Grand Theft Auto Online is the multiplayer portion of GTA 5 that was released just after the game dropped in 2013. It rapidly became an incredibly popular platform, and by today, it’s Rockstar Games’ biggest cash cow. In this guide, we’re taking a look at that multiplayer mode and answering one burning question: is Grand Theft Auto cross-platform?
Is GTA Online Crossplay?
GTA Online (the abbreviated term for Grand Theft Auto Online) is available on all Xbox, PlayStation, and PC platforms, and it boasts millions of players, despite having launched almost ten years ago. It’s the current thing for the Grand Theft Auto community, and it’s what is working to ensure that GTA 5 is still popular a decade after it was released.
It’s what’s called a ‘persistent multiplayer’ mode, which means that when players go offline, their progress, purchases, and any customisation made to their profile remain. It’s totally open-ended, offering players the ability to purchase property, lead heists, take part in countless multiplayer minigames, and generally do anything that they could do in GTA 5’s single-player mode, plus so much more.
That’s all well and good – it’s a great game, for sure and Rockstar is constantly updating it – but is Grand Theft Auto cross-platform?
Unfortunately, no – despite being one of the most popular multiplayer platforms in the history of gaming, GTA Online has never boasted any kind of cross-platform or crossplay elements. There isn’t even cross-progression, which means that saves and characters cannot be ported across different versions of the game – from PC to PlayStation 5, for example.
So, that ultimately means that if your friend is playing GTA 5 on Xbox Series X and you’re playing it on PC, you cannot communicate or connect with one another.
Will GTA 6 Be Crossplay?
It’s assumed that GTA 6 – which suffered from massive leaks in 2022 – will boast a fresh, up-to-date rendition of GTA Online. There’s no confirmation of this at present, but it’s almost expected by the community, especially considering GTA 6 will boast an all-new map, engine, and mechanics.
As there’s no legitimate confirmation that GTA 6 will feature a multiplayer platform, there’s no way to say for sure if GTA 6 will be crossplay. However, it’s a safe assumption to say that it won’t be a cross-platform title, owing to difficulties presented between platforms – namely between PC and console versions of the game.
Of course, it could boast limited cross-platform capabilities, such as linking between just Xbox and PlayStation, but PC is an entirely different kettle of fish. It’s on PC that the GTA RP community (and the modding community) continues to propel the game forward and keep it ranking high on social and streaming charts around the world.
So, is Grand Theft Auto cross-platform? It isn’t now, but it could be in the future.
Grand Theft Auto Online is available on all platforms that GTA 5 currently exists on.
Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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