9.5 Editor Score
All-Time Classic79 Metacritic
Xbox 360 OriginalMostly Positive Steam Rating
PC versionWhat We Think
Grand Theft Auto 5 was released in 2013, has sold over 210 million copies across multiple generations of hardware, and remains one of the most actively played games on Xbox in 2026. The Premium Edition bundles the full game with the Criminal Enterprise Starter Pack and a Whale Shark Cash Card, giving new players a meaningful head start in GTA Online.
The single-player campaign is a landmark open world game built around three playable protagonists: Michael, the retired career criminal struggling with domesticity; Trevor, the chaos agent whose unpredictability the game uses more effectively than any other open world title; and Franklin, the ambitious outsider navigating a world that keeps trying to limit him. Switching between them mid-session, and the forced switches during heist missions to coordinate all three simultaneously, keeps the pacing sharp across a 30 to 40 hour campaign. The mission design is the most varied in the series. The Jewel Store Job, the Merryweather Heist, the Union Depository: Rockstar built missions around the three-character system in ways that could not have existed with a single protagonist.
GTA Online is a separate and ongoing experience that has received continuous content updates since 2013, including businesses, heists, adversary modes, properties, vehicles, and entire thematic expansions. The Criminal Enterprise Starter Pack included in the Premium Edition provides access to properties and vehicles that would otherwise take significant time or money to acquire, reducing the early-game friction that has historically been a barrier for new Online players. GTA Online requires an Xbox Live Gold or Xbox Game Pass subscription for online multiplayer.
The Xbox Series X/S enhanced version is included with this key. On Xbox Series X the game runs at up to 60fps in Performance Mode, offers 4K resolution in Fidelity Mode, and benefits from faster load times. On Xbox One the game runs at its original specifications. The worldwide key designation means there are no region activation restrictions for UK buyers.
What Is Grand Theft Auto 5?
Grand Theft Auto 5 was released in 2013, has sold over 210 million copies across multiple generations of hardware, and remains one of the most actively played games on Xbox in 2026. Set in the sprawling fictional city of Los Santos, a rendering of Los Angeles and its surrounding landscape, it combines an acclaimed single-player story mode with GTA Online, an ongoing multiplayer world that Rockstar has expanded continuously since launch.
The Premium Edition bundles the full game with the Criminal Enterprise Starter Pack and a Whale Shark Cash Card, giving new players a meaningful head start in GTA Online without buying additional content separately.
The Story Mode
Three Protagonists, One City
Grand Theft Auto 5's single-player campaign remains one of the most accomplished open world games ever made. The decision to split the narrative between three playable protagonists was a structural gamble that paid off entirely. Michael is the retired career criminal struggling with domesticity and regret. Trevor is the chaos agent, unpredictable and violent in ways the game uses more effectively than any other open world title. Franklin is the ambitious young outsider navigating a world that keeps trying to limit him.
Switching between them mid-session, and the forced switches during missions to coordinate all three simultaneously, keeps the pacing sharp across a campaign that runs 30 to 40 hours.
Mission Design and Los Santos
The mission design is the most varied in the series. The Jewel Store Job, the Merryweather Heist, the Union Depository: Rockstar built missions around the three-character system in ways that could not have existed with a single protagonist. The dialogue is sharp, the set pieces are spectacular, and Los Santos remains one of the most realised open world environments in gaming despite its age.
The story mode has no ongoing operating costs and no microtransactions. It is a self-contained experience that holds up remarkably well over a decade after release.
GTA Online
What It Offers
GTA Online is a separate and ongoing experience that shares the Los Santos map with the story mode but has expanded far beyond it in scope. Rockstar has added content continuously since 2013, including businesses, heists, adversary modes, properties, vehicles, and entire thematic expansions covering everything from biker gangs to high-tech criminal operations to a full casino heist.
