Editor's Note. Given the sheer number of releases these days, it is impossible for us to reassess individual games in the weeks, months, sometimes years after our initial review. When post-launch updates reportedly improve the experience, we insert a note at the top of our reviews stating such, but the body of the review text and the score remains untouched.
This particular Switch release, however, was an especially notable disappointment given the prestige and iconic status of these titles in video gaming canon. So, we've made a very specific exception and asked PJ to redownload the trilogy to see how it compares to the GTA Switch ports he first played just over 18 months ago...
Back at the tail end of 2021, Rockstar Games unleashed the ludicrously named Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition on Nintendo Switch, bringing a distinctly indefinitive, problematic, and shoddy port of three stone-cold classics to the eShop.
Looking back on our review at the time, we awarded the collection a 4/10, stating that;
"Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition on Switch delivers three of gaming's true greats in a shockingly rough package that manages to suck pretty much all of the fun out of Rockstar's stellar crime epics. This is a poor port, a shoddy, stuttery, low resolution mess full of bugs, glitches, audio problems and more besides."
Ouch. And in all honestly, after spending more time with the games in the weeks that followed our initial assessment, we continued to find more and more issues with a package that was genuinely a complete and utter waste of your time and money.
However, such is the compelling nature of the three juggernauts of open-world gaming contained within the GTA trilogy, we have found ourselves waiting and watching, occasionally redownloading and checking online to see what sort of state these games are currently in.
So, Has The GTA Trilogy On Switch Improved?
Well, as of right now, the trilogy has reached version 1.07 through a series of patches and updates, and sitting down to spend some time with all three the results so far are fairly reasonable.
The last update dropped in October of 2022 and was described by Rockstar as simply "stability updates", which isn't helpful in the slightest, but it was actually the previous patch, 1.06, that seems to have made the most difference overall to the performance of all three titles.
Jumping back into Grand Theft Auto 3, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is now an immediately more satisfying experience overall.
The first thing you'll notice, across all three games, is that they now have much-improved frame pacing and frame rates in general. Where the initial release was an absolute mess in terms of how it juddered and stuttered along, these ports now run at a pretty much locked 30fps, with a few slight drops to the high 20s here and there. They feel much more playable and smooth as a result and it's great to see that the most immediate, egregious, and noticeable problem has, for the most part, been ironed out.
Of course, this is a definitive edition of three fairly old games, Rockstar and Grove Street Games shouldn't be getting any brownie points whatsoever for finally making them run kinda smoothly, but we'll take what we can get at this point.
The second major issue that we had at launch involved an awful draw distance combined with vehicles that would materialise out of nowhere, making driving feel like a real chore. Add some serious scenery pop-in to this mix and you had a visual mess to contend with.
Once again, as of patch 1.06, most of these issues have been improved, if not fixed entirely. The draw distance is better, the pop-in is nowhere near as bad, and the materialising cars, although still very much present, at least have the decency to appear out of nowhere slightly further down the road.
Again, this is all stuff that should never have been a problem in the first place but, if we're to let bygones be bygones, combining these small wins with the frame rate and pacing improvements you've got an experience that is much improved over the dog's dinner we first sat down to. These improvements apply to all three games, although in terms of slight stutters and blurry effects, San Andreas does still chug here and there.
But overall, yes, the performance on a basic level is now acceptable. Well done.
With regards to finer details, all three games are definitely less Vaseline-smeared than at launch, both GTA 3 and Vice City are approaching what we would describe as sharp, especially in portable mode, and San Andreas, although still a little blurred, is much better than it was. These, of course, are differences we're noticing without any special equipment or Digital Foundry levels of assessment and know-how, so this is all stuff you should be able to feel and see for yourself pretty much as soon as you relaunch into the trilogy.
Other stuff we've picked up on during our revisit includes shop fronts that are much cleaner than the AI-enhanced disasters we encountered in 2021. Dynamic lighting has been introduced in places, we've spotted screen-space reflections in San Andreas, combat no longer brings with it sluggish aiming or stutters, and even loading times — although still a little long in places — are absolutely better than they were. Oh, and brightness levels, which were completely off in GTA 3, are now sorted, so that's nice.
Is It Worth Getting The GTA Trilogy On Switch Now?
All of these niggles and problems were, for us, the major setbacks that made the original release of this trilogy on Switch an experience that we recommended everyone avoid, and now that they're all somewhat sorted, we'd be tempted to very tentatively say this is a package that's now worth picking up.
However, there are still problems here and this is still very far from any sort of definitive experience. These games remain disappointing ports in our eyes, regardless of some nicer visuals and the now-reasonably solid performance. There are also still plenty of bugs to go around.
