GTA 5 on PC with graphics mods still looks better than GTA 5 on PS5

Rockstar introduced the next-gen edition of GTA 5 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S with improved graphics. However, these improvements still fall short compared to the modded PC version of the game. This is because there are countless mods that enhance the graphics of the decade-old game.

Completely overhauling GTA 5's looks may require multiple mods. Yet a single graphics mod with ENB textures is enough to make the PC edition look better than this new and remastered variant. This article examines some gameplay videos that highlight this difference.

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Thanks to mods, the PC version of GTA 5 remains the most visually impressive

With NVE and road textures

This is a comparison video uploaded by Black Pot, a popular GTA YouTuber. It emphasizes the visual differences between the Expanded and Enhanced GTA 5 and the PC edition of the game, which has been upgraded with two mods. The mods in question are Natural Vision Evolved, a graphics overhaul mod, and L.A. Revo 2.0, a road texture mod.

Here's everything that these two mods will improve:

1) Lighting and reflections — Natural Vision Evolved dramatically improves the lighting, giving the game a completely new look. With brighter days and darker nights, Los Santos appears much more convincing. Reflections on glass and vehicles are increased too, and so is the drain on performance.

Rainy nights are particularly taxing on the PC, as the game sees a drop below 60 frames per second in the uploaded video. This can happen because rain creates puddles, and these puddles offer improved reflections.

The mods managed to bring Los Santos closer to Los Angeles, which the video highlights with a picture of a particular building.

The scene on the right showcases the modded graphics (Image via Black Pot, YouTube)

2) Vegetation — Natural Vision Evolved also enhances the quality of grass and all other forms of vegetation. The volume increases a lot, which makes grassy plains appear a lot more immersive. However, some areas may look a bit exaggerated, such as the hedges around Michael's house.

The result of this graphical overhaul is a massive decrease in performance. The YouTuber saw a framerate drop of around 30, and this is with the medium-quality ENB.

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A complete overhaul

For those who want to push their graphics even further, it's going to require more than just two mods. The above video, uploaded by another GTA YouTuber named Gam3 4 Lif3, highlights a long list of mods, including graphics and vegetation, among others. These have been classified as follows:

Graphics

• QuantV 3.0.0
• Natural Vision Evolved
• RTGI

Vegetation

• Forests of San Andreas Ultimate
• GTA V Remastered Ultimate
• SyeonX
• NbVisual
• Forests of Blaine County

Other mods

• White LED Streetlight by Venkey
• CityLights
• Skysder's Enhanced Traffic Experience
• Extended Camera Settings
• TurboFix 2.2.0
• Exhaust Backfire FX 1.0
• Custom Vehicle Engine Sounds
• Custom Vehicle Engine Sounds Pack

The game footage in the video above uses three ENB mods for graphics alone. There are five mods for vegetation and eight more for other details. This includes light replacement mods, several vehicle mods, and a mod to improve AI traffic.

As expected, these mods take away a huge chunk of performance and result in a massive decrease in framerates. In comparison, the minor graphical changes made by Rockstar in the next-gen GTA 5 have a minimal impact on performance. That said, the modded graphics of the game look a lot better.