When Rockstar Games made a long-expected transition to 3 main characters in GTA 5 from one main character, such as Carl “CJ” Johnson and Niko Bellic, people were worried. And rightfully so. No one knew whether they would have to jump through hoops to change from one character to another. Another worry was tied to the story, which could be being watered down. Luckily, none of those fears came true. Character change animation and controls were smooth and seamless, and each character had a distinctive story and personality, as well as unique abilities. Did we dispel your doubt? If you launched the game, here’s how to switch characters in GTA 5 on every platform.
Instructions to switch characters in GTA 5
Here’s how to change characters in GTA V between Trevor, Michael, and Franklin:
PC
Here are the required steps to change characters in GTA V on PC:
- Press and hold Left Alt on your keyboard.
- A character wheel will appear in the bottom right corner.
- Use the Down Arrow or your mouse to select a character.
- Release the Left Alt key.
PlayStation and Xbox
To alternate between characters on PlayStation and Xbox, do this:
- Press and hold the Down Button on the left side of the controller.
- Use the Right Analog Stick to select a character.
- Release the Down Button when you are ready.
Story missions
If you are in a story mission, the game will select an appropriate character automatically, and its icon will keep flashing on-screen. You only need to press and release the Left Alt/Down Button to transition.
How does switching characters in GTA Online work?
After following the instructions above, you must’ve noticed an empty character slot. That one is reserved for when you’re playing the online version of the game. The controls to go from one character to another are identical, you simply unlock the fourth character. Also, you can change the appearance of the main story characters completely – something that isn’t available when playing offline.