We've spent about ten hours all told revisiting these games and in that time we've seen plenty of clipping issues, with our protagonist failing to connect with scenery properly whilst clambering and climbing around, we've spotted a few flying cars and floating NPCs here and there, and noticed some audio issues to boot.
Most of this stuff can be ignored — although traffic that doesn't seem to know where it's headed at times is something that absolutely needs to be addressed — but it's still not great. Jump onto the game's many online forums and you'll find lots of folk still complaining, too, with issues related to enemy spawn rates leading to failed timer missions, buggy physics, crashes, and all sorts of stuff that just pulls you out of the experience time and time again.
18 months down the line, this very slapdash experience is also sat at a premium price tag, a price tag that demands a much better overall experience than this, even with the improvements, nips, and tucks we've seen since 2021. It has been on sale in that time, and in the end we still wouldn't really recommend it unless you can pick it up discounted.
And that's really the long and short of it. Yes, Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition is better than it was. Of course it is. It launched in an absolute shambles.
A definitive edition, though, should bring with it noticeable improvements, embellishments, and surprises to an original experience. This particular Definitive Edition is still struggling to match what players were treated to with these games back in the day. It's passable without being in any way impressive at this late stage.
We've seen rumours, alongside a now-deleted tweet, that the base code of this trilogy has been changed, we've heard that Grove Street Games is now off the job and Rockstar will be handling things from here. However, all of this stuff is way too late for the many, many people who got burnt to the tune of fifty notes when three all-time greats launched in one of the absolute worst release states we've seen on Switch.
They're now better than they were, but still not great. Take from that what you will.
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Comments 71
"A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad." - Shigeru Miyamoto
Thank you very much for reassessing this trilogy. I've been wondering lately if it was playable after all the patches. Will probably hold off still, as I only feel any nostalgia for Vice City. I wish I could buy it for 1/3 of the price tag, at discount
Very good review, I was thinking of getting this game but I will wait a little longer. This game still getting more updates?
So basically still a sub-par-experience. In summary, if you have no other way to play the games then this is a good as it will get. Retro City Rampage and Shakedown Hawaii are probably better choices if you are looking for driving around and shoot things.
Hard to believe they’re still fixing/working on a game if the last patch was 8 months ago.
simple, i love this on switch handheld GTA is playable
framerate run better alot than my PS2 ver when driving too fast unable enough time to Loading the Road.
Removed - trolling/baiting
Grabbed it in the summer sale for £25. Looking at roughly £8 per game, I was happy to pay this and I'm satisfied with the experience
I was fool enough to buy this when it launched, but I have only played Vice City. Although there still issues with the last updates, it is playable. Adding the fog back in makes a big difference
Awesome. Now tell us if Ark is finally playable on switch.
Did they fix the graphical models they broke by just auto-smoothing everything? Like that Nuts and bolts gag they turned into a donut?
@Cia I understand not liking a game series; I will never touch a Fire Emblem game. But feeling fraudenschaude because a bad port cheated innocent people out of money is kinda petty.
No lol. The developer on this one is absolute low level trash. Despite being a huge fan of their latest eshop release, something with as much scope as this should not have been left to them. What an oversight.
The physical version still has only 1 game in the cartridge?
If so, then no. It's not any better than at launch.
@Cia
"I'm so happy these games failed to deliver."
i dont even care about GTA but now i hope your favorite upcoming games are disappointing, whatever they are. 👍
@HammerGalladeBro I think that the game cartridge has both GTA III and GTA San Andreas. Only Vice City is a download if I am not mistaken.
You know what they say about polishing a turd...
@Cia wow, what a petty attitude to have!
I'll buy it one day when it's on sale, like 10 bucks or so. It's just not worth more to me.
@Zuljaras He didn't say that
Loved this update and would love to see more! I really wanted this game to be stellar so I could try out the series, but because I have no nostalgia for this series, I don’t think this collection would be fun for me, even with the improvements.
Cult of the Lamb is another game for which I would love a second look. I heard it’s better compared to its launch version.
Objectively speaking it HAS. You can just look at all the Switch patch version comparison videos on YT that does a good job like on SwitchUP.
Is it good as it could have? Lol no. GS Games screwed the pooch hard.
They are generally better, though the new style still ruins a lot of these games uniqueness....
Alan Wake may be worth a second look, one patch made a big difference to the performance, though the resolution is still some of the worst I've seen on Switch.
@NinjaNicky No. The mobile versions still had the classic [much better] character aesthetic and didn’t have some of the new Trilogy QoL additions like weapon wheel selection that is in more modern GTA games.
Ya, fair assessment.
They're definitely in a playable state now and I can recommend to anyone interested. Albeit with the understanding they should have been even better.
But still. If you want the classic GTA experience on Switch, it's now on the menu without any serious strings attached.
