Grand Theft Auto might be the most popular game series in the world, and Grand Theft Auto 6 is expected to be the biggest entertainment launch of all time when it's released on Nov. 19. So you would expect the whole of the GTA series to be easy to find and play, right? Wrong!
Rockstar Games seems to have an ambivalent attitude towards GTA's past, particularly the early 2D games and some spinoff titles, and its record in making these games available is decidedly spotty. Below, we break down the current state of availability of every game in the series — where you can find it, and what the best way to play it is.
The GTA series is often divided into three eras: the "2D universe," the "3D universe," and the "HD universe." As a broad rule of thumb, the games in the 3D and HD universes are mostly available, with some caveats, while the 2D universe games are unavailable unless you have old hardware or are prepared to get creative.
GTA Plus is a good place to start
If you're a GTA Online player, or even if you're not, the GTA Plus subscription service is a good-value shortcut to playing classic GTA games. Access to a roster of classic Rockstar games is included, which naturally includes a few GTA titles. At the moment, the following GTA games are included:
- Grand Theft Auto 3
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
- Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
- Grand Theft Auto 5
- Grand Theft Auto Online
GTA Plus costs $7.99 per month. Access is limited to the platform you subscribe to GTA Plus on (console or PC) plus mobile versions of the games, where applicable.
Now let's run down every game in the series and where you can play it.
1 Grand Theft Auto
- Year: 1997
- Where to play: Game Boy Color, PlayStation 1, Windows PC
The original 1997 game — played viewed from above, in 2D — predates Rockstar Games itself and is not officially available currently. For a while, it was available to download for free from Rockstar's website, but it was removed in 2013.
GTA can be considered abandonware at this point; whether this makes pirating a copy ethically acceptable is up to the individual. It won't run on a modern PC without modification though. If you have retro consoles, the Game Boy Color version is pretty rudimentary, and the PlayStation version has the benefit of a hardcopy map included.
2 Grand Theft Auto: London 1969
- Year: 1999
- Where to play: PlayStation, Windows PC
This expansion for the original GTA, taking action back to swinging London, is also officially unavailable, and all the above applies: you'll need to source a modified version to run on a modern PC, or play it from a classic PlayStation disc. The PlayStation version was also sold as a standalone game called GTA: London — Special Edition.
3 Grand Theft Auto: London 1961
- Year: 1999
- Where to play: Windows PC
This second expansion for the original GTA was released as freeware, and on PC only. It's officially unavailable and you'll need to source modified code to run it on a modern PC.
4 Grand Theft Auto 2
- Year: 1999
- Where to play: Game Boy Color, Dreamcast, PlayStation, Windows PC
Generally considered something of a miss, this rote sequel is oddly set in the (then) future of 2013. As for availability, you know the drill by now. You'll need to find modified PC code somewhere or own retro consoles. Avoid the basic Game Boy Color version and track it down on Dreamcast on PlayStation.
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5 Grand Theft Auto 3
- Year: 2001
- Where to play: Grand Theft Auto Trilogy — The Definitive Edition on Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
In the "3D universe" era, things get a lot easier. The game-changing cultural event that was GTA 3 is pretty easy to play, but there's a problem.
On all modern consoles, PC, and mobile, you can play the 2021 remaster that was included in Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy — The Definitive Edition. A word of caution, though. The remaster, developed by Grove Street Games, was widely criticized for technical issues and unfaithful visual upgrades. It's been improved in patches since, but it's still not exactly the classic GTA 3 experience. It's a poor state of affairs for one of the most important and influential games of all time.
If you want to play something closer to the original version of the game, the 10 Year Anniversary Edition mobile port from 2011 is still available on iOS and Android. The absolute best experience is probably an original copy of the game on PlayStation 2 or Xbox.
6 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
- Year: 2002
- Where to play: Grand Theft Auto Trilogy — The Definitive Edition on Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
Everything I wrote above about GTA 3 applies here. You can play the 2021 remaster on just about anything, but it's not very faithful. The 10th anniversary mobile port is still available, but purists should track down an original PS2 or Xbox copy.
7 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Year: 2004
- Where to play: Grand Theft Auto Trilogy — The Definitive Edition on Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
Same again! For ease, opt for the Definitive Edition on your platform of choice. If you're not into the remaster's changes, try the 10th anniversary mobile port or track down an original PS2 or Xbox copy.
There's a twist here, though — the 10th anniversary edition of San Andreas also found its way to PS3 and Xbox 360, and the Xbox 360 version is backward compatible with Xbox One and Xbox Series X. It's not for sale, but if you own it digitally or have it on disc, you can play it on your modern Xbox.
