GTA 5 ray tracing mod is a glimpse of what the new-gen upgrade may look like

A GTA 5 modder has made what may be the most realistic-looking GTA yet, and it could be a peek at what the GTA 5 next-gen version may look like. 

TheGamer shared YouTuber Digital Dreams'  8K video showing off various GTA 5 mods they've applied to the game, including Ray Tracing Reshade and QuantV, the latter of which includes upgraded reflections, lights, shadows, and water. Digital Dreams also has the GTA 5 real mod, which adds real-world restaurants like KFC, stores like Bloomingdales, ads for companies like Pepsi, and sports teams like the Lakers. 

While a new-gen version of GTA 5 won't include real-world companies and sports teams, and likely won't look as good as the above video, it could include ray tracing, a rendering technique that allows for hyper realistic lighting. Ray tracing is made possible in PS5 and Xbox Series X thanks to powerful graphic cards, which are also available on high-end PCs.  

The GTA 5 PS5 and Xbox Series X versions is coming November 11, offering an "expanded and enhanced" version of the nearly eight year old game. You can't mimic what Digital Dreams has put together on either of those consoles just yet, but if you have a PC you can certainly attempt to - although it may put a lot of strain on your desktop. 

GTA Online is shutting down for Xbox 360 and PS3 later this year so that Rockstar can focus on development for the new-gen versions, which may or may not include some more single-player and multiplayer DLC. The ceasing of support for both Xbox 360 and PS3 may also be so that Rockstar can free up devs for GTA 6, which is rumored to be coming sometime in 2023. 

Until then, you can satisfy your urge to see how a third generation of GTA 5 may look by checking out Digital Dreams' video, but temper your expectations, as there's no way it'll look this good.  

GTA 5 cheats | GTA 5 money cheats | GTA 5 Peyote Plant locations | Best GTA 5 PC mods | GTA 5 Stock Market and Lester's Assassination Missions guide | GTA 5 Dodo seaplane unlock and location | GTA 5 100% completion guide  | GTA 5 Achievement/Trophy guide | GTA 5 Serial Killer Easter eggs | GTA 5 Easter eggs

Alyssa Mercante

Alyssa Mercante is an editor and features writer at GamesRadar based out of Brooklyn, NY. Prior to entering the industry, she got her Masters's degree in Modern and Contemporary Literature at Newcastle University with a dissertation focusing on contemporary indie games. She spends most of her time playing competitive shooters and in-depth RPGs and was recently on a PAX Panel about the best bars in video games. In her spare time Alyssa rescues cats, practices her Italian, and plays soccer.

Read more
Vice City
Rockstar literally just took down a Liberty City GTA 5 mod, but that's not stopping these modders porting Vice City into GTA 4 - and they might just get away with it
GTA 5
GTA 5 is giving PC players a free upgrade that brings it up to par with the console versions and adds some PC-exclusive features
GTA 4
Enormous GTA 5 mod adds GTA 4's Liberty City as a fully functional map, with a working subway, traffic, and even the notorious swing set glitch
Lester sitting at a computer in some artwork for GTA Online
Some GTA 5 players can't bring their characters to the new PC upgrade, and the open-world game's mixed Steam reviews are hammering FPS caps and a lack of text chat
GTA 6 reveal trailer screenshot showing a young blonde woman standing near a sunny rooftop pool, wearing a white and gold bikini
A modder is daring to recreate GTA 6's map in GTA 5, despite Rockstar owner Take-Two's recent spree of fan project shutdowns
GTA 6: A man and a woman sitting on a car in the poster for Grand Theft Auto 6.
GTA 6: Everything we know so far
Latest in Grand Theft Auto
Former Xbox boss says GTA: San Andreas and its infamously NSFW Hot Coffee minigame "signified a maturing of the industry" and put games "on par with movies and music"
Grand Theft Auto 3
A GTA streamer is trying to beat every single 3D entry without dying, and in 33 hours he's made it as far as San Andreas but keeps getting caught in Vice City purgatory
Lester sitting at a computer in some artwork for GTA Online
Some GTA 5 players can't bring their characters to the new PC upgrade, and the open-world game's mixed Steam reviews are hammering FPS caps and a lack of text chat
John Cena stares evilly while embracing Cody Rhodes
"We got heel Cena before GTA 6": Even John Cena himself is comparing the 20-year wait for his WWE heel turn to the 12-year wait for the next Grand Theft Auto
Players in GTA Online running businesses and playing missions
It sounds like GTA Online could have a life after GTA 6 – but after 400 hours in Los Santos, I'm ready to say goodbye
Vice City
Months after porting GTA 3 to Dreamcast, the same devs are repeating the trick with Vice City, and they already have rough progress to show
Latest in News
Balatro
Balatro creator started "properly playing the game myself about a week before launch" and had "a pretty emotional moment" where he realized it's "actually fun"
Death Stranding 2 Collector's Edition
Hideo Kojima reveals Death Stranding 2: On the Beach release date, and the Collector's Edition includes exactly what I predicted it would
Kingmakers
Kingmakers is a strategy game about taking on medieval armies with a gun, but its devs thought the giant mech was too much
The Witcher 3 lead says "not many games" were trying to match the RPG back in 2015, and that meant "there was a risk" to making it in the first place
The Blood of Dawnwalker
The Witcher 3 dev says his new vampire RPG Blood of Dawnwalker wants to challenge genre conventions, but only if "we're changing them to actually achieve some goal"
Daredevil recap: The Defenders
Marvel fans are discussing which of the Netflix series characters would have survived the Blip