ZDNET’s key takeaways
- OpenAI’s new GPT-5 model initially replaced prior models at launch last week.
- Due to popular demand, OpenAI is giving users access to legacy models.
- GPT-4o is available as a default to ChatGPT Plus and Pro users (in addition to other legacy models).
The appeal of OpenAI’s highly anticipated GPT-5 lies in its combination of a smart model for most queries and a deeper reasoning model for harder problems, and it automatically chooses either based on the user’s prompt. Since it technically combined the best of OpenAI’s models, the company had it replace all of its legacy models in ChatGPT — and users were not happy.
(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, ZDNET’s parent company, filed an April 2025 lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)
Also: I tested GPT-5’s coding skills, and it was so bad that I’m sticking with GPT-4o (for now)
Paid subscribers, including ChatGPT Plus and Pro users, previously had access to GPT-4o, multiple reasoning models, including o3, o4-mini, and o4-mini-high, and research previews of GPT-4.5 and GPT-4.1. ChatGPT Pro users had a couple of additional perks, such as o3 pro mode. As a result, when OpenAI removed access to these models as it rolled out GPT-5, many subscribers’ workflows were disturbed; some people even cancelled their subscriptions.
OpenAI noticed the feedback and implemented changes immediately. CEO Sam Altman acknowledged on X that people are much more attached to specific models than anticipated, “and so suddenly deprecating old models that users depended on in their workflows was a mistake.”
At first, GPT-4o was brought back as a legacy model, which required some extra steps, including toggling on the “show legacy models” and selecting it from the model picker toggle. However, OpenAI just made the process so much easier. Here’s how to get started.
How to access ChatGPT’s legacy models
What you’ll need: To access the legacy models, you’ll need to subscribe to one of ChatGPT’s premium tiers. ChatGPT Plus costs $20 per month and includes other perks such as higher usage limits for many of OpenAI’s latest features. ChatGPT Pro is meant for super users and retails at $200 per month.
When you log into your ChatGPT account, you’ll see your subscription/account tier in the bottom left-hand corner, where your name is displayed. If it says “Free,” you’ll want to click on it and hit the “Upgrade plan option.”
Also: Is ChatGPT Plus really worth $20 when the free version offers so many premium features?
Once you do, you can opt to subscribe to one of the higher subscription tiers: either ChatGPT Plus for $20 per month or ChatGPT Pro for $200 per month. You’ll then see a chart comparing the plans and their perks, pictured above.
Once you have a Plus or Pro account, by default, you will have the option to toggle between GPT-5, GPT-5 Thinking, and, if you are a Pro user, GPT-5 Pro. Also included by default will now be GPT-4o under the “legacy model” option, automatically displayed.
This allows users to skip the extra step that was initially enabled, which required them to select from the model picker.
To actually use the model, you just have to click on the model picker toggle, which appears when you click the model’s name in the upper left-hand corner.
Also: GPT-5 bombed my coding tests, but redeemed itself with code analysis
If you are a ChatGPT Plus user, you can access GPT-4o,o3, o4-mini, GPT-4.1, and GPT-4.1-mini, in addition to GPT-5 (Auto, Fast, Thinking mini, and Thinking). If you are a Pro user, you get the bonus perks of GPT-4.5 (research preview) and GPT-5 Pro too. Whichever you select will be the one to output your response.