Series X|S), and progress made on separate generations will not sync after migration. Accounts that are suspended, banned, or have illegitimate progress may not be eligible.

In addition to the free upgrade, members of the GTA+ subscription service now gain access to the GTA V Story Mode as part of their library. The game has sold over 225 million copies since its 2013 debut, spanning three console generations, making this gesture a bid to keep the massive player base engaged and ready for what comes next.