It was probably inevitable and to be expected, but a disappointment nonetheless. The next-gen port of Grand Theft Auto and Online, Expanded and Enhanced, has been delayed to March 2022. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S players will need to wait a few more months to enjoy the improved versions of the game and the standalone version of GTA Online.
Announced today, the delay has been chalked up to the port needing more months of 'polish and fine-tuning'. That said, Rockstar is also getting ready to reveal more about the features and improvements that went into these ports in the coming weeks, so hopefully the radio silence that we've experienced so far is coming to an end.
The bad news was accompanied by a fancy new trailer, showing off the visuals of the Expanded and Enhanced version of GTA 5. This trailer apparently uses footage captured on a PlayStation 5, and debuted during today's PS5 Showcase event.
Rockstar Games is clearly maintaining a healthy partnership with Sony, as some cross promos have also been announced. The bonus GTA$ 1,000,000 that PlayStation Plus subscribers could claim every month has been extended all the way to the new release date of the ports, and PlayStation 5 players will be able to claim the standalone version of GTA Online for free during the first three months after release without having to have owned GTA 5 before on any other platform — so basically it will be completely free.
While we do now know that the game will launch sometime in March, Rockstar has not provided an exact date yet — it is likely that they are keeping their options open to avoid having to announce another delay. It also isn't clear if or how the improvements seen in Expanded and Enhanced will be available on PC — the ports are said to contain new content, not just technical tweaks and improved graphics.
Grand Theft Auto 5 launches on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S in March 2022.
