Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto titles remain some of the most popular video games produced to date, earning widespread critical acclaim and smashing sales records. Considering Grand Theft Auto's incredible success, it's important for many gamers that they have a platform that can readily access the various games in the series.
The Grand Theft Auto games have been going on for decades now, and so there aren't any consoles available that can play literally every game in the series. This includes the PlayStation 5, but while the PS5 can't play every GTA game, it can play four of them - and four of the best in the series, at that.
Here are the four Grand Theft Auto games that are currently playable on PS5. Keep in mind that it's possible new Grand Theft Auto games or remasters will release for the console down the line, and so this lineup could very well change in future.
Grand Theft Auto 3
Grand Theft Auto 3 is the game that really saw the franchise take off in popularity. The jump from the top-down view in the first Grand Theft Auto games to the 3D free-roaming in GTA 3 was revolutionary, inspiring countless copycats and leaving an incredible impact on the industry that is still apparent to this day. Grand Theft Auto 3 has near infinite replay value, as players can tackle its creative story missions, complete side activities, or spend hours causing mayhem.
Grand Theft Auto 3 was given a slight visual uptick and trophy support when it released on the PS4 a few years ago. Thanks to the PS5's backward compatibility with PS4, owners of Sony's next-generation console can play the game on their new platform.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
The same can be said for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, which was similarly re-released for the PS4 and is therefore playable on the PlayStation 5. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is the sequel to GTA 3, swapping the setting for the Miami-inspired Vice City as opposed to GTA 3's New York City-based Liberty City. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City featured a fully-voiced protagonist in the form of Tommy Vercetti, which was quite the departure from GTA 3's silent protagonist. It also added new weapons, vehicles, and features like the ability to purchase real estate. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City made a number of innovations and is still hailed by many as their favorite GTA game, so it's great that it's readily available to play on the PS5.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
At the time of its release, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was a landmark open world game, pushing the GTA series forward to major ways. San Andreas features the largest open world out of any of the PS2-era Grand Theft Auto games, offering considerable size and scope. The storytelling in San Andreas is a tad sharper than in the previous two Grand Theft Auto games, with more fully fleshed-out characters and some shocking plot twists.
San Andreas took Grand Theft Auto customization to new heights, allowing players to complete change the appearance of main character CJ based on how they played him. It also added a secret co-op mode, even more weapons and vehicles, and remains an absolute blast to play to this day. It's worth noting that the version of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on PS5 is based on the original PS2 release, meaning the content that was stripped out of the mobile version is present and accounted for when playing the game on the PS5.
Grand Theft Auto 5
Some fans may have been surprised to learn that the PS2-era Grand Theft Auto games are available to play on the PS5, but they may not be surprised when they realize Grand Theft Auto 5 is also available on the system. Once again, PS5's backward compatibility with the PS4 comes into play, letting players access not just Grand Theft Auto 5's award-winning story mode, but its persistently popular multiplayer mode, Grand Theft Auto Online, as well.
While Grand Theft Auto 5 is available to play on PS5 through the PS4 version, it's worth pointing out that the game is going to get a dedicated PS5 version later this year. The Grand Theft Auto 5 PS5 release date is November 11, 2021, at which point fans can expect to play a version of the game that takes better advantage of the PS5's unique features. While fans shouldn't expect a complete retooling of the Grand Theft Auto 5 experience, there should still be some improvements that will make it worth giving the game another look.
Future Grand Theft Auto Games on PS5
As it stands, these four Grand Theft Auto games are the only ones playable on the PlayStation 5, but there's a chance that could change in the future. It's possible that the other GTA games released on PS2 will eventually be added to the lineup (Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories), and it's also possible that Grand Theft Auto 4 will one day make its way to the PlayStation Now streaming service.
While hardcore Grand Theft Auto fans will no doubt appreciate the ability to play the series' classic games on the PS5, most are likely more concerned about when they will get to play a brand new GTA experience on Sony's next-generation console. As it stands, there's no telling when Rockstar Games will announce Grand Theft Auto 6, let alone when it will be released, and fans shouldn't hold their breath for a reveal to happen anytime soon.
After all, Rockstar Games is bringing Grand Theft Auto 5 to PS5 later this year, and it's unlikely to do that if it planned on replacing it so quickly with a GTA 6. It seems fans will have at least a few more years to wait before they'll get the chance to play Grand Theft Auto 6 on PS5, if they ever get the opportunity to do so at all.