How to Unlock Hao‘s Special Works (HSW) in GTA 5 Online

HSW stands for Hao‘s Special Works, first introduced in the Los Santos Tuners update. It offers extreme performance upgrades that push vehicles to their absolute limit. But how exactly can you unlock HSW tuning in GTA Online?

Here‘s a complete walkthrough:

Step 1) Receive a Phone Call from Hao Inviting You to His Garage

You‘ll know HSW is on the horizon when you get an unexpected phone call from Hao asking you to stop by his garage. He has something "special" to show you involving a rare prototype vehicle. This will prompt the second step.

Step 2) Visit Hao‘s Garage and Find His Modified Vehicle

Hao‘s garage is located in a back-alley in Downtown Vinewood. Head there once you hang up and you‘ll discover Hao‘s heavily tuned, purple-glowing prototype locked away. This cues the third step.

Step 3) Complete Hao‘s Time Trial Under the Time Limit

A waypoint will now direct you to the start line of Hao‘s Special Works Time Trial. You must complete it under a very tight time limit to prove yourself worthy of unlocking HSW.

The trials take place in 8 locations:

Tips for beating the time limit:

• Use a fast supercar or motorcycle
• Memorize the route before starting
• Drive aggressively and take risks

Step 4) Visit the LS Car Meet and Purchase a Membership

After completing the trial, you‘ll be instructed to swing by the LS Car Meet. Upon arrival, purchase a membership from Mimi if you haven‘t already.

Step 5) HSW Performance Tuning Is Now Unlocked!

With your shiny new LS Car Meet membership in hand, HSW performance upgrades will now be available when modifying cars. Seek out Hao in the northeast corner of the meet‘s garage to begin enhancing your fleet to insane new levels!

What Does HSW Actually Do?

So what exactly are Hao‘s Special Works upgrades? In short, they unlock a second tier of vehicle performance tuning that eclipses even the best street racer mods.

The HSW treatment gives cars and bikes things like:

• New body kits and customization options
• 50%+ top speed increases
• Greatly improved acceleration
• F1-like downforce for cornering
• Brakes that can stop you on a dime
• Beefed up gearboxes
• Tuned suspensions and diff locks
• Striking underglow neon kits

According to player testing, HSW pushes vehicles past the following top speeds:

So in summary, HSW gives you the tools needed to build the ultimate street racing beasts in GTA Online!

Is HSW Only on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S?

Yes, unfortunately Hao‘s outrageous tuning packages are locked exclusively to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles.

This gives those platforms a big advantage in terms of raw performance. HSW vehicle upgrades remain unavailable on PS4, Xbox One and PC.

The cutting-edge hardware in new-gen consoles is likely needed to handle HSW cars at their ludicrous speeds. Expect PC support eventually, but not until systems catch up.

Tips for Unlocking HSW Faster

While the HSW unlock process is straightforward, here are some tips to speed up the process:

• Use a fast, agile bike on the time trial – the Hakuchou Drag is perfect
• Study videos of the time trial route in advance
• Have a car with instant delivery ready for the trial
• If you fail, immediately restart instead of driving back

Also, be prepared to spend millions on HSW tuning itself. A fully-upgraded car can cost $3-4 million. But the performance gains are jaw-dropping!

Is HSW Worth It?

For gearheads and street racing fans, Hao‘s ludicrous upgrades are an absolute game-changer. The sheer speed and control they offer completely changes the driving experience.

Casual players may not find them essential, but if you love building and collecting rare, exclusive cars? Then HSW is a must-have.

Just know that mastering an ultra-fast HSW machine takes dedication. Their sheer performance demands razor sharp focus and reflexes behind the wheel!

So in summary – unlocking HSW in GTA Online takes some effort, but delivers a whole new level of overpowered street racing insanity. If that sounds appealing, follow the steps above and let Hao work his magic!