Better known as GTA 5, Grand Theft Auto V is one of the most emblematic video games ever created. It is an open-world action-adventure game, developed by Rockstar Games, and is designed to let you explore an awesome world with great freedom. GTA 5 has received much commendation since its release, especially for game graphics, the depth of gameplay, and the online multiplayer mode. Years after launch, Space Engineers continues to prosper, especially on PC.
The same question will pop up if you’re wondering whether you can play GTA 5 on your PC: Is it too weak to play GTA 5? And what are the GTA 5 system requirements, the GTA 5 PC specs, the GTA 5 download size for PC, and can my PC run GTA 5? We will also give you some handy tips for navigating the world of GTA 5 on PC to get the most out of the experience.
Let’s dive in.
What is GTA 5?
GTA has 5 main installments, and GTA 5 is the 5th one. On consoles, it came out in 2013, and on the PC in 2015. The story is set within the fictional state of San Andreas (set in California), with emphasis on a large urban metropolis, Los Santos, which is represented as fictional and based on Los Angeles.
Unlike earlier games in the series, GTA 5 features three playable protagonists: Michael, Franklin, and Trevor. The four characters each have a backstory, each personality, and each has a different set of skills.
Each of the four characters has his or her backstory, personality, and special skills. There is the ability to switch between them to complete missions or roam freely around the city.
It presents a huge open world. You can play tennis, invest in the stock market, rob stores, engage in shootouts, drive cars, fly planes, and plenty more. But its single-player campaign is engaging and fun, and on top of that, surpassing even the single-player mode is GTA Online, giving players the chance to compete and cooperate in the same world.
GTA 5 for PC: What Distinguishes It?
The enhancements added when GTA 5 was released on the PC did not exist at the launch on consoles. These include:
- Higher resolution graphics and textures
- First-person mode
- Better frame rates
- More customization options
- Mods and fan-made content through modding pages come with the entirety of fan-made content.
That’s why there’s a large number of players that rather prefer to play the game on PC. However, you need to have almost all the standards to enjoy all these features.
What’s the Theme of GTA 5?
GTA 5 is essentially a satire of the current state of American society at its core. The game taps into crime, corruption, greed, and the blurring of the lines between good and evil. But serious moments are constantly mixed with the outrageous; it pokes fun at pop culture, politics, technology, and so on.
Los Santos, the fictional setting of the game – based on Los Angeles – is a living, breathing world of chaos and beauty, of opportunity. GTA 5 provides you with the means to follow the law or break every rule in the book.
Meet the Main Characters
A strength of GTA 5 is the three playable protagonists, each with their own life story and personality.
1. Michael De Santa
Living in luxury, or trying to, was a retired bank robber. He is a person in witness protection, has a dysfunctional family, and is suffering from a midlife crisis. Michael offers an emotional weight to playing the game and is somebody attempting to see out of the criminal life.
2. Franklin Clinton
A young hustler from the streets of South Los Santos. Franklin dreams of having a better life and gets a mentor from Michael. He’s the voice of reason in the group, level-headed, skilled with a wheel, and generally a very sensible sort.
3. Trevor Philips
A violent, unpredictable man with a dark past. Former military pilot and a criminal, Trevor lives perilously on the edge — both mentally and geographically. He makes chaos and comedy in the story, usually in shocking ways.
Along the progression of the story, players can switch between these characters in the missions or during free roam for alternate gameplay that brings more depth to the storytelling.
Key Features of GTA 5
GTA 5 has many features of gameplay features, which make it unique among other games. Here are some highlights:
Massive Open World
Travel mountains, explore cities, deserts, oceans, and suburbs. The map itself is huge and filled to the brim with secret areas, side missions, and random events.
Diverse Vehicles
Drive cars, motorcycles, trucks, boats, helicopters, and planes. If you dare, you can even steal a tank or a jet!
Huge Arsenal of Weapons
No shortage of firepower can be seen, from pistols… to rocket launchers. It allows you to customize your weapons and test them out at shooting ranges or as soon as you go on wild heists.
Story Mode
Go through a gripping campaign with a lot of drama, comedy, betrayal, and high-stakes crime. Put together a crew and plan, and execute complex heists.
GTA Online
Play full-time in the ultimate online game experience with GTA Online. Bring your character, construct a criminal empire, race, take jobs, or hang low in your penthouse.
First-Person and Third-Person Modes
Change between views depending on the type of gameplay you want to view. Immersion through first person, and objectivity through third person.
Mod Support (PC Only)
Fan-made mods for new vehicles, custom missions, superhero powers, improved graphics, and more can be installed on PC. The possibilities are endless!
GTA 5 System Requirements
Now it is time to go over the GTA 5 system requirements you will require to be able to run the game. The minimum and recommended specs were given out by Rockstar.
Minimum Requirements
This is what you’ll need to run the game on low, and here it is:
- OS: Windows 7 64-bit, Windows 8.1 64-bit, or Windows 10 64-bit
- Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz or AMD Phenom 9850 Quad-Core @ 2.5GHz
- Memory: 4GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA 9800 GT 1GB or AMD HD 4870 1GB
- Storage: At least 72GB of free space
- Sound Card: 100% DirectX 10 compatible
They are quite forgiving specs if you happen to have an old PC. It will be a basic experience — lower frame rates, longer load times, and few visual effects.
