Is GTA 5 Online cross platform (or crossplay)?
"Is GTA 5 Online cross platform?" or "Is GTA 5 Online crossplay" is a pretty frequently asked question in the gaming community, and for good reason. Many modern multiplayer titles have begun exploring the cross-platform realm, allowing gamers on different platforms (PlayStation, PC, and Xbox) to play in the same lobbies together. This makes for a sizeable combined player base, which can be considered a major boost to the overall multiplayer experience.
Even competitive titles, such as new entries in the Call Of Duty franchise, are cross-platform. So, it is only natural for one to be curious about whether Grand Theft Auto 5's multiplayer, GTA Online, also offers this. Unfortunately, the answer to "Is GTA 5 Online cross platform?" is no. Let's quickly learn more about this topic below.
Is GTA 5 Online cross platform or crossplay? Everything you need to know
Rockstar Games first released GTA Online in October 2013 for PS3 and Xbox 360. This original version of the title did not support cross play. The exact reason behind this is unknown, but cross-platform titles weren't very common back then, so it didn't really matter all that much.
Although the developer had dabbled with a modern multiplayer experience via Grand Theft Auto 4's multiplayer, Grand Theft Auto 5's online mode was comparatively more expansive. It's also worth noting that GTA Online had a rather troubled launch. Bugs, glitches, and players having their characters reset were some of the issues Rockstar faced at that time. So, the decision might've been made to stick to the basics.
In 2014, GTA Online was brought over to PS4 and Xbox One, the current-generation consoles of that time. As one would expect, they were more powerful than their predecessors, and while their game's image quality and performance were a tad better than before, the cross platform element was still missing.
Nothing changed with Grand Theft Auto 5 and Online's PC release in April 2015. Since the crossplay wasn't that common even then, and as the multiplayer received quality updates at frequent intervals, the player base was quite content.
However, by the end of the 2010s, cross-play titles slowly started piqueing gamers' interest as they realized the potential. Additionally, it presented a great opportunity for a group of friends on different platforms to finally play games together.
In 2020, Rockstar Games announced GTA 5 Expanded and Enhanced, a brand new port of the title for the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. And so, many hoped for it to be cross platform, but that wasn't the case yet again.
Is GTA 5 Online cross platform pr crossplay on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S?
Grand Theft Auto 5's PS5 and Xbox Series X|S port, aka GTA 5 Expanded and Enhanced, released in March 2022. It featured some technical advancements over the game's original iterations, such as better performance on the console, better image quality, and certain graphical improvements.
A few exclusive features were also introduced in the multiplayer, like HSW Performance Upgrades for some vehicles. Applying them lets a car hit speeds like never before.
However, the current-generation console version of GTA Online doesn't support cross platform, just like its previous iterations. In fact, not only does it prohibit console and PC gamers from playing together, but even PS5 and Xbox Series X/S playerbases cannot interact with each other in it.
This was a big disappointment for fans, as cross play could've made the game a lot more enjoyable. The decision to exclude it was also a bit confusing, as Rockstar had enough experience of supporting in large-scale multiplayer title by then. Nevertheless, many then hoped to see cross-platform support in the Expanded and Enhanced edition's PC port.
Is GTA 5 Online cross platform or crossplay on PC?
GTA 5 Enhanced, released on March 4, 2025, is the PC equivalent of the Expanded and Enhanced PS5 and Xbox Series X/S port. It has the same exclusive features as that version and is a separate entity from the game's original PC port that came out in 2015.
Notably, it has a few more technological advancements, such as the integration of Ray Traced Ambient Occlusion and Ray Traced Global Illumination. However, the answer to "Is GTA 5 Online cross platform" or "Is GTA 5 Online cross play" in terms of GTA 5 Enhanced PC, sadly, remains no.
Many have complained about the lack of actual new content in this version. Having cross-play would've helped in this regard, but Rockstar doesn't seem interested in going down that route.
Is GTA 5 Online cross platform or crossplay between Enhanced and Legacy?
As mentioned, Grand Theft Auto 5 Enhanced is a separate entity from the original PC port, Grand Theft Auto 5 Legacy. Both exist on the same platform, but Rockstar Games had already confirmed before the new PC port's release that GTA Online would not be cross platform even between them.
This means Enhanced players can only play GTA Online with other Enhanced users on PC, and Legacy users can only play multiplayer with other Legacy users on the platform.
This, again, was quite disappointing as the PC player base has been separated. Yes, those who own Legacy can upgrade to Enhanced for free, but it has different system requirements, and not everyone will have a computer good enough to run it seamlessly.
Despite being out for nearly 12 years as of this writing, GTA Online enjoys a healthy player base and still welcomes new players. This is why questions like "Is GTA 5 Online cross platform?" or "Is GTA 5 Online crossplay" are frequently asked in gaming circles.
As discussed, no version of the multiplayer is cross-platform compatible so far, and it also looks unlikely that this feature to be added in the future. With GTA 6's release now on the horizon, we can only hope its potential multiplayer mode offers players this luxury.
FAQs:
Is GTA Online Cross Progression game? If not, will it ever be one?
As stated earlier, the GTA Online is not a cross progression game. As of April 16, 2025, Rockstar Games doesn't seem to have any plans to enable crossplay between different versions of the game. However, it won't be surprising if they enable crossplay in the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6.