It had been years since a PC release caused so much commotion worldwide, especially for a title that had already been available on other platforms for more than one year and four months. That may be impressive, but at the same time it may not be, considering that in recent years the GTA series has gained such a broad audience that it has become one of, if not THE most powerful game franchise in the world today. That is what GTA V's sales numbers indicate, challenging the many politicians and public figures who opposed the publication of this series over the past decade.
But PC players are already downloading the game, so we will provide valuable information here that you cannot miss if you intend to become a new resident of Los Santos.
60 FPS Trailer in 4K Quality (in Portuguese)
We are using the players from Rockstar Games' website here because YouTube unfortunately reduces the image quality of these videos.
It is worth noting that on PS4 and Xbox One, the game runs at 1080p and 30 fps. But it is clear that experiencing the game's grandeur at 4K or 1080p with greater fluidity will require a very well-prepared computer (in terms of power = $, more information below). The video shows Trevor, Michael, and Franklin around Los Santos.
Is the difference really as striking as people say, after all? Rockstar describes Grand Theft Auto V on PC as "the most graphically and technologically advanced version." Comparing it with the launch trailers for the PS4 and Xbox One versions, even more attentive viewers may find it difficult to understand the great commotion over the graphics. See the console trailer further below.
After all, we must remember that this is the game industry, and trailers are trailers. You cannot trust them 100%. When the PS4, Xbox One, and PC versions were announced together, highways appeared to have miles of traffic. This is not seen in exactly the same form in the console version. Every company can present itself as "kind," but when it is time to "sell the bread," few show the complete reality. The trailers for the new-generation versions appear to have a "dash" of enhancement.
Setting aside that harsh reality about trailers, 4K resolution truly brings meaningful differences because textures and outlines can be far more detailed, and it looks beautiful in person at 60 frames per second, as many are already saying. The differences in the PC version go further, with an exclusive video editor and, of course, the ability to install game modifications made by people around the world.
First Impressions
Confirming the benefits of 4K, those who tested it say that the PC edition raises the graphical and technical quality and feels like a "definitive" edition, with improvements that are immediately noticeable. Even so, the visual differences between GTA V on PC and GTA V on current-generation consoles are notably less striking than the differences between the current-generation version of GTA V and the original PS3 and Xbox 360 releases.
Visual improvements include greater sharpness throughout the game, both near and far; the ability to reach a frame rate above 30; twice the rendering distance of the PS4 and Xbox One versions; and the same "lighting interplay" across locations, but at higher quality and resolution on PC thanks to the various combined effects that compose it. Remember that the lighting itself has not changed since the original version, according to the game's directors.
Rockstar guarantees that the game can run at 1080p on an average computer and that it is optimized to look good and perform well even on older machines. The company also prepared a wide variety of options allowing players to customize performance or visual fidelity at any time. One option, for example, lets us determine how busy and crowded the game's streets and sidewalks will be, which explains the traffic shown in the trailers. A list of 25 parameters can be edited quickly to make the game lighter or more attractive. The Rockstar North team adds: "we are not here selling computers—we want everyone to be able to enjoy the games we make."
"Implementing this takes a very, very long time. We prepared for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC versions, so we could rebuild the map in high fidelity for each of those platforms," the team explains. Every scene in the game is handled at different scales, where certain aspects of the game change and adjust graphical quality depending on the situation. This was already present in the original version, but on PC, 4K resolution shows every pore in the characters' textures. Rockstar therefore had to take two steps back and readjust every parameter to make them more flexible in this version, ensuring better performance.
The game supports two or three screens and also has an option for 3D monitors. The team said it was aware that multiple monitors and 3D are things that more demanding PC players greatly enjoy, so it implemented all of this and found the result highly satisfying.
Although everyone had obviously been eager to play GTA V on PC for quite some time, the entire delay was essential so Rockstar could "focus with the necessary attention on the specific advantages of a computer version."
According to IGN, the controls appear to work exceptionally well. Mouse and keyboard controls are excellent for first-person shooters, but GTA V is not an FPS. Even so, the controls work very well here, creating a fusion of Grand Theft Auto's immense, unrestricted scope with the intimate chaos of games such as Far Cry.
Rockstar Editor, "Mods," and Free Online Multiplayer
Anyone who plays GTA V online on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One/360 needs a PlayStation Plus or Live Gold subscription. On consoles, only the PS3 version is free. On PC, you will play the complete GTA Online mode, updated with all the content already released for consoles, including the excellent online Heists, without needing to pay anything extra.
Exclusive to computers, Grand Theft Auto V's "Rockstar Editor" video editor will let any player capture, edit, and share their own films and stories. Players will be able to produce incredible videos with the editor through the brand-new Director Mode, with an immense amount of content that allows them to create scenes by controlling characters and animals, adjusting the weather and time of day, and adding action triggers such as gestures and lines of dialogue. Players will be able to transport themselves to various regions of the map and activate cheats in this mode. Rockstar confirmed that animals, special pedestrians, and more will be unlocked for use in Director Mode as players advance through the solo campaign.
Another PC exclusive is support for modifications. These so-called "mods" are responsible for extending the life of games such as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim or GTA IV, for example, where the community has already done incredible things, from including "skins" of pop-culture characters such as Iron Man or Goku to replacing vehicles with dragons... Or simply making the game increasingly realistic as new technologies emerge.
Imagine what "modders" will have done in Los Santos two years from now.
Minimum Requirements
Running the game at 1080p and 60 frames per second requires a 2 GB GeForce GTX 660 or a 2 GB Radeon HD 7870 graphics card. Those who want to see it at 4K and 30 fps need an HD 7870 or a GeForce GTX 760, both with 2 GB, while the 4K and 60 fps configuration will require "a high-end SLI or CrossFire setup."
"One of the lessons we have learned over the years from Grand Theft Auto IV and Max Payne 3 is that people want the freedom to configure a system that suits their preferences. Our focus with Grand Theft Auto V was ensuring that the greatest possible number of people could run the game comfortably," explains Kevin Hoare, president of Rockstar Toronto.
The original development team and the PC "port" team worked very closely throughout this period.
- Operating system: Windows 8.1 64-bit, Windows 8 64-bit, Windows 7 64-bit Service Pack 1, Windows Vista 64-bit Service Pack 2 (an NVIDIA graphics card is recommended for use with Vista)
- Processor: 2.40 GHz Core 2 Quad CPU Q6600 or 2.5 GHz Phenom 9850 Quad-Core
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics card: 1 GB GeForce 9800 GT or 1 GB Radeon HD 4870
- Disk space: 65 GB
- Sound: 100% DirectX 10 compatible
Recommended Requirements
- Operating system: Windows 8.1 64-bit, Windows 8 64-bit, Windows 7 64-bit Service Pack 1
- Processor: 3.2 GHz Core i5 3470 or 4 GHz X8 FX-8350
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics card: 2 GB GeForce GTX 660 or 2 GB Radeon HD 7870
- Disk space: 65 GB
- Sound: 100% DirectX 10 compatible
Grand Theft Auto V is already available for Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 3. It arrives on PC starting April 14. It has already been confirmed that every future expansion and DLC will be released simultaneously for the console and PC versions.
