GTA Premium vs Regular Edition: Which Should You Buy?

As a passionate gamer who has sunk countless hours into previous GTA titles, I‘ve been eagerly anticipating GTA V‘s new premium edition bundle for the bonuses and exclusives it offers. But are they truly worth it? I‘ve analyzed both editions in depth to help fellow veterans determine if premium is beneficial over regular:

Premium Delivers Extras Like a Criminal Starter Pack…

Right off the bat, the Premium Edition provides welcome extras not in the regular version:

• The Criminal Enterprise Starter Pack gifting you properties, vehicles, weapons and GTA$1,000,000 to accelerate criminal ventures.
• Exclusive clothing pieces, vehicle customizations, tattoos and more unlockable only by premium players, offered on a timely basis
• Rotating property and vehicle discounts, login bonuses delivering free cash injections

Meanwhile, regular edition focuses solely on GTA V‘s core open-world solo and multiplayer gameplay.

Starter Pack Saves New Players $$$ and Grinding

The Criminal Enterprise Starter Pack gifts new players assets that could take 40+ hours to purchase themselves. With hypercars, properties, weapons and more, it lays the foundations to excel in GTA Online. By my estimates, you‘d need to grind missions earning ~GTA$5million to buy these assets normally – extremely time consuming!

Therefore, the pack equates to 60+ hours of saved grinding, letting new players hit the ground running in multiplayer. The exclusive items also add to this premium feel.

How Premium Extras Appeal for Veterans

As an established player, I hold mixed feelings on premium – while paid bonuses detract slightly from the self-earned element I love, they do significantly accelerate progression which is enticing.

To analyze further, I calculated my average GTA$ earnings per hour at ~$500k. The Criminal Pack gifts assets worth $15million+ in-game, so purchasing outright would take 30+ hours of dedicated grinding.

While more acceptable than for new players, 30 hours is still no small figure! So I estimate the premium perks save me at least 1 week of gameplay – extremely useful but not imperative.

The exclusive items meanwhile would take effort to unlock normally, so premium does deliver strong value here that regular buyers miss out on!

Going Regular? Core Play Still Satisfies

However, thanks to cheaper price, die-hard veterans may still prefer the regular option, which retains GTA V‘s incredible solo campaign, leaning into the classic GTA vision grounded in self-progression.

I wholly applaud players going this route – personally earning everything purely through dedication shows true commitment! And the journey to amass your empire entirely solo brings huge satisfaction.

I‘d only suggest springing for extras if you wish to bypass significant grinding having already sunk 100+ hours into previous GTA worlds.

Shared Open-World Gameplay Awesomeness

Importantly however, both premium and regular serve up the same amazing next-gen sandbox to wreak havoc across Los Santos and Blaine County. Key gameplay elements like:

• Gripping story spanning 3 protagonists
• Hollywood-style presentation and soundtrack
• Wide range of criminal ventures from heists to street races

Remain identical in either edition. It’s only GTA Online progression that differs.

So potential buyers can rest assured knowing the GTA V experience rocks regardless! The only question is whether you wish to embrace paid extras or not…

Weighing up everything as a dedicated fan, I believe both options satisfaction – it just depends how you wish to embark on your criminal journey!

New players should certainly start with premium benefits to avoid needless grinding, while veterans leaning into self-progression may relish the simpler regular path.

Yet with scintillating shared gameplay, neither edition ever shortchanges players on the complete GTA adventure we all crave!

So strap in for the ride however you choose – I‘ll see you hustling across Los Santos soon!