It might not feel like it, thanks to Sony and Microsoft leaving everything to the last minute, but both companies’ next-gen hardware, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X respectively, are little more than a few weeks away from ushering in a brand new generation of gaming. Both devices, assuming you can even get one – pre-orders are selling out faster than toilet paper in a pandemic – will set you back in the region of $499, meaning the choice largely comes down to the games intended to be available on each platform at launch. And so far, it’s the former which appears to be winning on that front, with the likes of Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Bluepoint’s Demon’s Souls Remake just two of several that are confirmed to be arriving on November 12th. But it’s not just new software worth keeping an eye on.
As confirmed back in July, Rockstar’s seminal sandbox masterpiece, Grand Theft Auto V, is headed to both upcoming consoles sometime in the New Year, though thanks to a deal struck by Sony, it’s subscribers to the PlayStation ecosystem that’ll be receiving several in-game bonuses not available elsewhere, including monthly endowments of $GTA to be spent as players see fit.
What’s so far remained unclear, however, is whether Rockstar and publisher Take-Two intend to follow suit with others in the industry by offering free upgrades to new and improved versions of GTA V. According to ComicBook.com, though, they might just do so, as “French retailer Micromania included the game in a list of titles that have free PS4 to PS5 upgrades.”
Of course, we know that those who already own CD Projekt RED’s The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt or Square Enix’s Marvel’s Avengers will be able to download next-gen versions when they release without spending a penny. The pro-consumer move hasn’t been universally adopted, however, so it’s too soon to confirm a similar deal in this instance, though given its age and status as the most successful entertainment product of all time, we’d be surprised (and somewhat impressed) if Take-Two had the gall to charge full price for a title nearing eight-years-old.
Tell us, though, would you be willing to pay yet again for a potential third version of Grand Theft Auto V, or is twice already enough? Let us know in the usual place below!