What it is
Grand Theft Auto V is Rockstar North’s open-world crime story about three very different men trying to make money, survive their enemies and pull off increasingly ambitious jobs in Los Santos. Its mix of shooting, driving, flying, exploration and dark satire still holds up because the world is busy rather than merely large. The package now includes GTA Online, a long-running multiplayer world with its own progression and updates. There is one important legacy-platform caveat: the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions still contain Story Mode, but their GTA Online servers closed on 16 December 2021.
- UK release
- 17 September 2013, Tuesday — PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360
- Platforms
- PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
- Developer
- Rockstar North
- Publisher
- Rockstar Games
- UK price
- £39.99 PS4/PS5 and Xbox One/Series bundles; £49.99 Great White Shark Card bundle; £19.99 Xbox Series X|S Story Mode add-on
- PEGI
- 18
- Genre
- Action-adventure, open-world, shooter, racing
- Game Pass/PS Plus
- Included with Game Pass on Xbox and PC; included in the PS Plus Extra Game Catalogue on PS4/PS5
- Online mode
- Yes — GTA Online supports up to 30 players on current versions; PS3 and Xbox 360 servers closed on 16 December 2021
Story and setting
Set in a fictionalised Los Angeles and surrounding countryside, GTA V moves between Los Santos, Blaine County, the desert, mountains and coast. Michael De Santa is a retired bank robber living an unhappy life of luxury; Franklin Clinton is a young street hustler looking for a way up; Trevor Philips is a volatile criminal whose return forces old debts back into the open. You switch between them during the campaign, sometimes in the middle of a mission, which lets Rockstar stage robberies and escapes from several viewpoints.
The writing is broad, nasty satire aimed at celebrity culture, television, advertising, wealth and American politics. It is also a deliberately adult game, with violence, strong language, sexual content, drugs and gambling reflected in its PEGI 18 rating. Some of its treatment of women has aged badly, a criticism raised in contemporary reviews, but the central trio and the campaign’s set-piece heists remain its strongest work.
How it plays
At heart, this is a third-person shooter and driving game wrapped around a free-roaming sandbox. Missions mix gunfights, stealth, vehicle chases, flying, swimming and scripted set pieces, while the open world offers golf, tennis, darts, races, parachuting, hunting, property management and plenty of unscripted trouble. Modern versions also let you play in first person, and the vehicle handling remains one of the series’ most satisfying parts.
GTA Online uses the same map and core systems but gives you a created character, businesses, properties, vehicles, competitive modes and co-operative Heists. Current console and PC versions support sessions of up to 30 players, with smaller crews for co-op activities. It can be played solo, but it is built around a persistent economy and regular online events, so expect optional in-game purchases.
What has changed since launch
Rockstar has expanded GTA Online far beyond its 2013 launch. Heists, biker and gunrunning businesses, After Hours, The Diamond Casino & Resort, The Cayo Perico Heist, Los Santos Tuners, The Contract, San Andreas Mercenaries, Agents of Sabotage, Oscar Guzman Flies Again and Money Fronts are among the major additions. The latest substantial update as of 1 October 2026 is The Kortz Center Heist, released on 14 July 2026, adding an art-focused heist, new vehicles and changes to the Mission Creator. Community-made missions are now a major part of the service.
Story Mode has not received a new campaign; post-launch narrative content has overwhelmingly gone into GTA Online. The current PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions add faster loading, improved textures, HDR, ray tracing and selectable graphics modes targeting up to 4K and 60fps. PC Enhanced, released free to existing PC owners on 4 March 2025, brings many of those improvements to Windows, alongside PC-specific options.
Platforms, performance and UK price
The first UK release was Tuesday, 17 September 2013 on PS3 and Xbox 360. Later versions arrived on PS4 and Xbox One, PC, then PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The complete platform history is therefore PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox 360, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. For the best technical presentation, choose PS5, Series X|S or PC Enhanced; the older consoles are fine for Story Mode but are no longer the route into GTA Online.
On UK digital storefronts, the PS4/PS5 bundle and Xbox One/Series X|S bundle carry a £39.99 list price. A Great White Shark Card bundle is £49.99, while Xbox lists the Series X|S Story Mode add-on at £19.99 when GTA Online is separate. GTA V is currently included with Game Pass on Xbox and PC, and the PS4/PS5 version is in the PS Plus Extra Game Catalogue. Prices, catalogue membership and retailer stock can change.
Reception and who it suits
Critics were broadly emphatic. The original PS3 and Xbox 360 versions hold a 97/100 Metacritic score; GameSpot awarded 9/10 and Game Informer 9.75/10. Praise centred on the scale and detail of Los Santos, the three-character structure, vehicle handling and inventive heists. The main reservations were the uneven satire, misogynistic material and occasional narrative inconsistency.
It remains an easy recommendation if you want a huge single-player crime sandbox or a mature online game with years of accumulated content. Buy the current-generation or Enhanced PC version if the price is close to the older edition. Treat GTA Online as a separate hobby rather than a short add-on: it is deep, busy and still supported, but its economy and live events are designed to keep you coming back.
Not yet confirmed
- Rockstar has not announced a Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2 version of Grand Theft Auto V.
- Rockstar has not announced another single-player expansion for Grand Theft Auto V; any future additions beyond the released GTA Online content remain unconfirmed.
Grand Theft Auto V: your questions
What is the UK release date for Grand Theft Auto V?
Grand Theft Auto V first launched in the UK on Tuesday, 17 September 2013 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It later arrived on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, PC, and then PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Does Grand Theft Auto V have an online mode?
Yes. GTA Online supports solo play, competitive multiplayer and co-operative activities including Heists, with current versions supporting up to 30 players in a session. PS Plus or a qualifying Xbox Game Pass subscription is required for console online play.
Can you play GTA V offline?
Yes. Story Mode is a single-player campaign and can be played offline on supported console versions, although PC activation and Rockstar account requirements apply. The PS3 and Xbox 360 versions no longer support GTA Online, but their Story Mode remains available.
Is GTA V on Game Pass in the UK?
Yes. The current Xbox listing includes Grand Theft Auto V with Game Pass on Xbox consoles and PC, with cloud play available through Game Pass Ultimate. Availability can change if Microsoft alters the catalogue.
Is GTA V included with PS Plus?
Yes. The PS4/PS5 version is listed in the PS Plus Extra Game Catalogue in the UK. A subscription is required to access it through the catalogue, and PS Plus is also required for online play.