If only all of the updated versions of the games were on the physical, then I might jump. Otherwise, I'll just get out my PS2
All three games are available on iOS and Android, and maintain the integrity of their original releases. They’re also a mere fraction of the price. If you need a definitive (and mobile) GTA experience, there are alternatives to this dumpster fire.
I agree. It’s fine and enjoyable. I think it’s worth it because I have nostalgia for the originals. Much better than when it first launched. Complaints are minor now, at launch they were major.
There were objectively rough things about the ports at launch, and my own fair bit of time with the trilogy has seen a couple crashes here and there, but overall, the GTA games on Switch are more than decent by now and predictably blessed by the portability granted to them (which you'd think should be common knowledge since Gen 7 at latest). But if you're too sensitive for their current state, there are equally meaty alternatives like Saints Row and LA Noire (plus all the top-down homages from Retro City Rampage to American Fugitive to Rustler) on the same platform.
I think I'm still keeping my standards incredibly high for this. They should've developed this game with the Switch as a priority, because there really is so much you could do with making a "remake" with "old textures" or something like that. This was inexcusable quality for something so simple.
I could understand botching a port for GTA V (if that ever came around). The game has a huge file size, even for the PS3 and 360. This, however, could have been avoided entirely had they decided to focus on the Switch, then make massive improvements on other platforms. They seriously need to start thinking like Capcom.
Would have preferred some of the top down GTAs anyway.
Can't excuse PS2/3 era games running poorly on Switch or anything else for that matter. Shoddy cash grab with minimum effort.
Still garbage and still not worth the 20 GBs of download.
I’m really glad this article was posted as I’ve had this thing “in my cart” for quite some time. I love the idea of playing this on switch but I can’t shake the feeling I need to get it instead on PlayStation.
I really only want to play 3 and Vice City (I’ve never played San Andreas so I have no nostalgia for it like I do the others.)
Sounds like I’ll need to continue watching it and see how it (continues to) shapes up. I don’t want any compromises for that price tag especially on a PS2 port. 😩
2 of the most amazing games in existence (GTA3, GTA VC) got that port. Everything would be fine if they cared about the music and brought every single song from the original versions.
Alas, poor Martinez.
I never played them, soon I will try them.
There is just one game that was unplayable for me on Switch, Poly Bridge.
Removed - flaming/arguing
Runs OK now, played some recently and enjoyed it. That said I got it cheap in an Eshop sale, wouldn’t have wanted to pay much more than I did.
Removed - flaming/arguing
Never found it issue at launch. Completed GTA3, half way through Vice City. Stopped playing due to other games releasing and getting PS5. Not sure when I will go back to them.
It’s such a shame these were released like this. I would have loved having these games on Switch.
I picked up a physical copy for $10. It’s still rough and the frame rate can still be pretty bad imo. That being said I’m having a good time in spite of the shoddy port job.
I think this makes sense on a Switch simply as a portable GTA trilogy, and the games look better on a handheld anyways. When I played this on my Xbox I was amazed by how bad the performance was, totally not worth messing around with.
@HammerGalladeBro It technically has all 3 games, but VC requires the complete download and 3 and SA only comes with half the data, requiring you to download the rest.
I did runs of 3 and Vice City on PS Plus and while they had issues they were functional. I keep meaning to pick the collection up on either PS5 or Switch if I can find it cheap enough but I never see it lower than $30.
I played the games post patch and while not perfect, it's fine. It's a shame these games weren't optimized better for all platforms for that matter, but at least they're not totally broken. The ability to play these on Switch outweighs the issues.
I know there's issues, but at it's current state they aren't game breaking and even so I don't care. I'm just happy grand theft auto is finally on switch. We were stuck with saints row for the longest time now we finally have GTA. They are still playable and look fine and play fine, after the updates. I really really really wish they'd port GTA IV (yes, 4) to switch. I loved IV the most of the entire series. Hard to believe it's still stuck on decades old consoles (PS3/360).
While it's admirable that they've made improvements to what seemed like an absolutely disastrous launch, my initial interest in revisiting these games (and I only briefly played GTA3 back in the day, VC and SA passed me by) has long-since dissipated. It's also pretty much put me off going in on games on day one, knowing full well that there'll be patches and updates at least a couple of weeks after launch, and I feel like a dodged a pretty sizeable bullet.
I played them all through during March-May 2022. I found them all perfectly playable. Slight framerate hiccups here and there, but nothing soul-destroying. Very minor graphical glitches and hardly any bugs. Maybe I was lucky, but I believe you can enjoy the games just fine unless you are going out of your way to be upset in all honesty.
In saying that, I am not excusing the developer or publisher for the state of the game at launch. That was unacceptable.
Their half-assed attempt at this and it's poor reception buried the chance of getting RDR Remastered on Switch, which I was far more excited for. This just makes me sad now.
