GPS

This article is about the waypoint feature in GTA IV and GTA V. For the small map in the HUD in most GTA games, see Radar.

File:Radar-GTA4.png

The radar in GTA IV, with active GPS, illustrating a green player-defined waypoint and the route to the waypoint from the GPS.

A Global Positioning System, GPS or Satnav, refers to a navigation system in Grand Theft Auto IV and its episodes, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, and Grand Theft Auto V that guides the player to a specific waypoint, whether it is related to a mission or plotted by the player themselves, by providing directions to said waypoints. For GTA games prior to GTA IV, players have only their knowledge of the city and road systems to reach a waypoint.

The feature can be toggled on or off in both GTA IV and GTA Chinatown Wars. It is voiced in GTA IV and its episodes, but not in GTA V, but will give a route, similar to GTA IV, marked purple.

Description

The GPS/Satnav system functions by calculating the shortest legal route to a waypoint; as such, closed roads and alleyways are not taken into account, and may not be the most efficient route as far as the player is concerned.

While missions automatically plot waypoints, players may also enter their own waypoint by way of the city map in GTA IV, its episodes, GTA Chinatown Wars and GTA V (player-defined waypoints have been present since Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas). After a waypoint has been plotted, the route will be illustrated in both the map and the radar; yellow routes and waypoints are mission specific, while green routes and waypoints are player-defined. Waypoints in the middle of a body of water will not be routed. Waypoints are also crucial if the player needs to reach a specific location in a Taxi; players can select the waypoint's location as one of the taxi's destinations.

Manual-enter waypoint (green) might pick a route different than automatically plot waypoint (yellow).

Certain luxurious cars in GTA IV may also come equipped with voiced GPS, being primarily capable of informing the player of the distance to their next turn. The system may utilize the voice of a woman or a man, but are generally similar in behavior. The audio menu offers the options "selected cars" (default), "off" and "on" for GPS speech (when "on" is chosen, all cars will have the voice feature). The feminine version bears a British accent while the male voice is similar to the TomTom or any other budget Satellite Navigation system.

Trivia

GTA IV

• Voiced GPS systems in GTA IV normally sound a "bing bong" notification when the player is about to approach a turn. On rare occasions, however, the feminine version of the system itself may utter "bing bong" instead. This happens more often when many cheats are used on one save file, and may affect other save files too. This is most likely an easter egg.
  • 2 sound files in the game named "bing_bong" and "bong" symbolize this notification heard in game.

GTA V

• Voiced GPS systems were not included in GTA V. The reason for this omission is unknown, however it is speculated that game developers felt that voiced navigational systems were not completely necessary, or not worth the effort to program.