What Does GTA V PS5 Mean For GTA 6?
The decision to take GTA V to next-gen consoles could come as a worry to some fans...
Sony decided to start their PS5 event this week on somewhat of an odd note. Opening up with Rockstar and GTA, the two companies revealed that GTA Online would be heading to PlayStation 5 for free, and that anyone playing GTA Online on PS4 will receive $1 million in in-game currency per month until its next-gen launch in 2020.
Given that GTA Online shows no signs of stopping, earning an estimated gazillion bucks a year from Shark Cards, this probably shouldn't have been too much of a surprise. Rockstar aren't going to abandon the most successful game they've ever made - not yet at least - and moving the game onto next-gen consoles ensures their monetisable base will carry over for at least another couple of years, much to the chagrin of those who've been begging the studio to pay some much needed attention to Red Dead Online.
Rockstar's decision to update GTA Online for the next-gen is likely to raise other questions too. Fans have been spending the last couple of years pouring over every leak and rumour they can find surrounding GTA 6, and while most signs pointed towards the game releasing within the next couple of years, the fact Rockstar are continuing support for Online on the next-gen intimates the studio could be taking a different course of action.
Let's put it this way. If GTA 6 WAS imminent - in the sense it would be releasing within the next two years - it wouldn't make sense for Rockstar to put extra effort into porting GTA V across to the next-gen as well. GTA 6 is likely to have its own online mode, built from the ground up using next-gen technology, and the fact GTA V is being ported over shows that Rockstar are willing to support the game for the foreseeable future.
Fans had been incredulous when Jason Schreier reported back in April that Rockstar's next project was only in the early stages of development, but the studio's movements this week lend further weight to that idea. Only time will tell of course, but for now, it would be wise to temper expectations, and be patient. It's likely that GTA 6 won't be arriving for a long time.
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What do you think GTA Online coming to PS5 means for GTA 6? Let us know in the comments below!