What engine does GTA 5 use: Everything you should know

GTA 5 is one of Rockstar Games' most ambitious projects, and it uses the gaming studio's proprietary engine. The first title to use it was released in 2006, but it has also been used in Grand Theft Auto 4, Max Payne 3, and Red Dead Redemption 2 and seems to be the driving force behind Grand Theft Auto 6. Prior to this engine, Rockstar used RenderWare from Criterion Games.

However, the development of an in-house engine allowed the studio to elevate its games to a whole new level. In this article, we will be taking a look at the engine GTA 5 uses and everything you should know about it.

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GTA 5 uses Rockstar Games' RAGE engine

The Rockstar Advanced Game Engine, or simply RAGE, debuted in 2006 with the Xbox 360 and Wii title Rockstar Games presents Table Tennis. However, the studio's 2008 release, Grand Theft Auto 4, presented a much better picture of RAGE's capabilities.

The Grand Theft Auto series took a giant leap with this engine powering Grand Theft Auto 4, and so did the titles that followed, such as Red Dead Redemption, Max Payne 3, and Grand Theft Auto 5.

While GTA 5 also uses the RAGE engine, it is a much more advanced version in comparison to the one powering its predecessor. Rockstar Games updated it to feature ambient occlusion, improved lighting, and particle effects in the game.

Grand Theft Auto 5 won Game of the Year 2013 on multiple occasions. Its visual effects and gameplay mechanics are impressive even 10 years after launch. RAGE also powers its multiplayer variant, Grand Theft Auto Online, which has been one of Rockstar's best money-makers in the last decade.

It receives major DLCs at regular intervals that add abundant fresh content. The GTA Online December Update 2023 looks set to release soon and can be pre-loaded on PlayStation 4 and 5.

While the gaming community has been waiting for the next Grand Theft Auto for an incredibly long time, Rockstar did release a new title in 2018, Red Dead Redemption 2. It is one of the most technologically advanced games, further developing RAGE's potential by implementing volumetric clouds, pre-calculated global illumination, and more.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is lauded for near-photorealistic visual effects and minute details that bring its massive open world to life.

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Today, Rockstar Games is arguably the biggest name in the gaming industry. This feat has been made possible due to high-quality video games, and the RAGE engine powers its latest releases. Its technological prowess shall be explored further through future titles.

Until then, gamers can continue grinding GTA Online and enjoy the fresh content that will soon be added to the GTA 5 Winter Update 2023.