Earlier today, Rockstar has finally pushed an update for Grand Theft Auto V on PC that brings that version to feature parity with the console versions that were first announced in 2020. This new update, which includes graphical improvements, better loading times, and specific support for the Dualsense and other newer controllers, has been a long time coming, and it flies in the face of wisdom about updating older games as technology improves.
Granted, it is somewhat impossible to compare what Rockstar does with GTAV versus what the rest of the industry can do with their games. The title is, as publisher Take-Two likes to so often remind, the most profitable piece of media of all time. But that may be precisely why they are so well-equipped to show why updating older titles, especially as Grand Theft Auto VI looms, can still be a boon for the bottom line.
In this update, which was paid on consoles but is free on PC, Rockstar is including PC-specific features like ray tracing with ambient occlusion and global illumination, support for modern frame generation through Nvidia DLSS 3 and AMD FSR3, higher resolutions, and newer audio technology. The question is: why? Why support a ten-year-old game on the eve of its sequel with a modern coat of paint?
The answer is that the timing likely isn’t coincidence, just in the reverse direction. Because GTAVI will be coming out this year (probably), it is exactly the time to remind fans of the series that they will not be left behind as technology improves. While it’s almost irresponsible to speculate now when Grand Theft Auto VII might be coming, considering the twelve-year gap between V and VI, it’s safe to assume that players will be sticking to Grand Theft Auto VI — and it’s constantly-updated, mega-popular Grand Theft Auto Online — for maybe a decade or more.
Sending a message to early buyers that they do not need to worry about the new release keeping up with hardware because Rockstar will update the game for newer GPUs and feature sets is a selling point.
In that sense, it is a precedent that more developers should set and meet. While some game are one-and-done, meant to be played once without the need for frequent or even occasional technical updates, GTAV’s hybrid nature as both a single-player campaign and online force of nature does demand a particular sort of constant attention. Committing to ensuring that the game will always look good, even among contemporaries, give the audience the confidence to buy and stick with it.
It will not always make sense. Among Us, for example, will not need graphical updates in ten years. But Rockstar can afford to take the first step to see how consumers react and whether this will long-term benefit them.
