In exchange for being so patient while console gamers have been playing Grand Theft Auto V for more than a freakin’ year now, PC gamers will be tossed some pretty delicious bones when Rockstar’s multi-character epic finally lands on computers: 4K resolution support and a nifty looking first-person mode.
Sure, you could mod your way into a first-person perspective on the PC version of GTA IV, but it was always a clunky experience, essentially shoehorning the experience atop GTA’s built-for-third-person design. The official first-person support in GTA V sounds like it’ll be much more seamless. Rockstar says it’s building a slew of new mechanisms into the game to make the first-person experience feel like it’s been there since the beginning:
“We’ve made a host of changes to accommodate this new perspective, including the creation of an optional first person cover system, a new targeting system, a more traditional FPS control scheme, and integrating thousands of new animations into the existing game. It’s also available at the touch of a button so you can easily switch back and forth between perspectives.”
First person sounds like a wonderful addition to a game that’s already gorgeous, gargantuan and just plain fun, some narrative issues aside. Here’s a video of Call of Grand Theft Auto Duty in action. (The part with Trevor chasing a crashing plane looks awesome.)
Beyond the perspective shift, PC gamers with deep pockets will also be able to explore Los Santos at full, glorious 4K resolution. Rockstar’s also augmenting GTA V’s eye candy on the PC and next generation consoles, adding in “increased draw distances, finer texture details, [and] denser traffic.”
The story behind the story: There’s one potentially worrying tidbit, however. The same blog post that mentions the PC’s 4K support also says the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 ports of the game will be limited to 30 frames per second. Here’s hoping Rockstar doesn’t inflict PCs with the same shackles, as games like The Evil Within and Dead Rising 3: Apocalypse Edition have recently done.