Update: It turns out that GTA 5 on PS5 and Xbox Series X is a lot more impressive than I thought it would be.
Original: Rockstar has finally outlined what improvements we can expect to see in GTA 5 Enhanced Edition . But I’m not sure they’re substantial enough to tempt players back to Los Santos for what could potentially be the fourth time.
GTA 5 Enhanced Edition has already come under fire for looking “ exactly the same ”, at least according to some commenters, who slammed the game’s latest trailer on YouTube. And now that Rockstar has outlined what players can expect from GTA 5 Enhanced Edition from a technical perspective, I doubt that narrative will change anytime soon.
In a blog post on Rockstar’s website, the publisher said that GTA 5 Enhanced Edition will feature “graphics modes with up to 4K resolution up to 60 frames per second, texture and draw distance upgrades, HDR options and ray-tracing , as well as offering the technical advancements of the latest console generation with faster loading times, immersive 3D audio , platform-specific features like advanced haptic feedback , and much more.”
That all sounds very much par for the course when it comes to the majority of PS5 and Xbox Series X games , which isn’t a bad thing, of course. But what’s hard to determine from the above is whether Rockstar is comparing other technical improvements – like texture and draw distance upgrades, as well as faster load times – to the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game, or to the PC version.
If it’s the former, then the Enhanced Edition will merely bring the fourth release of GTA 5 in line with a version that is now almost seven years old. Yes, ray-tracing will be a genuinely new addition (outside of the PC modding community), but I’m fairly confident that “up to 60fps” won’t be possible if you want to take advantage of this graphically-intensive feature. We’ve seen this play out on countless PS5 and Xbox Series X titles already – like Control: Ultimate Edition, Watch Dogs: Legion , Dying Light 2 , and many more. These games all drop to 30fps when ray tracing is enabled, which is never a sacrifice I’m willing to make.
Wasted opportunity
It’s also hard to overlook the fact that Rockstar is re-polishing a game that was originally designed for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 back in 2013. There’s only so much they can do with the game’s core graphics without undertaking a drastic overhaul, so it’s easy to feel like 4K certainly reached the point of diminishing returns. It helps that GTA 5 was always a looker, but compared to the games of today? Not so much.
It’s admittedly nice to see that GTA 5 Enhanced Edition will receive DualSense and 3D audio support on PS5, but again, that’s to be expected – particularly as third-party developers have embraced the unique features of Sony’s console .
And what of GTA 5 as a whole? Does it still hold up by today’s standards? Probably not, even though it continues to sell by the bucket load. The game’s story is noticeably outdated, which isn’t surprising considering it was written a decade ago.
The core gameplay loop also falls short, as it essentially revolves around traveling from one point to another, with a bit of action in between. We've seen other open-world games do so much more.
Pump the brakes
So, is GTA 5 Enhanced Edition on PS5 and Xbox Series X worth buying? If somehow you've yet to experience the story of Michael, Trevor, and Franklin, then sure. But for everyone else, you're better off saving your money and waiting patiently for GTA 6 to arrive. However long that may take...
DJI Mini 3 Pro leak suggests it won’t be a cheap beginner drone
The DJI Mini 3 Pro rumors are growing ahead of the drone's expected launch this month, and the latest one has delivered some potentially troubling news for those who have been hoping for a cheap, entry-level drone.
Some apparently leaked pricing, shared by regular DJI commentator Jasper Ellens on Twitter, has revealed what could be a Chinese pricing list for the Mini 3 Pro and standard Mini 3 drones.
We've done some ballpark estimations based on those numbers (below), and they're certainly starting to stretch the definition of 'entry-level'. The Mini 3 Pro, in particular, could be over twice the price of the DJI Mini 2 SE ($299 / £269 / AU$459), which is currently DJI's cheapest drone.
| USA | UK | Australia | |
| DJI Mini 3 Pro | $699 | £649 | AU$1,299 |
| DJI Mini 3 Pro (Fly More Combo) | $949 | £869 | AU$1,599 |
| DJI Mini 3 Pro (with RC controller) | $1,249 | £1,149 | AU$1,999 |
| DJI Mini 3 | $549 | £499 | AU$899 |
| DJI Mini 3 (Fly More Combo) | $799 | £769 | AU$1,499 |
| DJI Mini 3 (with RC controller) | $1,099 | £999 | AU$1,799 |
The 'Fly More Combos' above usually include two extra drone batteries, two extra pairs of propellors, a handy two-way charging hub and a shoulder bag, among other accessories. And the new RC Controller is expected to be a more basic version of the RC Pro controller that we saw arrive with the DJI Mavic 3 , with the main benefit being that you don't need to use your phone as a screen while flying.
