GTA 5 crossplay
Considering the number of gamers a GTA 5 crossplay feature could reach, why doesn't GTA 5 have cross-platform access?
GTA Online is an incredibly popular gameplay mode enjoyed across PC, Xbox, and PlayStation, yet players will be saddened to hear that the GTA 5 crossplay features are not what they might expect. GTA 5 may have launched back in 2013, giving Rockstar plenty of time to consider a crossplay feature for consoles and PC, but nothing has been implemented despite the game’s overwhelming popularity.
Sadly, GTA 5 Online players are restricted to their console of choice, and that access is unlikely to change now that the GTA 6 release date is on the horizon.
GTA 5 crossplay on PC
GTA 5 crossplay features technically exist on PC, but only if you consider “crossplay” to mean “other PC launchers.” PC gamers are able to play GTA Online with other players so long as they are using Rockstar’s PC launcher, regardless of whether they purchased the game key from Steam or another vendor.
GTA 5 crossplay on Xbox
If you purchased the game on Xbox 360, it is possible to transfer your save over to a newer console such as the Xbox Series X|S. However, despite this save game transfer capability, it is not possible for Xbox 360 players to play with Xbox Series X|S players. Crossplay aside, the Xbox 360 version has no online access anymore after the Xbox 360 GTA 5 servers were shutdown in 2021.
GTA 5 crossplay on PlayStation
Much like with Xbox and PC platforms, PlayStation players do not have any cross-platform access on GTA 5. PlayStation 5 players cannot play online with PS4 or PS3 players (not least of all because the PS3 servers were shutdown).
Why isn’t there any GTA 5 crossplay features?
Simply put, the game is too old. Having originally released in 2013 to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, crossplay features weren’t a consideration for many, if any, game developers. The game was ported to Xbox One and PS4 in 2014, but crossplay features didn’t really take off in the gaming industry until Fortnite came along in 2018. By this time, GTA 5 was already five years old, and development for GTA 6 was more than likely underway.
However, it is more than possible that a GTA 6 online mode (which, if it exists, will likely replace the GTA 5 Online experience) will have crossplay features given the modern demand for cross-platform support.