Warm up for ‘GTA VI’ with these classic ‘GTA’ games here for free

Unless another dreaded delay intervenes, the 13-year wait for a new Grand Theft Auto game is less than a month away.

To make the wait for “GTA VI” easier, the older games still offer plenty of fun, not just for retro fans. But who still has the old CD or DVD editions, or the matching drive to play them?

No problem: There are several ways you can easily jump back into older games in the cult series. Here is a quick overview, sorted by effort and cost.

The simplest solution – GTA on a smartphone

Apple’s App Store and Google Play offer a quick and inexpensive way in. From around €5 or $5, players can get “GTA 3”, “GTA: Vice City” and “GTA: San Andreas” in versions reworked for smartphones and tablets.

Depending on the store, all three titles are available as a bundle, which makes it slightly cheaper than buying them individually. The controls are well adapted to touchscreens, and in some cases controllers can also be connected via Bluetooth.

What is not available: “GTA IV” and “GTA V” are so far not available on iOS or Android.

Trickier, but possible – playing the first three GTA games

Do you remember “Grand Theft Auto”, the 1997 debut seen from a bird’s-eye view, the expansion pack “GTA London 1969”, set in a British 1960s style, or the gloomy, retro-futuristic sequel “GTA 2”? The good news is that at least the two main games can still be obtained for Windows PCs – even for free.

Both classics are available on various reputable websites online as free, checked installation files, such as on the DOS Games Archive.

Note: on many newer computers – effectively all those running Windows 10 or later – some settings may need to be adjusted before the old software runs smoothly. Among other things, DirectPlay must be enabled, according to German media website Chip, which also offers the original “GTA” and “GTA 2”. In some cases, a support package for Windows also has to be downloaded in order to run the old 16-bit installer.

The situation is trickier for “GTA London 1969”. The add-on can be found in the far corners of the internet, but not as an official or checked download. Fans are left with only one option: sourcing the game on less established platforms at their own risk. For this reason, we can’t make a clear download recommendation here.

PC and console: this is where it pays to look for deals

Why PC and console last? Simply because there is the greatest choice here, and a wide range of possible hardware. Here they are in order:

• Check console stores: For Xbox and PlayStation, almost all titles from “GTA 3” onwards are available, sometimes as a bundle, sometimes individually and in different editions. For Nintendo’s Switch, “GTA 3”, “GTA: Vice City” and “GTA: San Andreas” are available as a bundled trilogy. It pays to look for deals in the console stores, as polished editions of “GTA” titles from the early 2000s are sometimes available at almost full price of just under €60. The Switch version is available until around November 16 for just under €20 instead of €60.

• PC – an overwhelming choice: The Rockstar Game Launcher, Steam and Epic Games all offer “GTA” in every variant, from “GTA 3” to “GTA V Enhanced Edition”, which has improved graphics and more. Here, players need to check what their own PC can handle. Usually this is not a problem, as “GTA V” is already 13 years old. Here too, it is worth checking for deals.