Yes, PS4 and PS5 owners can play GTA Online together when the PS5 player runs the PS4 edition of the game. The native PS5 edition uses a different multiplayer environment and cannot join a PS4-edition session.
01Match the game edition before troubleshooting the connection
The console on your desk and the edition installed on it are two different things. A PS5 can run compatible PS4 software through backward compatibility, so “I am on PS5” does not tell your friend which GTA Online version you launched.
I would ask everyone in the group to check the PS4 or PS5 label on their game before changing router settings. If one player is running the native PS5 edition and another is running the PS4 edition, repeatedly sending invitations will not remove the version boundary.
| Player one | Player two | Same sessions? |
|---|---|---|
| PS4, PS4 edition | PS5, PS4 edition | Yes, subject to normal online requirements |
| PS5, PS5 edition | PS4, PS4 edition | No |
| PS5, PS5 edition | PS5, PS5 edition | Yes |
| PS5, PS4 edition | PS5, PS5 edition | No |
This question concerns GTA Online. GTA V’s Story Mode is a separate single-player experience; choosing a different story save does not create a shared online campaign.
02Install the edition your friends use
On the PS5, open your game library or the game’s product page and inspect the available editions. Look for the PS4 version of Grand Theft Auto V. Depending on the interface, the other edition may be under the options or version-selection menu. Read the platform label rather than relying on identical cover art.
If you already own a digital bundle that includes both versions, select the PS4 download for sessions with PS4 friends. Ownership varies by product. Buying the standalone PS5 version of GTA Online is not the same as owning a cross-generation GTA V bundle, so check the entitlement before paying again.
A physical PS4 copy also requires a PS5 with a compatible disc drive, and the disc is normally needed while playing the installed disc-based game. An original PS5 Digital Edition cannot use that disc. Do not assume that inserting a game once creates a permanent digital licence.
After installation, launch the PS4 edition deliberately and confirm the version label. Both editions can occupy storage, and similar home-screen tiles make it easy to reopen the wrong one. If you keep both installed, a simple habit helps: agree which edition the group is using before anyone sends an invitation.
03Join a friend after the versions match
Each player needs the appropriate game access, a working PlayStation account, and the online multiplayer entitlement required for the game. A party voice chat can work even when the game versions cannot join one another; hearing your friend is therefore not proof of session compatibility.
Once both players are in the PS4 edition, join through the game’s friends and invitation options. If the invitation fails, confirm that neither player is stuck in an activity that restricts joining, that privacy settings allow the interaction, and that the game is updated. Starting a fresh compatible session is a more focused next step than reinstalling immediately.
I would test one invitation in each direction. If both players can enter GTA Online independently but cannot join one another, that narrows the question to the session, social settings, edition, or connection between players. If one player cannot enter GTA Online at all, diagnose that player’s access or service problem first.
Different edition labels
Install and launch the matching edition. Network changes cannot make native PS5 and PS4 sessions compatible.
Matching editions, failed invite
Check the session, game updates, privacy settings, and service availability before investigating the router.
04Migration moves a profile; it does not connect the editions
Rockstar’s current profile migration guidance says that the original profile is retained on the older console generation after migration, but subsequent progress is not synchronized between generations. Older launch-era articles describing automatic removal of the PS4 profile should not be treated as the current rule.
Think of migration as a branching point. If you earn money or complete activities in one edition afterward, do not expect the other edition to mirror those changes. A matching character name can make the profiles feel like one shared account, but the later progress histories are separate.
I would choose a main edition for long-term progression and use the other only with a clear understanding of that split. If most of your regular friends still use PS4, staying with the PS4 edition for group sessions avoids repeatedly wondering where a vehicle purchase or mission reward went.
Migration eligibility and transfer details have their own rules. Do not use migration as a troubleshooting button for a failed invitation, and do not expect it to create PlayStation-to-PC or PlayStation-to-Xbox crossplay.
05What you give up by choosing the PS4 edition
Running the PS4 edition on newer hardware does not turn it into the native PS5 release. The latter has its own presentation features and supported content. Your choice is therefore between the edition your group can share and the native edition’s experience, rather than a hidden setting that combines both.
For a hypothetical group with three PS4 owners and one PS5 owner, I would prioritize the common PS4 edition for scheduled sessions. The PS5 owner can still use the native release separately if they own it, but should expect separate post-migration progress. If everybody later moves to the PS5 edition, agree on that change together.
Before deleting an installation to reclaim storage, make sure it is not the one your friends still need you to use. A version check takes seconds; downloading a large game again can consume the evening you intended to spend playing.
06The quickest check before your next session
Ask your friend to confirm “PS4 edition” or “PS5 edition,” then compare that with the label on your own installation. For a PS4-and-PS5 group, both must launch the PS4 edition. Only investigate invitations and networking after that condition is satisfied.
The newer console is not the obstacle by itself. The decisive detail is the software edition running on it.