Since its inception, GTA 5 has been a for open-world gaming that delivers an immersive experience that’s still being updated. The most recent has been the Enhanced Version. And it has taken huge steps away from the Standard (Legacy) Version and has turned the entire course of the game into such an eye candy. Here are five differences that best explain why Enhanced Edition is the be-all and end-all way to play GTA 5 compared to Standard.

Enhancements in Visuals

Enhanced Edition has a better visual experience in dynamic lighting and detailed textures that give life to the streets of Los Santos. It delivers enhanced ray-traced ambient occlusion, global illumination, and ray-traced shadows and reflections to bring the most realistic environments. Meanwhile, the Standard Version gives no sign of these advanced visual effects, as it uses an older graphics engine. 

Improvements in Performance and Load Times

It gives faster load times, significantly cutting down time waiting for mission or area loading. Along with this, it utilizes technologies like AMD FSR and NVIDIA DLSS, boosting performance by smooth gaming at higher resolutions. Conversely, the Standard Version has slower load times and does not include any of those performance improvement features that modern gaming setups require.

Customization and New Vehicles

Variety is introduced into the vehicle roster. Each of these new vehicles offers a design different from anything else, along with ability systems that affect gameplay.

  • Imponte Arbiter GT
  • Karin S95
  • Coil Cyclone II
  • Pegassi Weaponized Ignus
  • Pfister Astron Custom

Besides that, the Enhanced Version helps the player unlock performance upgrades from Hao’s Special Works in which players can enhance certain vehicles with unique parts and abilities. Now, there’s another level of vehicle customization where players can create rides for different driving styles or for particular missions. The Standard Version, on the other hand, doesn’t have these customizations, leaving players with only the base game experience.

Game Size and Storage Requirements

While having much more content and features than the Standard Version, GTA 5 Enhanced takes up less disk space. On a PC, the Enhanced Version usually requires about 92 GB. This means that Legacy (Standard) Version takes up way more disk space as it occupies 114 GB. For those who want both versions installed at once, they would end up taking lots of storage (around 200 GB). Alternatively, they might uninstall the Legacy Version to save space.

Multiplayer Compatibility

The biggest difference between the two versions is that if you have an Enhanced Edition, you cannot play with anyone who is on the Standard Edition. There is different matchmaking for Enhanced and Standard. So, you have to purchase the Enhanced Version in order to play with someone who had to buy that version.

For Enhanced Edition, players can utilize new multiplayer modes, better performance, and access exclusive content through GTA+. Players who haven’t purchased the Enhanced Version would really miss out on a little duller game by comparison. They can still access GTA Online, but can’t enjoy the benefits of excellent features that the Enhanced Version offers.

Conclusion

The Enhanced Version of GTA 5 quite evidently points out the seriousness with which Rockstar Games continues to develop. What’s more, with its exclusive content and enhancements, it actually delivers a sense of experiencing gaming like no other. The Enhanced Version is, clearly, the best way to play. Though the Standard Version can be used even on older machines for the less hard-core gamer, this Enhanced Version is a must for anyone wanting the greatest possible experience in GTA 5.