Next-Gen GTA 5 Is A Big Upgrade For Console Players, But Not A Mind-Blowing One
If you've played Grand Theft Auto 5 on PC, this newly launched 'next-gen' version will not blow you away. On PS5 it's roughly equivalent to the Windows version of Rockstar's crime epic running at high settings. But if you've spent all your time in Los Santos on PS4, or even PS3, it'll be a significant improvement. That's the most important thing to know going into this version. It's the same game deep down, but a vastly better console experience.
First off, the anti-aliasing has been massively improved. The PS4 version of GTA 5 (and even the PC version at times) suffers from a bad case of the jaggies. It's not as distractingly shimmery as some games with poor or limited anti-aliasing, but very noticeable in certain places—particularly the fine details of cars. This new version of GTA 5 does a great job of eliminating the worst offending ragged edges in fidelity mode, which makes the image feel more solid overall.
Related: Blade Runner Is A Masterclass In Turning A Movie Into A Video Game
Explosions, smoke, and fire have been given an overhaul too. Explosions are more dramatic, fire looks fierier, and thick, black smoke belches from wrecked cars. There's also a nice shockwave ripple effect when a vehicle explodes, which sells the intensity of the blast. In a game where you spend a lot of time blowing stuff up, especially in the final act, this is a nice addition. Hardly a game changer, but it adds a little extra something to action scenes.
Explosions and fire now also cast realistic real-time shadows. Fidelity mode makes use of ray-traced shadows, which when you look at comparison videos/screenshots doesn't make that much of a difference. Shadows are softer and behave a little more realistically, but it's not a
Read more on thegamer.com
