GTA Trilogy is still broken as it makes its way to Steam and Epic Games Store

GTA Trilogy The Definitive Edition
(Image credit: Rockstar Games)

Until now, PC players wanting to play GTA: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition could only do so through Rockstar Games Launcher. The good news is that the updated versions of GTA 3, Vice City, and San Andreas are finally available on Steam and are coming to Epic Games Store later this month; the bad news is that they're still mired in technical issues.  

Stepping back into the crime-fuelled lives of Claude, Tommy Vercetti, and Carl "CJ" Johnson, this time with updated visuals and improved controls, was a hugely exciting prospect when GTA Trilogy was announced. But the game's launch at the end of 2021 was rocky, to say the least. The myriad technical problems affecting the esteemed titles led to an apology from Rockstar and a promise to "improve each game going forward".

Rockstar has been true to its word and, over the last year, has released updates aimed at improving stability and graphical issues as well as fixes for various bugs. But as reported by PC Gamer, some fans claim that the Steam release is unchanged from the version patched in October 2022. The patch notes for this update didn't specify exactly what improvements were made, and plenty of major bugs remained after its rollout. 

Twitter user videotech_, who works with GTA news site Rockstar Intel, tweeted (below) that they are "a little frustrated" at the lack of additional updates for the Steam release. "We've waited for Rockstar Games to address some of the biggest issues with Definitive Edition, which have been left unaddressed. And they have the full audacity to re-release the games in that state with no patch is beyond me." 

Some who've played the games on Steam are equally disappointed in how they perform. "It's the EXACT same version that was last updated in October last year, and even that update was literally nothing," reads one GTA 3 review. In the review section for Vice City, one player wrote, "I was really hoping Rockstar would fix these games like they promised, but nope."

It's possible that Rockstar could make more improvements to GTA Trilogy in the future, and if you're keen to grab it on Steam, you currently get 50% off its regular price. That makes it $30/£27.50, and this promotional offer is available until February 2. The Steam version comes with achievements and has been listed as "playable" on Steam Deck.

Can't wait for GTA 6? Get your fill of fast cars and loaded guns with these games like GTA.

Anne-Marie Ostler
Freelance Writer

Originally from Ireland, I moved to the UK in 2014 to pursue a Games Journalism and PR degree at Staffordshire University. Following that, I've freelanced for GamesMaster, Games TM, Official PlayStation Magazine and, more recently, Play and GamesRadar+. My love of gaming sprang from successfully defeating that first Goomba in Super Mario Bros on the NES. These days, PlayStation is my jam. When not gaming or writing, I can usually be found scouring the internet for anything Tomb Raider related to add to my out of control memorabilia collection.

Read more
Lester sitting at a computer in some artwork for GTA Online
Some GTA 5 players can't bring their characters to the new PC upgrade, and the open-world game's mixed Steam reviews are hammering FPS caps and a lack of text chat
Vice City
Rockstar literally just took down a Liberty City GTA 5 mod, but that's not stopping these modders porting Vice City into GTA 4 - and they might just get away with it
Vice City
Months after porting GTA 3 to Dreamcast, the same devs are repeating the trick with Vice City, and they already have rough progress to show
GTA Vice City
Former GTA dev weighs in on Rockstar's attempt to silence Vice City mod that ports the whole game to GTA 4: "This is what companies are supposed to do"
Grand Taking Ages
GTA 6 parody previously pulled from PlayStation store now set to release on Steam after being updated "to emphasize its unique direction," dev wants Sony to reconsider
GTA 5
GTA 5 is giving PC players a free upgrade that brings it up to par with the console versions and adds some PC-exclusive features
Latest in Grand Theft Auto
GTA 6 trailer screenshots showing lucia in an interview room
"GTA 6 is basically a huge meteor, and we will just stay clear of the blast zone": Publishers are in a frenzy over when to release their games to avoid Rockstar
GTA 6 trailer screenshots
Weeks after modding GTA 6's map to GTA 5, modder pre-emptively pulls all their work offline after a single YouTube strike from Rockstar's owner
GTA 3
If these flying cars are anything to go by, development on the GTA 3 Dreamcast port is well on its way to becoming GTA Online
A screenshot of protagonist Lucia from GTA 6
GTA 6 is "definitely gonna be a big economic boost for the games industry" that'll help "bring a lot more people back into the ecosystem," says Day of the Devs' lead curator
GTA 6
Sick of waiting for GTA 6, one modder has put its map into GTA 5, and you can try it out right now
How to enter GTA 5 cheats
Despite its history of taking action against GTA mods, a Rockstar-approved GTA 5 modding tool is on the way to "assist the modding community" in the wake of the recent PC upgrade
Latest in News
A big mech's lost its limbs in a screenshot from Mecharashi.
Dev of cancelled Front Mission game wants to resolve Square Enix's copyright lawsuit "amicably" by swapping assets in its new strategy game
Super Mario Odyssey - Mario underwater
Nintendo quietly confirms "Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games" as a separate thing to console exclusives following Virtual Game Cards' big reveal
Everybody's Golf Hot Shots
The surprise theme of today's Nintendo Direct was classic PlayStation franchises getting a comeback without Sony's involvement
Hogwarts Legacy how many spells
Unannounced Hogwarts Legacy DLC reportedly canceled, partly because the studio wasn't sure it'd be worth players' money
Ultimate X-Men #14
Ultimate X-Men #14 pays homage to a classic Wolverine moment as the Shadow King returns
Assassin's Creed Shadows screenshot showing Yasuke kneeling and praying while wearing a traditional purple robe
Ubisoft reaches deal with Tencent to create $4.3 billion mini-Ubisoft subsidiary to "spearhead development" on new Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six games