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For other uses, see Computer.

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Wikipedia has an article on: Personal computer

A Personal Computer (or PC) may refer to a desktop or laptop computer that is used for personal tasks such as browsing the Internet and gaming, rather than business or server functions. PCs are often refered to Windows Computers and in some cases, Linux Computers as well. In relation to the Grand Theft Auto series, the PC has long been a traditional "platform" for GTA games.

The PC is also the only system to include games from all three Grand Theft Auto Universes (2D, 3D, and HD).

Description[]

Because the computing power of a PC is not bound by strict standards by a single manufacturer, the PC platform is the most versatile, supporting modular upgrades. Being one of the earliest platforms to support Internet connections, this allowed early Grand Theft Auto games such as the first Grand Theft Auto and Grand Theft Auto 2 to support multiplayer modes whilst online capabilities on consoles were still in their infancy. PC versions of several GTA games also feature considerably improved graphics. PC GTA games are also the earliest games in the series to adopt custom radio stations and replays with the release of Grand Theft Auto III, as well as the short-lived ability to pick custom skins for the protagonist.

Modifications[]

Another notable advantage of the PC platform is their inherent ability to support third party utilities and modifications, which allows users to alter various aspects of GTA games. Some add in whole new features, which is commonly seen in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Some modifications are designed purely to make the game look better visually, which is a common mod option for Grand Theft Auto IV.

Emulation[]

Another considerable advantage is the ability to emulate other platforms like handheld/PlayStation 2/mobile enabling titles to be played via software and use controllers.

Video Editor[]

With the GTA IV PC version, Rockstar introduced an exclusive video editor that allow players to create, edit and share their own videos recorded while playing the game. This video editor later came back on the Grand Theft Auto V PC version, now named Rockstar Editor, featuring numerous improvements.

Issues[]

Like consoles, weaknesses are also present in the PC platform. The wide variety of hardware configurations present in the PC market and the presence of custom built or upgraded machines means there are inconsistent hardware capabilities among every PC in use. This may impede the ability for some players to play PC games smoothly or with the best graphics available. The game developers try to accommodate this by incorporating sliding scales of graphic and processing detail in their PC titles which allows low specification hardware to run the game at a playable framerate with drastically reduced visual detail.

The adoption of the Rockstar Advanced Game Engine for GTA IV, for example, led to a jump in the required amount of processing from the last PC port (GTA San Andreas, which utilized RenderWare); many PCs in use during the release of GTA IV were found to be inadequate to run the game smoothly, even with the lowest graphical settings, due to what is widely considered a poorly implemented port. It required high-powered CPUs and mid-high end GPUs to provide the PC player with anywhere near the console player's experience. The wide range of hardware components on offer for the PC, making decisions on parts difficult for new builders, as well as the need to keep hardware driver software up to date, may also lead to incompatibilities that result in undesired glitches in graphics and audio or even instability in the game. Rockstar Games has never fixed the issues of the PC version of GTA IV, nor have they made efforts to convert it from Games for Windows – Live to Steam. GTA V had faced similar issues, with occasional stutters even at minimum requirements.

Release Pattern[]

Until Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto releases for the PC platform were given some degree of equal treatment as the PlayStation, having been released simultaneously with or launched a week after the PlayStation version. The GTA series is also known to have a single PC-exclusive title, Grand Theft Auto: London 1961, which was available only for download (at a time when gaming consoles had yet to extensively adopt online downloads). The release gap between console versions and PC versions was widened with GTA III and several more major GTA titles after, in which the native console version(s) is first released, followed by the PC port several months later, if not longer.

For some reason, Grand Theft Auto titles which are native to handheld consoles (Grand Theft Auto Advance, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars) have never been ported to the PC.

After Grand Theft Auto V was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles on September 17, 2013, PC users wanted Rockstar to make a PC version of the game with some even beginning a petition. After a lengthy wait, Sony announced at the Electronics Entertainment Expo 2014 that GTA V would be released for the PlayStation 4 in the fall of 2014. This was closely followed by a trailer and official announcement by Rockstar Games that it would also come to the Xbox One and PC.

Contrary to the next-gen consoles, the PC release of GTA V was subject to several delays. On 12 September 2014, Rockstar announced that the release date would be on 27 January 2015. On 13 January 2015, however, it was announced that the PC release had been pushed back to 24 March 2015. On 24 February, the final delay came when the PC release was pushed back to 14 April 2015, which Rockstar accomplished, thus becoming the official release date.

