The Best HDTVs, Sound Bars, and More for Grand Theft Auto 5

Everything you need to rampage through Los Santos.

By now, there's a good chance you've already spent some time causing mayhem on the streets of Los Santos. But let's be honest: playing Grand Theft Auto V on your tiny TV and listening to Franklin mow down Vagos through tinny speakers isn't a very optimal experience. GTA V is a huge game, and you need to pair it with some decent hardware beyond just the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360. As a service to you, dear reader, here's a list of some of the best home theater equipment we could find to make your GTA V playthrough even better.

Grab a Decent HDTV

Thankfully, the days of paying through the nose for an HDTV are over--well, unless you want some crazy, curved OLED set. Scoring a competent, adequately-sized HDTV is simply a matter of finding out which unit offers the best feature-set for the money. And in that regard, you're hard pressed to find a better HDTV than Panasonic's ST60.
A follow-up to last year's excellent ST50, this year's model features even crisper picture quality, deeper blacks, a full suite of Smart TV functions, and the ST60 even comes bundled with two pairs of 3D glasses. Even better, you can grab a 60-inch Panasonic ST60 for $1,497.99 at ABT. The 50-inch model is less than $1,000.
Here's a few other suggestions worth considering:
51" Samsung PN51F4500 - Buy for $477.99 at Dell Home
55" Sony KDL-55W802A - Buy for $1,498.00 at Amazon
65" Panasonic TC-P65S60 - Buy for $1,399 at Amazon

Surround Yourself with Los Santos

Nearly as important as being able to see the action GTA V, you're going to need to hear all those incessant gun shots and the weird statements from pedestrians on the street. You could always go with a decent headset to keep things more private--we'll come back to that later--but where's the fun in listening to Trevor scream crazy stuff if everyone else in the room can't hear it?
Sound bars are quickly taking over the home theater space, thanks to their simplicity and relatively low cost. Vizio's S4251W-B4 is a great 42-inch bar with a wireless subwoofer and two rear satellite speakers, offering impressive 5.1 surround. You can pick one up for $298 at Amazon.
More sounds for noise hounds:
MartinLogan Motion Vision - Buy for $1,300 at Amazon
Energy Take Classic 5.1 - Buy for $349.00 at Amazon
Yamaha RX-V375 5.1 Receiver - Buy for $249.95 at Amazon

Keep Los Santos to Yourself

OK, so maybe you don't want everyone in the room to hear what's going on while you're playing Grand Theft Auto V. Whether it's a late night session where everyone in your place is doing something dumb like...sleeping? Or maybe it's just the questionable language uttered in GTA V would make Andrew Dice Clay blush, there's plenty of reasons to own a nice gaming headset. And when GTA V Online launches next month, you'll want a mic to chat with friends.
While there's a wide range of quality headsets on the market, the sound and build of the Astro A50s are hard to beat. These wireless cans are arguably the most comfortable we've ever worn, and you'll be able to hear every directional noise in GTA V with crystal clarity. Pick up a pair now for $299.99 at Amazon.
Even more headset options:
Creative Sound Blaster Tactic 3D Omega Wireless - Buy for $134.95 at Amazon
Tritton 720+ 7.1 Surround Headset - Buy for $147.98 at Amazon
Turtle Beach Ear Force PX51 - Buy for $250.14 at Amazon

Keep Everything Under Control

Obviously, game controllers--when talking about console titles--are kind of a strange subject. You can just use the standard Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 devices when playing GTA V, but there's still a few options to consider. If your Xbox 360 is kind of long in the tooth, don't forget Microsoft released an updated wireless controller a while back with a pop-up directional pad for $48.99 on Amazon.
You can also grab a quick-charge dock for Xbox 360 by Nyko for $23.98 on Amazon, and PDP makes a dual controller charging stand for PS3 for just about $20 on Amazon.
More controller options for GTA V:
AfterGlow Xbox 360 controller - Buy for $29 at Amazon
Gold PlayStation 3 controller (BLING!) - Buy for $39.99 at Amazon
HORI Xbox 360 Racing Wheel EX2 - Buy for $69.99 at Amazon

Other Stuff for the GTA V Enthusiast

Just in case you missed it, IGN recently ran a story about all kinds of GTA V-inspired accessories and knick-knacks. You can decorate your room with a ridiculously giant poster, or protect your new iPhone with a GTA V case. There's even a Los Santos sheriff's hat, so you can let everyone know how much time you spend playing GTA V on the rare occasion you venture out of your house to acquire more food.
And if you don't have a PlayStation 3 yet, don't forget about the 500GB bundle for $269 at Amazon. Have fun in Los Santos!