Thirteen years after the last new Grand Theft Auto, a long wait is drawing toward its end, and a dpa guide from Berlin offers those who want to prepare a map back through the series' past. The path runs from cheap phone editions, to free archived PC files, to the wider and pricier worlds of consoles and PC storefronts, each step asking more effort in exchange for more choice. Behind the practical advice lies an old human habit: reaching backward through the things we once loved so that the next arrival feels less like a beginning and more like a return.
Before GTA VI: How to Replay the Classic Grand Theft Auto Games, From Phones to PC
No official or checked download for GTA London 1969
Mark
So the pitch is, play the old games while you wait for GTA VI?
Mimi
Right. The guide sorts the options by effort and cost, starting with phones, where GTA 3, Vice City and San Andreas start around €5.
Mark
And those are proper versions?
Mimi
Reworked for smartphones and tablets, with touchscreen controls, and sometimes Bluetooth controllers work. GTA IV and V aren't on mobile at all.
Luke
Worth noting the opening premise is conditional. GTA VI is less than a month away only unless another delay intervenes.
Mark
What about the really old games?
Mimi
The 1997 original and GTA 2 can be had free for Windows, from sites like the DOS Games Archive. But newer Windows may need DirectPlay enabled, and sometimes a support package for the 16-bit installer.
Luke
Those setup steps come from Chip, as cited by dpa. The guide doesn't say how reliable they are on every machine.
Mark
And London 1969?
Mimi
No official or checked download. The guide declines to recommend one.
Luke
Good that it says so plainly. Also, the prices are the guide's snapshot. The Switch deal, just under €20 instead of €60, runs until around November 16, and that date is approximate.
Le Pouls
- GTA VI is less than a month away, and the wait has stretched across thirteen years with no new entry in the series.
- Players are being steered toward older titles, and the easiest door, a phone bundle of GTA 3, Vice City and San Andreas, opens for about five dollars.
- Getting 1997-era PC classics to run on modern Windows takes fiddling, with DirectPlay switched on and a support package sometimes needed for the old installers.
- GTA London 1969 remains stranded outside any official download, leaving fans to weigh the risk of less trustworthy corners of the internet.
- A Switch trilogy discount closing around November 16 is the first deadline in sight, and it may settle where many players land before the new release.
Thirteen years after the last new Grand Theft Auto, a long wait is drawing toward its end, and a dpa guide from Berlin offers those who want to prepare a map back through the series' past. The path runs from cheap phone editions, to free archived PC files, to the wider and pricier worlds of consoles and PC storefronts, each step asking more effort in exchange for more choice. Behind the practical advice lies an old human habit: reaching backward through the things we once loved so that the next arrival feels less like a beginning and more like a return.
The wait is nearly over, unless one more delay intervenes. According to a dpa guide published from Berlin, it has been 13 years since the last new Grand Theft Auto game, and GTA VI is now less than a month away. For anyone wanting to warm up, the guide arranges the older titles by effort and cost.
The easiest route is the phone. The App Store and Google Play sell GTA 3, Vice City and San Andreas in versions adapted for touchscreens, often as a slightly cheaper bundle starting around five dollars. A controller can sometimes be connected over Bluetooth. GTA IV and GTA V, however, are still missing from iOS and Android.
Going further back takes more patience. The 1997 original and the gloomy GTA 2 can still be found for Windows PCs, even for free, through reputable archives such as the DOS Games Archive. Getting them to run on Windows 10 or later means adjusting settings: DirectPlay must be enabled, and sometimes a Windows support package is needed for the old 16-bit installers. GTA London 1969 has no checked download at all, and the guide will not recommend sourcing it from the fringes.
Consoles and PC storefronts offer the widest selection. Almost every title from GTA 3 onward is available on Xbox and PlayStation, and the Switch sells the first three games as a trilogy. Prices vary, and the Switch version drops to just under twenty euros until about November 16, a third of its usual price. That is the date to watch.
The wait is nearly over, provided no further delay intervenes. According to a dpa guide published from Berlin, it has been 13 years since the last new Grand Theft Auto game, and GTA VI is now less than a month away. For anyone who wants to warm up, the guide lays out how to get back into the older titles, ordered by effort and cost.
The easiest route is the phone. Apple's App Store and Google Play sell GTA 3, GTA: Vice City and GTA: San Andreas in versions reworked for smartphones and tablets, starting at around €5 or US$5 (about RM20). Depending on the store, the three games are sold as a bundle, which comes out slightly cheaper than buying them one by one. The controls have been adapted to touchscreens, and in some cases a controller can be connected over Bluetooth. GTA IV and GTA V, however, are still not available on iOS or Android.
Going further back is harder but possible. The 1997 original, played from a bird's-eye view, and the gloomy, retro-futuristic GTA 2 can both still be obtained for Windows PCs, and even for free. Reputable sites such as the DOS Games Archive offer them as checked installation files. The expansion pack GTA London 1969, set in a British 1960s style, is another matter.
Getting the old games to run on a modern machine takes some work. On effectively all computers running Windows 10 or later, some settings may need adjusting. German media website Chip, which also offers the original GTA and GTA 2, notes that DirectPlay must be enabled. In some cases a support package for Windows must also be downloaded so the old 16-bit installer will run.
GTA London 1969 has no official or checked download. It can be found in the far corners of the internet, but fans are left sourcing it from less established platforms at their own risk. For that reason, the guide says it cannot make a clear download recommendation.
PC and consoles come last in the guide because they offer the widest choice and the widest range of hardware. On Xbox and PlayStation, almost every title from GTA 3 onward is available, sometimes as a bundle and sometimes individually, in various editions. On Nintendo's Switch, GTA 3, Vice City and San Andreas are sold together as a trilogy.
Prices deserve attention. Polished editions of the early-2000s titles are sometimes sold at nearly full price, just under €60 (about RM270). The Switch version is on offer until around November 16 for just under €20 (about RM90) instead of €60.
On PC, the Rockstar Games Launcher, Steam and Epic Games carry GTA in every variant, from GTA 3 to GTA V Enhanced Edition, which has improved graphics and more. Players should check what their own PC can handle, though that is usually not a problem since GTA V is already 13 years old. Deals are worth looking for here too. With the Switch discount closing around mid-November, that is the first date to watch.
Citations marquantes
DirectPlay must be enabled to run the old games on newer Windows, and some cases need a support package for the 16-bit installer.— German media website Chip, as cited by dpa
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