TechRadar returns to GTA 5 before GTA 6, finds Los Santos still surprises after 13 years

TechRadar noted that GTA 5 has been released and remastered across three console generations since 2013. It has won top awards in some countries and been banned in others, and an entire generation of gamers has grown up knowing Los Santos better than their hometown. GTA 6 is scheduled for November 19, 2026, after years of trailers, teasers, and leaks. TechRadar said the lack of a physical disc version at launch will not stop the game from dominating conversation and sales charts on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. The piece is part of TechRadar Gaming's From the Backlog series, which covers overdue first-plays, revisiting classics, returning to online experiences, or rediscovering established favorites.

The writer had spent thousands of hours across versions of GTA 5 and GTA Online, but had never played the PS5-native version before working on the piece. Loading it up, the writer was unsure whether Los Santos could still surprise after so many years. The prologue showed its age, but the first drive around the open world proved otherwise. After speeding through the first few missions as Franklin, the writer stole an Aston Martin-esque sports car and drove north on the Great Ocean Highway, stopping to take in the enhanced visuals and classic San Andreas vistas, and ultimately spent about an hour drifting through streets and countryside trails.

According to TechRadar, the PS5 edition includes several graphics modes. The standout is Performance RT, which combines the ray tracing of Fidelity mode with the 60 frames per second of Performance mode. The writer said character models can only be polished so far after 13 years, and some textures look a little JPEG-ish, but the environmental design, weather effects, and higher frame rate made GTA 5 feel more alive than ever. The game has long had best-in-class driving controls for a casual title, along with passable combat and on-foot input, and doubling the frame rate to a stable 60fps made everything feel more immediate and responsive.

TechRadar also highlighted DualSense controller feedback in the PS5 version. The right trigger bumps as the car changes gear, trigger pulls have weight in a shootout, and the controller rumbles with passing traffic. The writer described it as a small change that pulls players further into the game's criminal underworld.

The writer played until the end of the first heist. TechRadar said the writing had aged tremendously, though the writer was not sure how much came from their own adulthood. In their late twenties, Franklin's frustration with everyday struggle came through as incisive and relatable, while Michael's unstable ennui was easier to imagine with the world's weight a little heavier. The writer still did not relate to Trevor. TechRadar described it as notable for a game that imprinted as a blockbuster action experience in the writer's teens to reveal more grounded undertones years later.

TechRadar said GTA 5 remains a spectacle. It was where Rockstar began presenting its games as directed, cinematic experiences, a formula the company perfected with Red Dead Redemption 2. The writer pointed to early missions such as sneaking into Michael's mansion as Franklin, a boat chase a few missions later, and the jewel store heist as moments pulled from Hollywood. TechRadar also mentioned a near-endless render distance.