The Premium Edition Extras
The Criminal Enterprise Starter Pack included in the Premium Edition provides access to a selection of properties, vehicles, and weapons to give new Online players a meaningful head start. The Whale Shark Cash Card adds GTA$3,500,000 to your Online wallet. Neither removes the underlying economy design, which is built to nudge players toward further Shark Card purchases, but they reduce the early-game friction that has historically been a barrier for new Online players.
GTA Online requires an Xbox Live Gold or Xbox Game Pass subscription for online multiplayer access.
Xbox Series X/S Enhancements
GTA 5 received a dedicated Xbox Series X/S version in 2022. On Xbox Series X the game runs at up to 60fps in Performance Mode, offers a 4K resolution option in Fidelity Mode, and benefits from faster load times made possible by the console's SSD. The Premium Edition worldwide key activates the full current-generation enhanced version on Xbox Series X/S. On Xbox One the game runs at its original specifications.
Is GTA 5 Premium Edition Worth Buying on Xbox?
For the Story Mode
For the story mode alone, yes. The single-player campaign is a landmark open world game that holds up over a decade after release, and at its current price it delivers 30 to 40 hours of polished, high-production-value content at a cost that undercuts most new releases significantly.
For GTA Online
GTA Online adds indefinite additional content for players who engage with it on its own terms. Be clear-eyed about the economy design: the Whale Shark Cash Card included in the Premium Edition will not sustain a long-term Online presence without additional spending or grinding. The Starter Pack is genuinely useful for establishing yourself early. The story mode requires neither.
With GTA 6 on the horizon, GTA Online's player base will eventually decline. For the story mode, GTA 5 remains a fully worthwhile game regardless of what Rockstar releases next.
Strengths
- Three-protagonist structure creates mission design impossible with a single character
- Los Santos is one of the most realised open world environments in gaming
- Story mode is self-contained with no microtransactions or ongoing costs
- GTA Online offers years of content including heists, businesses and adversary modes
- Xbox Series X/S enhanced version included - up to 60fps in Performance Mode
- Criminal Enterprise Starter Pack gives new Online players a meaningful head start
- Worldwide key - no region restrictions for UK buyers
- Over a decade of patches and polish make this the definitive version
Weaknesses
- GTA Online economy is designed to nudge players toward Shark Card purchases
- Starter Pack and Cash Card will not sustain long-term Online play without further spending or grinding
- Story mode has no post-launch content updates planned
- GTA Online requires Xbox Live Gold or Game Pass for multiplayer access
- GTA 6 will eventually supersede GTA Online's player base
Is This Game Right For You?
Grand Theft Auto 5 sits in a category by itself for open world crime games. No other title in the genre matches its combination of production quality, mission variety, and sheer scale of content across both the story mode and GTA Online. The Premium Edition is the recommended purchase for any new player, with the Starter Pack and Cash Card removing the most friction from the GTA Online early game.
Reasons To Love
- You want one of the most acclaimed open world stories ever made
- You plan to play GTA Online and want a head start with the Starter Pack
- You own an Xbox Series X/S and want the 60fps enhanced experience
- You want hundreds of hours of content across story mode and Online
Reason To Avoid
- GTA Online's Shark Card economy model frustrates you on principle
- You already own GTA 5 and the Premium Edition extras do not add value for you
- You are waiting for GTA 6 and would rather hold off entirely
Our Recommendation
Buy it for the story mode alone. The single-player campaign is a landmark open world game that holds up over a decade after release, and at its current price it delivers 30 to 40 hours of polished, high-production-value content at a cost that undercuts most new releases significantly.
GTA Online adds indefinite additional content for players who engage with it on its own terms. The Premium Edition's Criminal Enterprise Starter Pack and Cash Card make the online experience more accessible than the base game alone. Be clear-eyed about the economy design: GTA Online is built to nudge players toward Shark Card purchases, and the included Cash Card will not sustain a long-term Online presence without additional spending or grinding.
On the Xbox Series X/S version: the enhanced edition included with this key is a noticeably improved experience over the original console release. If you are on current-gen hardware, this is the version worth having.