Short answer: yes, GTA 5 is still absolutely worth it in 2026, which is faintly ridiculous for a game that came out in 2013. It is still one of the most polished open worlds ever built, it is cheap as chips, and with GTA 6 on the way it is the perfect warm-up. The only people who should skip it are those who have already played it into the ground. Here is the honest verdict.
Why it still holds up
The remarkable thing about GTA 5 is how little it has aged where it counts. Los Santos is still one of the densest, most believable open worlds in gaming, the driving still feels great, and the whole thing runs like silk on modern hardware. Games a fraction of its age feel clunkier. That is what a genuinely landmark release looks like: it sets a bar so high that a decade of competition still cannot make it feel old.
The single-player is the part I always come back to. Switching between Michael, Franklin and Trevor on the fly was clever in 2013 and it is still one of the best structural ideas in the genre. The heists, the chaos, the sheer personality of it, it holds up as a complete, satisfying campaign you can play start to finish on your own.
The value is almost silly
This is the easy part. GTA 5 discounts constantly and regularly sells for a few quid, often bundled with GTA Online credit on top. For a game with a full cinematic campaign and the biggest online sandbox going, that is one of the best-value purchases in gaming. There is no world in which you feel short-changed at that price.
The GTA Online question
GTA Online is the other half of the package, and it is enormous: years of updates, heists, businesses, cars and mayhem, still actively played by a huge community. It is a different beast to the story, more of an endless multiplayer playground than a campaign, and whether it is for you depends on whether you want that. My honest advice: play the story first for the real GTA 5 experience, then wander into Online if you want it to never end.
The one group who should skip it
I promised honesty, so here it is. If you have already played GTA 5 to death, finished the story years ago and sunk hundreds of hours into Online, there is nothing new here for you, and you would be better off saving your money for GTA 6 in November. This piece is for the surprising number of people who never actually played it, or who bounced off it years ago and forgot how good it is.
The verdict, and the GTA 6 angle
For anyone who has not worn it out, GTA 5 in 2026 is a very easy recommendation: a landmark open world, a brilliant solo campaign, and a bottomless multiplayer sandbox, all for pocket change. And there has never been a better reason to play or replay it than right now. It is the closest thing there is to GTA 6, it reminds you exactly why this series matters, and it will keep you busy until the real thing arrives.
Count down to that at the GTA 6 HQ, see the full list in what to play before GTA 6, and if you want to know how GTA 5 stacks up against Rockstar’s other masterpiece, read GTA 5 vs Red Dead Redemption 2: which to play first.
The verdict
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FAQ
Is GTA 5 still worth it in 2026?
Yes. More than a decade after release it is still one of the most polished and entertaining open worlds ever made, it runs beautifully, and it is dirt cheap on sales. Between the three-character story and the endlessly updated GTA Online, there is a huge amount of game here, and it is the ideal way to warm up before GTA 6.
Is GTA 5 worth buying before GTA 6?
It is one of the best things you can play before GTA 6. It is the closest possible feel to the real thing, it reminds you exactly why the series is special, and it is cheap. If you have somehow never played it, buying it now to fill the wait until 19 November 2026 is an easy call.
How much does GTA 5 cost now?
It discounts constantly and regularly sells for a few pounds or dollars, often bundled with GTA Online credit. For the amount of content on offer, it is one of the best-value games you can buy, full stop.
Should I play GTA 5 story mode or GTA Online?
Both are worth it and they are very different. The single-player story with Michael, Franklin and Trevor is a tight, brilliant cinematic campaign you can finish solo. GTA Online is the endless multiplayer sandbox. If you want the classic GTA experience, play the story first, then dip into Online if you want more.
Who should not buy GTA 5 in 2026?
The one group who can skip it: anyone who has already played it to death. If you finished the story years ago and poured hundreds of hours into Online, there is nothing new waiting for you, and your money is better saved for GTA 6. For everyone else, it still holds up completely.
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