GTA V still isn’t cross-platform, and here is why

GTA V is still a massively popular title with over one million average daily players, but the lack of cross-platform play can make it difficult to tell in online multiplayer.

GTA V was released in 2013 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. GTA Online came out in the same year for the same platforms. In 2014, Rockstar Games announced an enhanced version of the game for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. In March of 2022, a new version was released for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series.

In total, GTA V had three releases to accommodate the newest consoles hitting the market. Back in 2013, cross-play wasn’t really possible with the technology available at the time. Upon the release of the PS4, Sony even struggled to make the newest console compatible with its predecessor. Adding cross-platform play to GTA V is still not possible, which could be due to how many different consoles players can use to join the game.

Online cross-play is still a relatively new system that, even in 2022, some developers struggle to implement. FIFA 23 is the first installment in the franchise to be cross-platform, and even then, it has many limitations. Considering how difficult it is, it is not surprising that GTA V opted out of cross-platform play and even cross-generation play.

Is GTA 6 coming any time soon?

If there is a possibility of cross-platform play, it could come with GTA 6. The game has already been announced and is expected to be released at some point in 2024. It is unclear if the game will be available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One or exclusively for the new consoles. Recently-leaked footage suggests that GTA 6 will be one of those games that require a strong console to perform correctly. If the highly-anticipated title is only available on PC, PlayStation 5, and the Xbox Series, it is much more likely to have cross-platform play.

What GTA games are available on Nintendo Switch?

GTA released GTA: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, available for $59.99 on the Nintendo eShop. The compilation includes GTA: Vice City, GTA III, and GTA: San Andreas. These are the only games available on Nintendo Switch from the entire series.

The reason why Nintendo Switch doesn’t have any of the other games might have to do with file size. The games for this console, while having high graphics and being open-world, have relatively small files. When you purchase GTA V for PC, you need around 95GB of space available. That is at least three times the default internal storage of a Nintendo Switch, 32GB. 

GTA Online requires similar space, so having it on a small console like Nintendo Switch isn’t really an option. There is hope for fans, perhaps GTA 6 will be released for the console.