GTA 6 vs GTA 5: What Rockstar Has Shown So Far

What are the biggest differences between GTA 6 and GTA 5?Unconfirmed

Below is everything we can compare on the record today. The GTA 6 column uses Rockstar's own pages, the store listings and what Rockstar told the press; the GTA 5 column uses the released game. Where a GTA 6 detail comes only from a preview, the Status column says so.

The prices come from the US PlayStation Store. In the UK the same listing shows £69.99 and £89.99. Our GTA 6 editions guide has the full list of what each edition includes.

Is the GTA 6 map bigger than GTA 5?

Yes, by Rockstar's own account, but nobody outside the studio has an exact figure. Rockstar told The New York Times that Vice City, its version of Miami, "is twice the size of Los Santos," and that the overall map is three times as large as the playable area of Red Dead Redemption 2.

That compares one city with another city. It does not say how GTA 6's whole state compares with all of San Andreas, Blaine County and the ocean included, and Rockstar has not published an area in square miles or kilometers. Square-mile numbers you see on other sites are fan estimates, and many of them were built from leaked material that we do not use. Treat them as unconfirmed until the game is out and someone can measure the real map.

For what Rockstar has actually shown of Leonida, region by region, see our map of every confirmed GTA 6 location.

How are two protagonists different from GTA 5's three?

GTA 5 split its story between three men who mostly lived separate lives: Michael, a retired bank robber, Franklin, a young street hustler, and Trevor, a drug dealer and gunrunner. GTA 6 is built around one couple. Rockstar's setup puts Jason and Lucia together from the start, after "an easy score goes wrong," and says they have to rely on each other to get out.

Both are playable, and you can switch between them, but Rockstar North's Rob Nelson told Famitsu that the story limits when. "There are some missions where you are free to switch as much as you want, but there are some sections where we want you to experience it from a certain character's perspective, like GTA 5, so we limit switching," he said, in PC Gamer's report of the GamesRadar+ translation.

Our GTA 6 characters guide covers both leads and the rest of the officially named cast.

Does GTA 6 have more wanted stars than GTA 5?

Yes. GTA 5 tops out at five stars. GTA 6 has six slots on the wanted meter, and Rockstar's Extended Look showed Jason and Lucia with "four stars out of six," as Shacknews put it. What the fifth and sixth stars bring has not been shown.

The bigger change is how the police find you. Nelson told IGN that someone has to witness a crime, or an alarm has to go off, before it is reported, and that the police track what you look like, what you wear, what you drive and whether Jason and Lucia are together. Our guide to the GTA 6 wanted system has the full breakdown.

Is the weather in GTA 6 different from GTA 5?

Yes. Rockstar's Owen Shepherd said the studio "re-engineered" its weather system for GTA 6 "to make everything much more localized and persistent." Rain can fall on one district while another stays sunny, and puddles stay after a storm moves on. Game Informer also confirmed tropical storms and seasonal hurricanes in Leonida.

How often hurricanes hit, and whether they change missions, is not announced. Game Informer said so directly: "we don't know how often these larger, more violent storms occur." Details are in our GTA 6 hurricanes and weather guide.

Can you play GTA 6 on the same consoles as GTA 5?

Only on the newest ones. GTA 5 came out on PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2013 and was later released on PS4, Xbox One, PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. GTA 6 launches only on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, and the PlayStation Store lists it as PS5 Pro Enhanced. There is no PS4, Xbox One or PC version announced as of October 20, 2026. A PC version would change this answer, but Rockstar has not mentioned one.

What can't we compare yet?

A few common GTA 6 vs GTA 5 questions have no official answer before launch:

We will update this comparison from the released game after November 19, 2026.

Explore next

• GTA 6 Characters: Every Officially Named Character So Farrelated to[2]
• GTA 6 Map: Every Confirmed Location in Leonidarelated to[5]
• GTA 6 Wanted System: Six Stars, Police Descriptions and the Criminal Profilerelated to[9]
• GTA 6 Weather System: Hurricanes, Storms and Wind Explainedrelated to[7]

More guides

• GTA 6 vs Red Dead Redemption 2: What We Know So FarGTA 6 is a modern crime story set in Vice City and the state of Leonida; Red Dead Redemption 2 is a western set in 1899. Rockstar says GTA 6's whole map is three times the playable area of RDR2, and Rockstar North's Rob Nelson calls GTA 6 an evolution of what the studio did with Red Dead 2.
• GTA 6: Everything Confirmed Before You PlayThe confirmed basics before GTA VI launches: release date, platforms, Jason and Lucia, the state of Leonida and its six regions, the named cast, the trailers so far, and what Rockstar has not said yet.
• How Big Is the GTA 6 Map? Official Statements and EstimatesRockstar has not published GTA 6’s map area or a scaled map. In a firsthand New York Times report, Rockstar said the whole map is three times RDR2’s playable area and Vice City is twice Los Santos. A separate roughly two-to-one comparison with GTA 5’s entire map comes through summaries of a paywalled Game Informer interview. Exact square-mile and kilometre figures remain unverified.
• How Long Is GTA 6? The 80-Hour Playthrough ExplainedThe only length figure from Rockstar is one developer's run. Rob Nelson of Rockstar North told The New York Times his playthrough took about 80 hours, covering the main story and some optional goals. Rockstar has not published an official main-story or 100% time.
• How to Pre-Order GTA 6: Bonuses, Pre-Load and DeadlinesPre-order GTA 6 for PS5 or Xbox Series X|S on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, Rockstar Store or at participating retailers. PlayStation and Xbox give the Vintage Vice City Pack and a month of GTA+ for purchases prior to November 19, 2026 at 23:59:59. The Rockstar Store says order before November 20. The game is out November 19.
• Is the GTA 6 Ultimate Edition Worth It?It depends on how much of Leonida's extras you want, and you do not have to decide at pre-order. Ultimate costs $20 more in the US (£20 UK, CA$30, A$30) and adds 16 items that unlock chapter by chapter. On Xbox the later upgrade costs exactly the same gap, so waiting costs nothing there.