Grand Theft Auto Games on the PC[]

Title Original Release PC Release

Grand Theft Auto (1997)

Oct 1997 Oct 1997

Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 (1999)

Apr 1999 Apr 1999

Grand Theft Auto: London 1961 (1999)

Jun 1999

Grand Theft Auto 2 (1999)

22 Oct 1999 27 Oct 1999

Grand Theft Auto III (2002)

22 Oct 2001 20 May 2002

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2003)

27 Oct 2002 12 May 2003

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2005)

26 Oct 2004 7 Jun 2005

Grand Theft Auto IV (2008)

29 Apr 2008 2 Dec 2008

Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City (2010)

Xbox 360 only

  • 17 Feb 2009
  • 29 Oct 2009
13 Apr 2010

Grand Theft Auto V (2015)

17 Sep 2013 (PS3/X360)

18 Nov 2014 (PS4/X1)

14 Apr 2015

(Preload from

7 Apr 2015)

Grand Theft Auto Online (2015)

1 Oct 2013 (PS3/X360)

18 Nov 2014 (PS4/X1)

14 Apr 2015

(Preload from

7 Apr 2015)

System Requirements for Grand Theft Auto Games[]

The following tables specify:

  1. the official minimum hardware and software configurations to run a title on a PC
  2. the official recommended hardware to run the title
  3. the unofficial optimal hardware to run the title at maximum settings with a playable frame rate.

Grand Theft Auto III[]

GTA III
System Requirements
Requirement Minimum Recommended Optimal
Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® 2000/XP
Processor: Pentium III® 450 MHz CPU 700 MHz CPU
Memory: 96 MB RAM 128 MB RAM
Video Card: 16 MB Direct 3D Video Card 32 MB Direct3D Video Card
Sound Card: Fully DirectX compatible Sound Card
Free HDD Space: 500 MB uncompressed free hard disk space
Media drive:
Network:
Controller:
Other:

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City[]

GTA: Vice City
System Requirements
Requirement Minimum Recommended Optimal
Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® 2000/XP
Processor: 800 MHz Intel Pentium III
800 MHz AMD Athlon
1.2GHz Intel Celeron
1.2 GHz AMD Duron processor
Intel Pentium IV
AMD Athlon XP
Memory: 128 MB of RAM 256(+) MB of RAM
Video Card: 32 MB video card with DirectX 9.0 compatible drivers
("GeForce" or better)
64(+) MB video card with DirectX 9.0 compatible drivers
("GeForce 3" / "Radeon 8500" or better with DirectX Texture Compression support)
Sound Card: Sound Card with DirectX 9.0
Free HDD Space: 915 MB of free hard disk space
(+ 635 MB if video card does NOT support DirectX Texture Compression)
1.55 GB of free hard disk space
(+ 635 MB if video card does NOT support DirectX Texture Compression)
Media drive:
Network:
Controller:
Other:

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]

GTA: San Andreas
System Requirements
Requirement Minimum Recommended Optimal
Operating System: Windows 2000 (with Service Pack 1 or higher)

Windows XP (with Service Pack 1 or higher)

Windows 2000 (with Service Pack 1 or higher)

Windows XP (with Service Pack 1 or higher)

Processor: 1Ghz Pentium
AMD Athlon
Pentium 4
Athlon XP
Memory: 256 MB RAM 384+ MB RAM
Video Card: 64MB Directx9 compatible (GeForce3 or better) 128MB Nvidia GeForce6 or better
Sound Card: Directx9 compatible Directx9 compatible surround sound card
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Series
Free HDD Space: 4.7 GB free hard disk space 4.7 GB free hard disk space
Media drive: 8x DVD ROM Drive 16x DVD ROM Drive
Network:
Controller: Keyboard & Mouse Keyboard & Mouse.
Other:

Grand Theft Auto IV[]

GTA IV
System Requirements
Requirement Minimum Recommended Optimal
Operating System: Windows Vista (plus Service Pack 1)

Windows XP (plus Service Pack 3, DirectX 9, Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5)

Windows Vista (plus Service Pack 1)

Windows XP (plus Service Pack 3 DirectX 9, Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5)

Windows Vista (plus Service Pack 1)

Windows XP (plus Service Pack 3 DirectX 9, Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5)

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8Ghz
AMD Athlon X2 64 2.4Ghz
Intel Core 2 Quad 2.4Ghz
AMD Phenom X3 2.1Ghz
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ 2.4GHz
AMD Phenom 9850 X4 @ 2.5 GHz
Memory: 1.5GB 2GB (Windows XP)
2.5GB (Windows Vista)
4GB
Video Card: 256MB NVidia 7900
256MB ATI X1900
512MB NVIDIA 8600
512MB ATI 3870
1GB NVIDIA GTX 280
1GB AMD Radeon HD 4870
Sound Card: DirectX 9 compatible Stereo Sound Card DirectX 9 compatible Surround Sound Card DirectX 9 compatible Surround Sound Card
Free HDD Space: 16GB 18GB 18GB
Media drive: DVD Drive DVD Drive DVD Drive
Network: Initial activation requires internet connection Initial activation requires internet connection Initial activation requires internet connection
Controller: Keyboard & Mouse Keyboard & Mouse.
XBox compatible game controller supported
Keyboard & Mouse.
XBox compatible game controller supported
Other:

Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City[]

GTA: Episodes from Liberty City
System Requirements
Requirement Minimum Recommended Optimal
Operating System: Windows Vista - Service Pack 1
Windows XP - Service Pack 3
Windows Vista - Service Pack 1
Windows XP - Service Pack 3
Windows 7
Windows Vista - Service Pack 1
Windows XP - Service Pack 3
Windows 7
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8GHz
AMD Athlon X2 64 2.4GHz
Intel Core 2 Quad 2.4 GHz
AMD Phenom X3 2.1 GHz
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @2.4GHz
AMD Phenom X4 9850 @2.5GHz
Memory: 1.5GB XP
1.5GB Vista
2 GB (Windows XP)
2.5 GB (Windows Vista)
4GB
Video Card: 256MB Nvidia 7900
256MB ATI X1900
512MB NVIDIA 8600+
512MB ATI 3870+
1GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280
1GB AMD Radeon HD 4870
Sound Card: 5.1 Channel Audio Card 5.1 Channel Audio Card
Free HDD Space: 18 GB of Hard Disc Space 18 GB of Hard Disc Space 18GB of Hard Disc Space
Media drive: DVD Drive DVD Drive DVD Drive
Network: Initial activation requires internet connection Initial activation requires internet connection Initial activation requires internet connection
Controller: Keyboard & Mouse
Xbox 360 compatible controller
Keyboard & Mouse
Xbox 360 compatible controller
Keyboard & Mouse
Xbox 360 compatible controller
Other:

Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online[]

GTA V and GTA Online
System Requirements
Requirement Minimum Recommended Optimal
Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit
Windows 8.1 64 Bit
Windows 8 64 Bit
Windows 7 64 Bit Service Pack 1
Windows Vista 64 Bit Service Pack 2
(NVIDIA video card recommended if running Vista OS)
Windows 10 64-bit
Windows 8.1 64 Bit
Windows 8 64 Bit
Windows 7 64 Bit Service Pack 1
Windows 7 SP1 64-bit
Windows 8 64-bit
Windows 8.1 64-bit
Windows 10 64-bit
Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz (4 CPUs)
AMD Phenom 9850 Quad-Core Processor (4 CPUs) @ 2.5GHz
Intel Core i5 3470 @ 3.2GHZ (4 CPUs)
AMD X8 FX-8350 @ 4GHZ (8 CPUs)
Intel Core i7-3770 @ 3.4 GHz (8 CPUs)
AMD FX-8350 @ 4 GHz (8 CPUs)
Memory: 4GB 8GB 8GB
Video Card: NVIDIA 9800 GT 1GB
AMD HD 4870 1GB
(DX 10, 10.1, 11)
NVIDIA GTX 660 2GB
AMD HD7870 2GB
1080p:

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 4GB
AMD Radeon R9 280/ HD 7950 3GB

4K:

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB
AMD Radeon R9 295X2 (or 2x R9 290X)

Sound Card: 100% DirectX 10 compatible 100% DirectX 10 compatible 100% DirectX 10 compatible
Free HDD Space: 72GB 72GB 72GB
Media drive: DVD Drive (if installing via physical DVD) DVD Drive (if installing via physical DVD) DVD Drive (if installing via physical DVD)
Network: Network requirements Network requirements Network requirements
Controller: Supported controller Supported controller Supported controller
Other:

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition[]

GTA: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition
System Requirements
Requirement Minimum Recommended Optimal
Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit Windows 10 64-bit
Processor: Intel Core i5-2700K
AMD FX-6300
Processor Intel Core i7-6600K
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
Memory: 8GB 16GB
Video Card: Graphics Nvidia GeForce GTX 760 2GB
AMD Radeon R9 280 3GB
Graphics Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 4GB
AMD Radeon RX 570 4GB
Sound Card:
Free HDD Space: 45GB 45GB
Media drive:
Network:
Controller:
Other:


Navigation[]

[ ve ]Systems
Fifth generation consolesPlayStation | Game Boy Color
Sixth generation consolesDreamcast | Game Boy Advance | GameCube | PlayStation 2 | Xbox
Seventh generation consolesNintendo DS | PlayStation 3 | PlayStation Portable | Xbox 360
Eighth generation consolesPlayStation 4 | Xbox One | Nintendo Switch
Ninth generation consolesPlayStation 5 | Xbox Series X
Dedicated consolesPlayStation Classic
Non-console platforms
Android OS | Apple iOS | Apple Macintosh | Oculus Quest 2 | Personal Computer
Launchers & StorefrontsEpic Games Store | Nintendo eShop | Oculus Store | Rockstar Games Launcher | Rockstar Store | Steam
Console familiesPlayStation | Xbox
ManufacturersMicrosoft | Nintendo | Sony
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