Can PS4 and PS5 gamers play GTA Online together in 2024?

Grand Theft Auto (GTA) Online Expanded and Enhanced was released on Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 (PS5) in 2022. With this, the popular action-adventure multiplayer game became available on three generations of consoles. Many players belonging to the same social group often use different gaming platforms, like PS4 and PS5. Thus, multiplayer games that offer cross-play have become highly popular within the gaming community nowadays.

Since the cross-play feature wasn't initially available in the game, fans wondered if this new version would change things for the better. While it is technically possible for PS4 and PS5 players to play GTA Online together, it's not as simple as it seems.

PS5 players can play GTA Online's older version with PS4 players

Rockstar Games offered GTA Online owners on PlayStation 4 an optional and free upgrade to the game's PlayStation 5 version. Their current in-game characters and progression transferred to the new system without any qualms upon upgrading.

Since this upgrade was optional and available for a limited time, PS5 owners can still continue to play GTA Online's PS4 version on their new console via backward compatibility. This will allow them to connect with players playing on older-gen consoles in the multiplayer lobbies as usual.

This isn't an intentional cross-play feature made available to PlayStation users. Instead, it is just a technical workaround due to the PS5's backward compatibility with several PS4 games.

However, if the game is upgraded to the enhanced version, players can only play with other current-gen players. The upgrade is irreversible. Once that's done, players cannot revert to the older-gen version of the game no matter what. It is also worth noting that players who want to play on their PS4 console after upgrading will be forced to start from scratch with a new account.

The same is the case with Microsoft Xbox owners. Those who wish to play with their friends using the Xbox One must download and use GTA Online's old-gen version. Once upgraded, establishing a connection between cross-gen players will be impossible.

Grand Theft Auto 5's newer Xbox Series X/S and PS5 versions offer many unique and exclusive features. Some of these are:

• Upscaled graphics
• Animation upgrades
• Ray Traced reflections
• Switchable Graphics mode
• HSW Car upgrades
• Exclusive vehicles
• Faster loading times
• HDR support
• Criminal Career Builder

These exclusive features were added to lure players into updating the game to the Expanded and Enhanced version. However, even with these lucrative bonuses, a large chunk of the console gaming community is still playing on older consoles.

Those who have bought a PS5 will be reluctant to upgrade since it prevents them from playing with their friends on older-gen consoles. Another big reason for this has been the long-term global stock shortage of current-gen consoles.

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