Naturally, you'd expect a drone with 'Pro' in its name to be relatively pricey and this leaked pricing strengthens our suspicions that the Mini 3 Pro will likely be a compact successor to the older, and larger, Mavic Air 2. This means it could be a mid-range offering for those who want high image quality in a small, backpack-friendly bundle.
But even the standard DJI Mini 3, which we so far haven't seen any major leaks for, would be pricier than today's DJI Mini 2, if these prices are correct. You can currently pick up the Mini 2 for $449 / £419 / AU$749, so around 20% less than these leaked Mini 3 prices.
These prices are far from concrete and the conversions could vary, but it seems possible that the budget drones in DJI's lineup will remain the DJI Mini SE and Mini 2, despite the arrival of the Mini 3 series. Hopefully, they'll both be given price drops following the Mini 3's launch, which has been tipped to take place later this month.
Analysis: A premium compact camera for the skies
Based on these leaks, the DJI Mini 3 Pro is going to be the drone equivalent of a premium compact camera like the Fujifilm X100V or Ricoh GR III . It'll be small and portable but designed for experienced shooters who need pro power in a travel-friendly bundle.
The pricing rumors about a standard Mini 3, though, are promising, given we haven't heard much about that drone yet. All of the leaks so far, including the retail packaging and a leaked video , have been for the DJI Mini 3 Pro, so those with more limited budgets will pleased to hear that a more basic, and affordable, version could be en route.
Exactly how the Mini 3 might differ from the Mini 3 Pro isn't yet clear. The Mini 3 Pro is expected to improve on the Mini 2 with a larger 1/1.3in CMOS sensor, bigger battery, and, crucially, the inclusion of obstacle-avoidance sensors, all while keeping the drone's weight below the 250g mark.
For beginners, those obstacle-avoidance sensors would arguably be the biggest upgrade, because they'd allow you to fly in autonomous modes without the worry of crashing into branches or trees. It'd make sense for the cheaper DJI Mini 3 to hang onto those sensors, but how else it plans to cut corners to achieve those lower price tags remains to be seen.
Halo Infinite’s multiplayer originally looked a lot like Overwatch
Halo Infinite’s multiplayer was originally prototyped as a hero shooter that included PvP and PvE features, before the idea was scrapped in favor of the game’s current online build.
That’s according to Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier, who confirmed on Reddit that developer 343 Industries was at one point working on multiple prototype builds for Halo Infinite that included hero shooter features.
His comments were made in response to YouTuber Chris Ray Gun, who suggested on Twitter that the studio had originally developed Halo Infinite’s multiplayer to be similar to Overwatch, before pivoting to the build that made its way to the final game.
“This was actually cut from my article late last year - yes, 343 spent a while prototyping a hero-based system,” Schreier said.
“I don't remember exactly when they switched to the current version… but I can confirm that they were working on various hero-based prototypes. In fact, I think there were both PvP and PvE prototypes built.”
Schreier said Chris Ray Gun’s original tweet, which claims 343 Industries spent half the game’s development time prototyping the hero shooter build before eventually scrapping it, is “exaggerated to the point where it's mostly false”.
That’s corroborated by Twitter user Robeytech (Justin Robey) – who is credited as senior insights project manager on Halo Infinite, and said the hero shooter prototypes were among several design ideas that never made it into full release.
“We prototyped a bunch of stuff as we worked on the game which is never wasted time,” they said. “But the way it’s being spun [by Chris Ray Gun] is super inaccurate. It was in the time allotted for the game to go through those design cycles.
“It’s how you innovate and try new ideas. You can’t know it’s good until you try it,” they continued.
Change of plans
The idea that 343 Industries had tested the waters of a Halo hero shooter gives us an interesting look behind the curtain. Halo Infinite’s multiplayer could have been a very different beast if it followed in the footsteps of Overwatch and Valorant, setting itself up as an Overwatch 2 competitor rather than carving out a space among traditional shooters and Halo fans.
As Robey highlights, it's par for the course for development studios to test lots of design ideas that never end up in the final game. Prototyping several builds allows developers to try out a range of gameplay concepts, iterate upon them, and fine-tune them without sinking so many resources into a single one that the wider development schedule suffers from lost resources.
Halo Infinite’s development cycle hasn’t been smooth, though. The game was delayed for a year after its first gameplay reveal was poorly received by audiences, large gameplay features like campaign co-op and Forge mode are yet to be rolled out, and players have voiced their disappointment that staple Halo game modes – including King of the Hill – weren't included in the game’s multiplayer at launch.
Some of those concerns will likely be alleviated later next month when Halo Infinite’s second season – Lone Wolves – releases. It will introduce a batch of new maps, a new battle pass system, and the Last Spartan Standing mode, which looks similar to a battle royale .