GTA 5 Enhanced vs Legacy: Which PC Version to Play
GTA 5 on PC has existed in two versions since March 4, 2025. GTAV Enhanced is a free upgrade that brings the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S features to PC, adds ray tracing effects that consoles do not have, and supports DLSS, FSR and DirectStorage. GTAV Legacy is the original 2015 PC version, kept for older hardware. If your PC meets the Enhanced minimum (a 4 GB GeForce GTX 1630 or Radeon RX 6400 and an SSD), play Enhanced. Pick Legacy if your hardware is older, or if your mod setup depends on it.
What changed on March 4, 2025
Rockstar released the upgrade on the Rockstar Games Launcher, Steam and the Epic Games Store, then added it to PC Game Pass on April 15, 2025. Existing owners upgrade for free, and anyone buying GTA V on PC now gets both versions.
According to Rockstar’s announcement, Enhanced adds:
- Ray tracing: shadows and reflections first seen on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, plus ray traced ambient occlusion and global illumination that are exclusive to PC.
- Upscaling: AMD FSR and NVIDIA DLSS. Frame generation was promised for later, and on August 12, 2025 a patch released alongside a new NVIDIA driver added DLSS Frame Generation for GeForce RTX 40 cards and DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation for RTX 50 cards, according to NVIDIA.
- Loading and display: faster loading with an SSD and DirectStorage, and better support for higher resolutions, aspect ratios and frame rates.
- Audio and controls: Dolby Atmos, improved speech, cinematic and music fidelity, and DualSense support with adaptive triggers.
- GTA Online features from current consoles: Hao’s Special Works vehicles and upgrades, the Career Builder with a GTA$4,000,000 starting windfall, Career Progress, ambient animals and the daily Wildlife Photography Challenge.
- GTA+: the subscription became available on PC with Enhanced.
Enhanced vs Legacy at a glance
| GTAV Enhanced | GTAV Legacy | |
|---|---|---|
| Released on PC | March 4, 2025 | April 14, 2015 |
| Price for existing owners | Free | Included |
| Ray tracing | Shadows, reflections, AO, GI | None |
| Upscaling | DLSS, FSR, DLSS frame generation | None built in |
| Storage | 105 GB, SSD required | 125 GB, hard drive |
| Hao’s Special Works, Career Builder | Yes | No |
| GTA+ membership | Available | Not available |
| GTA Online title updates | Yes | Yes |
| Online players you meet | Enhanced only | Legacy only |
| Anti-cheat in GTA Online | BattlEye | BattlEye |
Both versions still receive GTA Online content. Rockstar’s title update 1.73 notes list PC Enhanced and Legacy together for the summer 2026 additions, from The Kortz Center Heist fixes to new vehicles. The split is in the extras, not the main updates.
System requirements
These are Rockstar’s official figures from its support site (last updated December 10, 2025).
GTAV Enhanced
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 (build 1909 or above) | Windows 11 |
| CPU | Intel Core i7-4770 / AMD FX-9590 | Intel Core i5-9600K / AMD Ryzen 5 3600 |
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB dual channel |
| GPU | GeForce GTX 1630 4 GB / Radeon RX 6400 4 GB | GeForce RTX 3060 8 GB / Radeon RX 6600 XT 8 GB |
| Storage | 105 GB SSD | 105 GB DirectStorage-compatible drive |
GTAV Legacy
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 64-bit | Windows 10 64-bit |
| CPU | Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 / AMD Phenom 9850 | Intel Core i5 3470 / AMD FX-8350 |
| RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB |
| GPU | NVIDIA 9800 GT 1 GB / AMD HD 4870 1 GB | NVIDIA GTX 660 2 GB / AMD HD 7870 2 GB |
| Storage | 125 GB HDD | 125 GB HDD |
Rockstar says the PC-only ray tracing features are designed for players running the recommended specifications. Both versions require a Rockstar Games account and an internet connection for activation and online play.
Moving your progress to Enhanced
Story Mode. In Legacy, open the pause menu, choose Game, then Upload Save Game. In Enhanced, download it from the Story tab of the landing page or from the pause menu (Game, then Download Save Game). The rules, from Rockstar’s support article:
- one uploaded save per account, which you can overwrite as often as you like until you download it in Enhanced;
- an uploaded save stays available for 90 days;
- once a save has been downloaded to Enhanced, no further Story Mode migration is possible on that account;
- progress you make in Legacy afterwards is not synced.
GTA Online. Choose Migrate Profile from the Enhanced landing page, or from the pause menu under Online. Your Legacy profile is kept, but after the migration the two profiles no longer sync. Criminal Enterprise Starter Pack benefits only carry over for the character that claimed them in Legacy.
Both migrations work within PC only (no transfer to or from consoles), and profiles with suspensions, bans or illegitimate progress may be refused.
Anti-cheat and the Steam Deck
On September 17, 2024, Rockstar integrated BattlEye anti-cheat into GTA Online on PC. The immediate side effect: GTA Online stopped working on Steam Deck and Linux, and Rockstar’s FAQ confirmed that Story Mode still runs there while GTA Online does not. Rockstar describes Enhanced as including its kernel-based anti-cheat protections. None of this affects Story Mode, but it is one more reason to keep mods out of GTA Online, as explained in our GTA 5 mods guide.
Which version should you play?
Choose Enhanced if:
- your graphics card has at least 4 GB of VRAM and the game can sit on an SSD;
- you want ray tracing, DLSS or FSR;
- you play GTA Online and want Hao’s Special Works, the Career Builder or GTA+;
- your friends have already moved to Enhanced.
Stay on Legacy if:
- your PC is below the Enhanced minimum, or the game has to live on a hard drive;
- your mod setup relies on OpenIV or on mods that have no Enhanced release yet;
- your friends and your roleplay servers are still on Legacy. FiveM for Enhanced has been in early access since July 21, 2026, and our GTA 5 RP guide explains the state of play.
Since Legacy and Enhanced players cannot meet online, coordinate with your crew before migrating. For how PC players fit in with consoles, see our GTA 5 crossplay guide, and for the console upgrade path, our PS5 vs PS4 comparison. Planning ahead? Our GTA 6 PC guide covers what Rockstar has said about its next game on computers.
Frequently asked questions
Is GTA 5 Enhanced free?
Yes, for anyone who already owns GTA V on PC. Rockstar released it as a free upgrade on March 4, 2025, and new buyers get both GTAV Enhanced and GTAV Legacy with their purchase.
Can Legacy and Enhanced players play GTA Online together?
No. Rockstar keeps PC players on Legacy separate from those on Enhanced, so friends have to be on the same version to join each other.
Can I transfer my GTA 5 save to Enhanced?
Yes. Upload your Story Mode save from the Legacy pause menu, then download it in Enhanced. Only one save can be migrated per account, and only once. GTA Online profiles have their own migration option in Enhanced.
Does GTA 5 Enhanced need an SSD?
Yes. Rockstar lists a 105 GB SSD as a minimum requirement for Enhanced, and a DirectStorage-compatible drive in the recommended specs. Legacy runs from a hard drive and needs 125 GB.
Will GTA 5 Legacy be removed?
Rockstar's launch announcement said access to Legacy continues so that players whose PCs do not meet the Enhanced requirements can keep playing. That announcement gave no end date.