Is GTA 5 Crossplay, Cross-Platform, Cross-Gen, or Cross-Gen Progress?

‘Twas in 2013, when the first version of Grand Theft Auto V was launched. Fast-forward to a decade later, and it now hosts over 207 thousand concurrent players on Steam. 

In GTA V offline, the key characters Michael, Franklin, and Trevor can pull their heists in Los Santos. You may even connect laptop to TV for the best offline experience. However, for multiplayer fun, you’ll need to play online.

For a multiplayer game, the question that everyone asks is, “Is GTA 5 crossplay?”. Meaning, is it possible to play Grand Theft Auto V Online with friends who are on a different device? 

So, if you’re also wondering about the same, this blog will uncover some of the important questions regarding GTA V crossplay, cross-platform, cross-gen, & cross-gen progression. 

GTA Online vs. GTA Offline

First things first. Some of you might wonder whether GTA could be played offline with your friends. A straight answer to it is ‘No’.

Grand Theft Auto offline is the ‘story mode’ in which you’ve to play as a single-player, with limited content and missions to complete. The game ends when you complete all the missions in it. 

Whereas, its online version is a multiplayer game. You can simply invite your friends to the game, and explore the city together on a 24-inches monitor good for gaming. There are better missions, content, and frequent updates, which the offline version doesn’t have.

Is GTA 5 Crossplay/Cross-Platform?

In the gaming language, cross-play or cross-platform means that players from different devices can engage in a multiplayer game, even when the graphics & settings might differ slightly.

But then, is GTA V crossplay? Sadly, it is neither crossplay nor cross-platform. It means that the players on Xbox, PS4/PS5, and PC won’t be able to play together. The players on mobile, PC, and Nintendo Switch also won’t be able to join the same game session.

Why is GTA Crossplay Not Available?

Developing a crossplay/cross-platform game is no easy feat. There are a number of reasons why is GTA cross platform not available:

• In 2013 when the game was launched, crossplay was not a common feature in online games. This led the company to design slightly different graphics and features for every platform. It will now require a considerable amount of effort to standardize such features across platforms.
• Developing crossplay in a game requires developing a fair playing field. But, it’s not that simple. For example, PC players enjoy better graphics, while console players enjoy the aim-assist feature. Allowing cross-platform access might lead to an unfair advantage for players on a specific platform. 
• Currently, Rockstar Games is enjoying an adequate amount of audience on its online and offline versions of GTA. It is more profitable for the company to keep launching newer versions of the game, or develop new games, rather than investing in its cross-platform feature.

Hence, for the question “Why is GTA online crossplay not available”, the answer is simple. It will take lots of hard work, it’s not easy, and it’s not profitable. 

Will GTA Cross-Platform be Available in the Future?

Recently, Rockstar Games announced that it is working on GTA 6. With such an announcement, it is less likely that they will focus on the current version. In GTA 6, there will be much better graphics and audio. However, if your PlayStation headphones keep cutting out, you won’t be able to enjoy it smoothly.

In addition, it’s difficult to predict whether GTA 6 will be a cross-platform game or not. Grand Theft Auto is still among one of the highest revenue-generating games of the brand. Introducing cross-play might seem like a new way of generating business through an already-established game. Moreover, there also has been a high demand from consumers to introduce this feature. 

Therefore, currently, GTA does not provide the feature of crossplay or cross-platform. However, there’s a likelihood that it could provide such a feature in its future versions. 

Is GTA Cross Gen?

With the launch of a next-generation console, the games are also likely to launch a newer version. The cross-gen or cross-generation feature in a game refers to the ability to interconnect between consoles from different generations. 

As for the question, “is GTA cross gen?”, the answer is both a ‘yes’ and a ‘no’. 

It is a ‘no’, as players with the updated game version won’t be able to connect to older consoles with the older game version. 

However, it’s a ‘yes’, as players on the different generation consoles can still connect if they use the “same game version”. 

Is GTA Cross Gen?
Players with PS4 & PS5 can play GTA 5 together. Players with Xbox One & X Box Series X/S can also play together. All that they need to do is, download the same game version on different generation consoles.

Does GTA V Have Cross Progression?

Has it ever happened to you that you got an Xbox on Christmas, and decided to shift your game’s progress from your PC to Xbox? Well, that’s not possible with the GTA. 

This game does not allow cross-progression from one platform to the other. It means that the game settings, achievements, features unlocked, and other things on one platform cannot be shifted to another.

Don’t be disappointed though. With your Rockstar Social Club account, you might be able to shift some of the game features from one device to the other.

Can I Play GTA 5 Using Different Launchers?

Another question that players ask particularly is, “Is there any launcher for GTA 5?”, or, “Can I play GTA 5 multiplayer with different launchers?”. Currently, this game can be played with the help of 3 launchers – Steam, Epic Games, and Rockstar Games (RG) Launcher. All these launchers offer their specific individual prices and features for the game.

The good news is that for multiplayer fun, you and your friends do not need to worry about the type of launcher. It means that, even if you own a Steam launcher, while your friend owns an RG launcher, you could still engage with each other in the online multiplayer format. However, if you’re playing on the TV, you’ll need to first enable game mode on Sony smart TV. 

Final Thoughts

GTA 5 online is not crossplay or cross-platform. Players logging into the game from different consoles won’t be able to play together. However, cross-gen in this game is possible, if both the players are on the same version of the game.

GTA Online does not have cross-progression. You can not shift your progress in the game from one console to the other. It is possible for you to override the scaling mode set by games if they don’t like it in the current version of their game. You could also use different launchers, to connect to each other in the online multiplayer game.

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