We now know that Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition launches digitally on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and the Rockstar Games Launcher on the 11th of November, 2021. There is also a separate physical edition which will be released a bit later, on the 7th of December, that skips PC. The game costs $59.99 across all platforms, dispelling the worry of a price-hike on current gen consoles.
There are also some other ways to gain access to some of the new stuff - just San Andreas: The Definitive Edition will hit Xbox Game Pass on launch day, whereas the GTA 3 remaster will go up on PlayStation Now on the 7th of December. Normally, the games are not available separately. Alongside the release date announcement Rockstar Games also unveiled the first trailer of The Definitive Edition, giving us a peek at what the remastered games will look like in action. The visual style of the originals is maintained, with the low-poly early 3D aesthetic intact. Instead, the improvements and enhancements are focused on resolution, textures, lighting and effects. At first it is a bit jarring to see - it’s like someone applied a really fancy ENB graphics mod to an old game without actually updating the 3D models themselves, just pulling over brand new textures and particle effects. Essentially, this is what happened, but you can get used to it pretty quickly - and it’s a great way to play to the retro charm. The remastered versions of these games aren’t all about visuals, either - they all have completely overhauled user interfaces, and a rebuilt control system based more on the one seen in the more recent GTA 5, so playing The Definitive Edition will line up with modern games. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition will also launch on iOS and Android in 2022.