Rockstar's latest update to Grand Theft Auto 5, dubbed GTA 5 Enhanced, has not been well-received by the Steam community since its launch in early March. Released on March 4, the game has garnered a 'mixed' user review rating on Steam, with only 54% of the 19,772 user reviews being positive. This is a stark contrast to the original GTA 5 on Steam, which, although now unlisted at Rockstar's request and thus not searchable on Valve's platform, boasts a 'very positive' user review rating.
Interestingly, GTA 5 Enhanced currently holds the title of the worst user-reviewed GTA title on Steam, falling below even Grand Theft Auto III – The Definitive Edition, which sits at a 66% positive review rating. GTA 5 Enhanced offers a free upgrade for PC players, bringing features previously exclusive to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S versions of GTA Online. These include access to the latest vehicles and performance upgrades at Hao’s Special Works, animal encounters, and the ability to purchase a GTA+ Membership, along with enhanced graphics options and quicker loading times. All existing PC owners of GTA 5 can upgrade to this version at no cost and transfer their Story Mode and Online progress.
Every Celebrity in GTA 5 and GTA Online
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Despite the allure of these new features, the upgrade process has been marred by significant issues, particularly with account migration. Many players have reported that the migration of their accounts is not functioning as expected, which is a major point of contention in the negative reviews. One frustrated player shared, "‘The GTA Online profile associated with this Rockstar Games account is not eligible for migration at this time,’ If you think I'm throwing away nearly 700 hours of gameplay on one character so that you can make a few more bucks off me, then you can lick my anal orifice clean. This is an objective downgrade from the ‘old’ version. Gonna pretend this was never released and continue to enjoy Legacy version until the new game comes out when I'm 60."
Another user expressed their dissatisfaction, stating, "I'm leaving a negative review mainly due to Rockstar deciding that some accounts should arbitrarily not be able to migrate, and if you ask for help from support, they just say they can't do anything about it." A third review echoed these sentiments, "I can't migrate either of my two accounts. R* support is completely useless and can't help. With the game being over 10 years old I am sure as hell not going to completely restart all my progress in Online just to get marginally better graphics (if that) and HSW and whatever other minuscule stuff they added."
Despite these challenges, GTA 5 Enhanced remains highly popular on Steam, achieving a peak concurrent player count of 187,059 since its launch. However, the issues have raised concerns among PC gamers about the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto 6, with fears that similar problems could affect its launch.
GTA 6 is slated for a fall 2025 release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S, leaving PC gamers waiting longer. In December 2023, a former Rockstar developer attempted to clarify why GTA 6 would first launch on consoles, urging PC gamers to trust the studio despite the controversial decision.
For more on GTA 6, check out Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick's comments on the future of GTA Online post-GTA 6 launch. Additionally, Take-Two has initiated legal action against the online marketplace PlayerAuctions, accusing it of hosting "thousands of listings for unauthorized, infringing GTA 5 content – including heavily modified player accounts, in-game assets, and virtual currency – all gained by using hacking software, cheats, and technical exploits."
In other news, Rockstar has recently acquired the developer of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, Video Games Deluxe, and rebranded it as Rockstar Australia.
