GTA V Enhanced: A Visual Journey Over a Decade

The highly anticipated PC release of Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced, Rockstar's next-generation version of the iconic open-world game, is now available. This updated edition offers significant graphical enhancements and introduces new features, including full DualSense controller support, providing an enriched experience for PC gamers.

Among the standout improvements are ray-traced reflections, updated vehicle designs, and numerous smaller tweaks that enhance the game's visual quality. The popular YouTube channel GameV recently released a side-by-side comparison video, illustrating the graphical evolution from the original release over the last 12 years. The enhancements are particularly noticeable during rainy nights or in darker settings, where advanced global illumination and ray-traced reflections make a significant impact. However, the differences are less striking under sunny conditions, where the distinction between the original game and its enhanced version becomes subtler.

Despite a strong launch, with over 187,000 concurrent players on Steam—exceeding the recent peak of 184,000 for the standard edition—the reception has been mixed. Currently, the game holds a 56% positive review rating on Steam. Many players have questioned the necessity of this update, citing the relatively minor visual improvements. Further criticisms include problems with DualSense functionality and glitches associated with transferring characters from the original GTA Online. While some players have successfully transferred their characters, others are still encountering persistent bugs.