Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition recently released to some unexpected controversy. The collection of Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, and San Andreas remasters began raising eyebrows ahead of its release when fans gained access to it ahead of its worldwide launch and started showcasing the visual and performance issues that effect the games. The console most affected appears to be Nintendo Switch, which often struggles to reach 30 frames-per-second. In reaction, a fan has released a video comparing the Switch version to the fan-made PlayStation Vita versions of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition was first rumored during the summer, when various news outlets reported that Rockstar was developing a collection of Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, and San Andreas for modern consoles that would feature new and improved visuals, running in Unreal Engine 4. The collection was finally announced by Rockstar just ahead of Grand Theft Auto 3's 20th anniversary, and was revealed to occupy Grand Theft Auto 5 for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S's initial release date of November 11, 2021. Unfortunately, it was also revealed that Rockstar would be delisting the current versions of these games from storefronts such as PlayStation Network and Steam.
What's important to mention here is that the PlayStation Vita versions of Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, and San Andreas are not official releases from Rockstar, they are fan-made ports done by the dedicated Vita homebrew scene which reason this comparison is especially unfavorable to the Nintendo Switch version of the collection. Many have slammed Rockstar for charging $60 for a worse version of these three iconic pieces of gaming history than ones fans have developed for weaker platforms. Unfortunately for fans, this means the PlayStation Vita version is not as easily accessible as the Definitive Edition releases. What's undeniable is that these versions run far smoother and look more polished on Vita even despite the Nintendo Switch's 720p screen and more powerful hardware.
Understandably, the state of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition has left many fans unsatisfied, which has caused them to call to the modding scene for improvements until Rockstar gets around to fixing it itself. While there are communities adding in content and fixing elements of the collection, most of the modding community has shown apethy for the collection given Take-Two's response to modding projects such as "re3," a reverse-engineering remaster project for Grand Theft Auto 3.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition is available now for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
