Rockstar's latest update to Grand Theft Auto 5, dubbed GTA 5 Enhanced, launched on March 4, but it's not receiving the warm welcome the developers might have hoped for on Steam. The game currently sits with a 'mixed' user review rating, with only 54% of the 19,772 reviews being positive. This is a stark contrast to the original GTA 5 on Steam, which, although now unlisted, enjoys a 'very positive' rating.

In fact, GTA 5 Enhanced is the lowest-rated GTA title on Steam, falling below even Grand Theft Auto III – The Definitive Edition, which has a 66% positive review score. GTA 5 Enhanced offers a free upgrade for PC players, bringing features exclusive to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S versions of GTA Online, such as new vehicles, performance upgrades at Hao’s Special Works, animal encounters, and the ability to purchase a GTA+ Membership. Additionally, it includes enhanced graphics and faster loading times. All current GTA 5 PC owners can upgrade for free and transfer their Story Mode and Online progress.

Every Celebrity in GTA 5 and GTA Online

15 ImagesHowever, the account migration process, crucial for players to transfer their progress, has been fraught with issues. Many negative reviews pinpoint these migration problems as a significant source of frustration. One player expressed their dismay, stating, "‘The GTA Online profile associated with this Rockstar Games account is not eligible for migration at this time,’" and vented their frustration over the potential loss of nearly 700 hours of gameplay.

Another review highlighted the downgrade from the original version, stating, "This is an objective downgrade from the ‘old’ version. Gonna pretend this was never released and continue to enjoy Legacy version until the new game comes out when I'm 60."

A third player criticized Rockstar's support, saying, "I'm leaving a negative review mainly due to Rockstar deciding that some accounts should arbitrarily not be able to migrate, and if you ask for help from support, they just say they can't do anything about it."

The frustration is palpable in yet another review: "I can't migrate either of my two accounts. R* support is completely useless and can't help. With the game being over 10 years old, I am sure as hell not going to completely restart all my progress in Online just to get marginally better graphics (if that) and HSW and whatever other minuscule features they added."

Despite these challenges, GTA 5 Enhanced continues to be highly popular on Steam, with a peak concurrent player count of 187,059 since its launch. However, the issues surrounding the Enhanced version have raised concerns among PC gamers about the future release of Grand Theft Auto 6 on their platform, especially given GTA 6's planned launch in the fall of 2025 exclusively on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S. A former Rockstar developer has called on PC gamers to give the studio the "benefit of the doubt" regarding its launch plans.

In related news, Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick has addressed concerns about the fate of GTA Online once GTA 6 is released. Additionally, Take-Two has taken legal action against PlayerAuctions, alleging the marketplace contains unauthorized GTA 5 content. Meanwhile, Rockstar has acquired Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition developer Video Games Deluxe, renaming it Rockstar Australia.