GTA Trilogy remastered: Definitive Edition UK release date and time on PS5, Switch - and gameplay changes

It might not quite be the monster revelation that GTA 6 is on its way, but fans of Rockstar’s long-running series of violence simulators are still getting some new content - of a sort - sooner rather than later.

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition bundles together high-definition remasters of three of the series’ most iconic games, repackaged to meet the expectations of modern gamers.

But what exactly is included in the bundle, and when will you be able to play it?

Here is everything you need to know.

What is included?

2001’s Grand Theft Auto III essentially wrote the rule book on what makes a good 3D open-world video game.

That game, along with 2002’s Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and 2004’s Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas are all included in Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, and all have been given a lick of paint.

GTA III is set within the fictional Liberty City - a location loosely based on New York City - and follows Claude, who, after being betrayed and left for dead by his girlfriend during a robbery, embarks on a quest for revenge.

Vice City moved the action to the titular beachside city (based on the real life Miami) and back in time to 1986, and follows mobster Tommy Vercetti's rise to power after being released from prison and becoming caught up in an ambushed drug deal.

San Andreas took players back to the 90s, and featured a much larger location based on the state of California; it told the story of former gangster CJ, who returns home following his mother's murder and is drawn back into his former gang and a life of crime.

What is new?

Rockstar say gamers can expect “GTA V-inspired modern controls”, as well as “across-the-board visual enhancements such as resolution upgrades and improved visual fidelity” to bring the games in line with today’s gaming standards.

But don’t expect any major overhauls to the games’ 20-year old templates.

Rockstar says the aim of the project is to “faithfully tune and improve upon all three games, while also maintaining their distinct original aesthetic.”

The games now feature “a completely rebuilt lighting system; improved shadows, weather, and reflections; upgraded character and vehicle models; along with new higher resolution textures”, but they will still “feel” like the originals.

It’s not just the visuals that have been upgraded: Definitive Edition also introduces wide-ranging modern control upgrades, including improvements to targeting and lock-on aiming.

When can I play it?

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition will be released on Thursday 11 November on digital storefronts.

The release time of the game is 3pm GMT.

A physical release of the game will come a few weeks later, on Tuesday 7 December.

It will be available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S - as well as Android and iOS mobile devices within the first half of 2022

Players on Nintendo Switch will get the additional benefit of the games having been remastered with Gyro aiming, as well as touch screen camera zooming, pans, and menu selections.

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