I'm happy that there's been some improvement, but in my humble opinion, the performance of this game at launch is downright inexcusable, and I think they STILL should be working on improving the performance, the last update was quite a while back. When this game launched, I was dumbstruck at what I saw. I personally feel that anyone who bought this game at launch had their money stolen. It was that bad. So I'm against praising them too much, even if the game is now at a playable state. What happened is something that should NEVER happen, especially among big named game developers like Rockstar. I don't want to praise them for patching up a game, so it runs, when it should've run perfectly fine from the get-go.
Too much praise over patches that shouldn't have been necessary to begin with, is like condoning their actions. Just my opinion.
"And I ran... I ran so far away..."
Please do this for more games! Big gaming websites that I know of haven’t done this. Not only interesting, but informative and up to date information is great.
Seems like most still occurring glitches are humorous with the rare occurrence of being soft locked at specific missions.
Vice City has crashed on me more times than I can recall. If the source material wasn't as good as it was, most of us wouldn't have been so forgiving. The only other game that has come close to this level of sloppiness was Pokémon Scarlet/Violet.
I've since moved on to GTA III, which I have been enjoying a lot less, mainly because sprinting doesn't even seem possible (?!) and the controls/movements are more tanky. I've only played the opening mission(s) of San Andreas, and it fares a lot better, but I've hardly played that yet.
Vice City also dumps you back in the game before the environment around you has even finished rendering, so you'll often witness hideously muddy visuals while the game catches up. I've encountered plenty of other glitches as well, which weren't particularly problematic in the grand scheme of things (nothing particularly game-breaking), but they really speak to the sloppiness of these so-called "definitive editions" (and to say nothing of the substituted music, because Rockstar is destitute, after all).
And for those interested in the half-assed "physical" release, you're looking at about 12.1GB in "updates". 1GB for GTAIII, 5GB for Vice City (which is unplayable without), and 6.1GB for San Andreas. The latter is particularly ironic, because the "update" alone is bigger than the entirety of Vice City (how?).
Rockstar have exploited the goodwill of longtime fans to the extent that we would be willing to tolerate, but I don't think I will ever buy another Rockstar release again unless Bully gets a re-release (with Wii motion controls intact), or if GTA V is playable on cart, and again, only because of the strength of the source material. Consider my tolerance for consumer contempt exhausted.
@Zuljaras Pretty sure it's been proved that miyamoto never said that, but the point still stands
@Roz1281 Yep, the point still stands
Steam let's you return a game you are not satisfied with, within a time frame. It is clear that Nintendo cannot guarantee the quality of games on its platform so they should do the same. If Rockstar saw that 90% of purchases had been returned, they would have fixed the game properly. It would make Nintendo seem like a more trustworthy brand.
Never planned on getting it due to it being rushed out for holiday $ales, but it's cool you revisited it. I sometimes check the comment sections here when looking at older games on sale that were reviewed with performance problems just hoping someone had posted an update on patches.
Runs fine on the PS4. Exactly what I wanted - polished (not remade) visuals, QoL improvements (improved navigation, GTAV-style controls etc) and a few other bells and whistles. Decent package now, and glad I waited a few months to pick it up. Very few games are worth buying at launch these days, you're just paying a premium to be a glorified guinea pig.
Unfortunately Rockstar lost me with the lack of a physical all on the cart.
Good to know the most notable issues have been fixed, will consider it now when I can find it on sale!
@Piyo I used the internet as the source so there is that
@marcelominucelli no more updates. last update was 7 months ago.
@Piyo yes he did say that.
Yeah the updates are fairly significant and they are fairly well playable now. I wouldn't say they are essential downloads though, sorry
It's really a shame what rockstar did with these games. Really, it's a shame what most of the industry is doing with basically eliminating play testers and releasing unfinished games. Companies need to follow Nintendo's example and start releasing finished games that work again.
Too little too late. Glad to hear theyve been working on this but that fact some of the mentioned issues still exist (vehicles materializing is still too close, and SA performance) is still not a good look and should not be issues on such old games, even on the Switch.
I suggest guetting the PC Version, they play great and have no music removed.
They will run on every Machine nowadays, as they are more than 20 Years old.
Maybe you have to do some little trickery to make them run.
For Example, i have to minimize gta3 once to see the Menue and put gta vice city on one core via the task manager.
There are possible patches out there, but its so minor for me to do it that i didn't care.
@Kiwi_Unlimited Ark has been playable ever since January-ish. Maybe a bit earlier. Way better than before.
@Bobb
I picked it up around $40.00. $13.00 USD a game seemed decent. It's regularly on sale for around $30.00. Each game is worth a tenner.
I was kinda meh about GTA on Switch; I'd made space for other games for awhile. But I was actually very interested in the Trilogy on Switch lately, so I'm reinstalling it as I write this.
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