GTA 5 is a game that has seemed to span countless generations. Following its release in 2013, it’s been available on two entire eras of consoles. In 2022, that’ll increase to three, with a release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Next-gen consoles are incredibly hard to come by, and multiplayer is such a key component of the GTA formula. As such, players have one big question: Is GTA 5 cross-platform?
Does GTA 5 Have Crossplay?
GTA 5 does not have cross-play, technically speaking, because it technically doesn’t support multiplayer. As the single-player campaign experience it’s billed and packaged as, Grand Theft Auto 5 does not have crossplay. You can’t play the story of Michael, Franklin, and Trevor with friends, either online or via split-screen.
That might come as a surprise, considering the single-player story is so geared around having three separate playable characters. It was GTA 5‘s biggest selling point upon its 2013 release: the ability to seamlessly switch characters during gameplay. It’s the sort of concept that you’d expect crossplay to perfectly complement, but sadly, it never emerged.
With that said, GTA 5 comes bundled with GTA Online, the game’s standalone multiplayer counterpart. Since it’s designed to be played with friends, you might imagine the online mode at least supports cross-play, right?
Does GTA Online Have Cross-Platform Multiplayer?
Shockingly, GTA Online does not support cross-platform multiplayer. That means you can’t join up with friends on other platforms to partake in races, heists, or missions. As a dedicated multiplayer standalone separate from GTA 5, you’d expect GTA Online to support crossplay, but it just doesn’t.
This is equally surprising when considering that a lot of GTA Online‘s rivals do support crossplay. Similarly popular titles like Fortnite and Call of Duty: Warzone let you play with friends on other consoles. Despite this, GTA Online has never supported cross-platform play. It’s a shame, since the thrill of exploring Los Santos with friends cannot be shared across platforms.
Since next-gen ports of GTA Online are releasing as a standalone in March 2022, means next-gen players won’t be able to unite with previous-gen owners, either. Of course, Rockstar could surprise us with a GTA Online crossplay announcement, but nothing is official yet. For now, and until anything changes, neither GTA 5 nor GTA Online support crossplay.