Recommended Requirements
Rockstar recommends a smooth and visually pleasing experience for such things:
- OS: Windows 10 64-bit
- Processor: Intel Core i5 3470 @ 3.2GHz or AMD FX-8350 @ 4GHz
- Memory: 8GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 660 2GB or AMD HD 7870 2GB
- Storage: At least 72GB of free space
You will not run into too many performance issues if your rig meets or exceeds these specs (although this is the case for any modern game).
GTA 5 PC Specs – What to Know
Take three things in particular into consideration when comparing your system to the GTA 5 PC specs: CPU (processor), GPU (graphics card), and RAM (memory). If your PC can achieve at least these ratings, you will be able to play the game at 1080p with decent frame rates.
If you’re using a laptop, check if it has a dedicated GPU. Even though other parts of the system may be strong, integrated graphics will struggle.
Can My PC Run GTA 5?
The big question on every new player’s mind is ‘Can my PC run GTA 5?’
Here’s how to find out:
- To do that, on Windows, press Windows + R, type dxdiag, and press Enter. This will show your processor, RAM, and graphics card.
- Instead, compare with the requirements: use the above lists to find out which lists your system meets the minimum and recommended specs for.
- Online tools: Websites such as ‘Can You RUN It’ enable you to check out if your system is compatible by scanning the system you have.
- While the game might still run on your specs if they are as close to or below the minimum, your settings might be lower, and you might find yourself suffering occasional lag. So, if your machine lies beyond the recommended specifications, congratulations, you are good to go.
GTA 5 Download Size for PC
Ensure that you have enough space for the disk before installation. Downloading GTA 5 for PC will approximately take up to 72 GB. The cost shown above is just for the base game. If you’re going to play GTA Online or install mods, then it makes sense to keep extra room free (at least 100GB free is sensible).
But note: If you’re downloading from Steam, from Rockstar Launcher, from Epic Games Store, you should make sure that your internet connection will stay stable until the completion of the download, as the file is quite large and can take hours to download.
Best GTA 5 PC Performance Tips
GTA 5 will run, no matter how well your PC specs are, but if even your PC meets the recommended specs, there are a few ways to make the game run better, too. Below you will find some hints that might help you get the best GTA 5 PC performance.
1. Adjust In-Game Settings
- Try the following in Settings » Graphics:
- Lower “Reflection Quality” and “Shadow Quality”
- If you get input lag, turn off V-Sync
Change “Population Density” and “Distance Scaling” to be lower values (should still be fairly slow)
All of these changes allow for a lot better frame rate without much loss in visual quality.
2. Update Your Drivers
Be sure to check that your graphics drivers are the latest versions. New drivers are usually delivered by NVIDIA and AMD to make the game better.
3. Use Game Mode (Windows 10/11)
Turn on game mode from the Windows settings. This allows the system to prioritize its resources to gaming and will make a very little improvement in performance.
4. Close Background Apps
Before launching GTA 5, close the other browsers, video players, or any other heavy software that is currently running. This frees up RAM and CPU power.
5. Install on an SSD
If you have an SSD, install it. It does not boost frame rates, but will drastically decrease load times and game responsiveness instead.
Can You Play GTA 5 with Mods?
Yes! Undoubtedly, one of the major advantages of playing GTA 5 on PC is that you can install mods. Mods make the game almost unrecognizable due to everything from wild gameplay changes, like playing as Iron Man, to real cars. However, just remember not to use mods while playing in GTA Online, as you can get banned.
GTA 5 Player & Sales Stats (as of early 2025):
- More than 190 million copies have been sold worldwide (Total Sales Worldwide).
- Active Monthly Players: More than 10 million globally
- Steam Peak Concurrent Players: Around 160,000 players at peak hours
- GTA Online Revenue: Generated over $1 billion in microtransaction revenue since launch
- The region with the Most Popular: North America, then Europe
- Average GTA 5 PC Frame Rate on Recommended Specs: Around 60–80 FPS at 1080p with high settings
(Relative based on user-selected average benchmarks of UserBenchmark and Game-Debate)
Conclusion
As GTA 5 is still going strong, the PC version is without a doubt the best way to experience all that is included in the game. Whatever brings you to GTA Online or the GTA V campaign, you want to make sure your system is ready. You simply wander through GTA 5 system requirements, discover GTA 5 PC specs, reply to the question Can my PC run GTA 5, clarify GTA 5 download size for PC, and provide interesting GTA 5 PC performance tips to start with.
So what are you waiting for? Set it up, install the game, and hit one of the most rocking, most urbane open worlds ever posited. This is the best place to download the game!
Product Information Table
| Feature | Details |
| Game Name | Grand Theft Auto V (GTA 5) |
| Created By | Rockstar Games |
| Version | Latest: 1.70 (as of 2025) |
| Release Date | January 21, 2025 |
| Languages | English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified/Traditional), Portuguese (Brazil) |
| Total Downloads | 34892 |
| Requirements | Minimum: Intel Core 2 Quad, 4GB RAM, 1GB GPU; Recommended: Intel i5, 8GB RAM, 2GB GPU |
| Uploaded By | Rockstar Games / Respective digital stores |
| Free/Paid | Paid/free |
| File Size | Approx. 72 GB (Base game only) |
Version table
| Version | Release Date | Key Features |
| 1.70 | January 21, 2025 |
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| 1.69 | June 24, 2024 |
|
| 1.68 | December 12, 2023 |
|
| 1.67 | June 13, 2023 |
|
| 1.66 | February 1, 2023 |
|