8 Grand Theft Auto Advance
- Year: 2004
- Where to play: Game Boy Advance
Here's a real curio: a GTA game in the top-down 2D style, but officially part of the 3D universe canon, and a prequel to GTA 3. It's no longer officially available; your only option here is to track down an original cart and play it on retro hardware.
9 Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
- Year: 2005
- Where to play: Android, iOS
Here's another GTA 3 prequel, this time with more recognizable 3D gameplay. It was originally released for the PlayStation Portable handheld, and later got a PS2 version, but the easiest way to play it now is the mobile port from the mid-2010s.
10 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
- Year: 2006
- Where to play: PSP, PS2
Rockstar Games continued its run of handheld prequels to the 3D universe games with this companion piece to Vice City, which, for whatever reason, it did not deign to bless with a mobile port. If you want to play this one, you'll need a PSP or a PS2 to do so; it's no longer officially available.
Facts Only
*Grand Theft Auto* (1997) is available on Game Boy Color, PlayStation 1, and Windows PC.
*Grand Theft Auto: London 1969* is available on PlayStation and Windows PC.
*Grand Theft Auto: London 1961* is available on Windows PC as freeware but is currently unavailable.
*Grand Theft Auto 2* is available on Game Boy Color, Dreamcast, PlayStation, and Windows PC via modified code or retro consoles.
*Grand Theft Auto 3* is available on Grand Theft Auto Trilogy — The Definitive Edition on Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
*Grand Theft Auto: Vice City* is available on Grand Theft Auto Trilogy — The Definitive Edition across multiple platforms.
*Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas* is available on Grand Theft Auto Trilogy — The Definitive Edition across multiple platforms.
*Grand Theft Auto Advance* is available on Game Boy Advance.
*Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories* is available on Android and iOS.
*Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories* is available on PSP and PS2.
GTA Plus provides access to *Grand Theft Auto 3*, *Vice City*, *San Andreas*, *Liberty City Stories*, *Chinatown Wars*, *GTA 5*, and *GTA Online*.
Executive Summary
The availability of the Grand Theft Auto series varies significantly depending on the game. The GTA Plus subscription offers access to several classic titles, including *GTA 3*, *Vice City*, *San Andreas*, *Liberty City Stories*, *Chinatown Wars*, and *GTA Online*. For games in the "3D universe" and "HD universe," such as *GTA 3*, *Vice City*, and *San Andreas*, modern versions are accessible through the Grand Theft Auto Trilogy — The Definitive Edition across various platforms including PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS. However, playing these remastered editions may not replicate the original experience, and owning original console copies is suggested for purists.
Older or 2D games present different accessibility challenges. *Grand Theft Auto* (1997) and its expansions, along with *Grand Theft Auto: London 1969*, *GTA: London 1961*, and *GTA 2*, are generally unavailable officially and require sourcing modified code or retro hardware to run on modern systems. *Grand Theft Auto Advance* is available only on the Game Boy Advance, and *Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories* requires a PSP or PS2 for access.
Full Take
The material establishes a clear dichotomy between the ease of accessing modern iterations of GTA games and the scarcity surrounding older, legacy titles. The core pattern observed is the fragmentation of history within a single intellectual property: accessible, polished remasters versus inaccessible, historically rich artifacts locked behind technical or distribution barriers. This creates an inherent tension where the "best" experience conflicts with the ability to access it.
The reliance on "Definitive Editions" for titles like *GTA 3*, *Vice City*, and *San Andreas* suggests a narrative preference for curated experiences over raw historical context, implicitly framing the remaster as the default, accessible truth. This can create an unspoken expectation that older, less polished versions are inherently less valuable or playable. Furthermore, the discussion around *GTA 1* and its expansions being "abandonware" highlights how digital rights and technological obsolescence directly impact cultural ownership of media. The mechanism appears to be leveraging nostalgia for accessibility, but the resulting state is one where agency over historical access is mediated by platform availability and community modification.
What is the implication here? It suggests that contemporary access frameworks often prioritize convenience and broad distribution—the "3D universe" era—over full historical fidelity. The missing content acts as a boundary, suggesting that true engagement with the entire canon requires navigating external systems (retro hardware or modding) rather than being seamlessly integrated into a single product stream.
What questions remain? If modern availability is the standard, how does the perceived value shift when the "best" experience is necessarily a compromised one? What responsibility do distributors bear when historical context is intentionally fragmented across platforms? What methods exist for valuing and preserving the inaccessible elements of cultural history within digital media ecosystems?
Sentinel — Human
The text reads like an experienced journalist providing detailed, context-aware archival information, using subjective advice to guide the reader's choice rather than presenting pure, unvarnished data.