PlayStation 2 Had Three GTA Games - 'GTA V' Will Be On Three PlayStations

Now that I have a PlayStation 5, I've been thinking an awful lot about Sony's reveal event from back in June. This was the PlayStation Future Of Gaming event - a broadcast dedicated to unveiling the PS5 to the world for the first time along with the first set of games coming to the next-gen console. How did Sony choose to kick this event off? By announcing that Grand Theft Auto V would be coming to PS5.

I mean, I get it. GTA V continues to be an absolute smash hit. In the last few months alone it shifted another 15 million copies, bringing the total number of units sold since its 2013 release to an eye-watering 135 million. I understand why it was ported from PS3 to PS4, and I can see why they want to keep the good times going by releasing an "expanded and enhanced" port on PS5 in the second half of 2021.

Who knows? Maybe this next-gen version will come with enough significant upgrades and improvements to really make the upgrade worth it. I'd certainly hope Rockstar is putting everything into this port, especially since it'll need to do something to draw in the 135 million people that already own the game on a current-gen platform. A suite of graphical improvements and maybe some new single-player content could really go a long way, but we'll have to wait and see what the studio has planned.

I guess the thing I'm really struggling with RE GTA V on PlayStation 5 is this: The PlayStation 2 had three GTA games in its lifespan. GTA III, GTA Vice City, and GTA San Andreas. GTA V, on the other hand, has now survived for three generations of PlayStation. Yes, you could argue that GTA V is bigger and more ambitious than those three PS2 games put together, but I still think it's indicative of a shift in priorities on the part of Rockstar.

We still have no idea what's happening with GTA VI, and Rockstar shut down the idea of single-player DLC for GTA V and Red Dead Redemption II long ago. I can't imagine Rockstar has completely given up on creating single-player experiences - RDRII proved as much - but it certainly seems as if that might not be the focus anymore.

On the other hand, Rockstar's refusal to say anything about GTA VI and focus on GTA V/Online for three generations now could point towards the fact that when the new Grand Theft Auto is released, it'll be a hugely substantial game that's absolutely packed with content - one that will be supported for years and years to come. I suppose what we have to decide is if we'd rather one absolutely massive GTA experience, or multiple smaller ones. In either case, we have to get used to the fact that GTA V isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Featured Image Credit: Rockstar Games

Topics: Feature, Rockstar Games, GTA V, Grand Theft Auto