GTA Online Los Santos Drug Wars update: Everything new for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S

The recently released Los Santos Drug Wars update made significant changes to GTA Online across all platforms. The gaming community reported numerous bugs and glitches following the release of The Criminal Enterprises DLC in July of this year, and Rockstar Games appears to have fixed the majority of the bugs with the winter update.

Most of the new elements and gameplay changes have been shared across all platforms, but the gaming studio has made exclusive changes to the next-generation PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles. This article explains the exclusive changes for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles after the December DLC in GTA Online.

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Rockstar Games provides exclusive changes to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S after the Los Santos Drug Wars update in GTA Online

On December 13, 2022, Rockstar Games released two official statements regarding the Los Santos Drug Wars update in Grand Theft Auto Online. The gaming company first released a newswire mentioning all of the new updates and changes, followed by a Rockstar Support article explaining the update's insights.

In an earlier newswire on December 6, 2022, Rockstar announced ray-traced reflections for both versions of the game on two of the next-gen consoles. According to the newswire:

“PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X will add ray-traced reflections — rendering real-time reflections on many surfaces.”

This visual enhancement is not yet available for Xbox Series S, previous-generation consoles, or PC. Eligible console owners can improve the visuals of their games by switching to the Fidelity graphics mode.

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Hao’s Special Works benefits

With this update, GTA Online players no longer need to complete Hao's Intro Race mission to gain access to the HSW upgrade service and mods. Earlier, the modification could only be unlocked after completing the introductory Time Trial mission and finishing faster than the par time. However, players can now bypass it and go straight to the workshop.

Along with that, the newly released Överflöd Entity MT Supercar can also be upgraded with Hao’s Special Works modification in the game.

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HSW Creator

GTA Online players on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S can now create custom HSW Race missions. These races are only available to HSW-upgraded vehicles, and players can choose to disable the upgrade benefits in the mission lobby before the race starts.

Rockstar also allows players to convert existing races into HSW races. While the missions require HSW-compatible vehicles, it is not necessary to upgrade them prior to participating in the races. The game will automatically upgrade the cars to the HSW version and then convert them back to the standard model in free roam.

Aside from HSW races, next-gen players can now place up to 300 props in the Race Creator.

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GTA+ and Amazon Prime Gaming benefits

Console players who subscribe to GTA+ and Prime Gaming will receive additional benefits and discounts until January 18, 2023. The most notable difference is that the Acid Lab behind the Brickade 6x6 truck costs $750,000 to set up, but players who have a subscription can install it for free.

Although GTA+ is only available for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, Prime Gaming is available for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (only in select regions and countries).