Modders have managed to get Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto 5 running on the Nintendo Switch. Ever since its initial release in 2013, Grand Theft Auto 5 has been a massive success. Not only does GTA 5 continue to receive new content for its online component, the game has also been re-released on several different platforms across three console generations. One platform that the game was never ported to since its initial release, however, is the Nintendo Switch.
While Nintendo has a family-friendly image, it hasn't stopped M-rated games from being released on its consoles. Grand Theft Auto itself was most recently brought to Nintendo's hardware when GTA: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition launched on the Nintendo Switch console alongside other platforms in 2021. Hopes for a GTA 5 Switch port were dashed by the December 2023 Rockstar leak, which indicated that a GTA 5 Nintendo Switch port was never even planned. Despite that, some dedicated GTA modders have managed to unofficially port the game to the Nintendo Switch.
GTA 5 Behind-the-Scenes Project Allegedly Scrapped by Rockstar
GTA 5 actors Ned Luke and Steven Ogg reveal that a behind-the-scenes project was in the works that has since been scrapped.
Footage of this unofficial port to the Switch was posted by the GTA 5 modding group Superstar South Studios. The tweet showed off how the game runs on the Switch, which is a big milestone. Previous clips that Superstar South posted on the site showed how GTA 5 would crash before the game even loaded. This new clip shows that the game is now playable up to GTA 5's heist prologue chapter.
Superstar South's GTA 5 Switch Port Progress
The team explains the footage is running from the Nintendo Switch's handheld mode with no overclocking. The footage is a bit choppy, with Superstar South noting the chugging is only bad on the recording when compared to the actual hardware output. The graphics also take a slight hit, as the textures are a little bit unrefined in places as well. The game still ends up crashing after just a few minutes. Despite how the port is still incredibly unpolished, it's amazing how the modders managed to get the game running at all.
This unofficial port wouldn't have been possible without the aforementioned GTA 5 source code leak back in December 2023, which opened the floodgates for modders and hackers to customize the game in ways that weren't possible before. However, Rockstar's parent company, Take-Two Interactive, has notoriously been hostile towards game modders in the past. Superstar South notes that the team hasn't gotten any legal threats yet. Considering how Rockstar skipped the Switch with Grand Theft Auto 5, it's unlikely that the in-development GTA 6 will come to the Nintendo Switch either.
Grand Theft Auto 5
- Released
- September 17, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
When a young street hustler, a retired bank robber and a terrifying psychopath find themselves entangled with some of the most frightening and deranged elements of the criminal underworld, the U.S. Government and the entertainment industry, they must pull off a series of dangerous heists to survive in a ruthless city in which they can trust nobody, least of all each other.
Grand Theft Auto V for PC offers players the option to explore the award-winning world of Los Santos and Blaine County in resolutions of up to 4k and beyond, as well as the chance to experience the game running at 60 frames per second.
The game offers players a huge range of PC-specific customization options, including over 25 separate configurable settings for texture quality, shaders, tessellation, anti-aliasing and more, as well as support and extensive customization for mouse and keyboard controls. Additional options include a population density slider to control car and pedestrian traffic, as well as dual and triple monitor support, 3D compatibility, and plug-and-play controller support.
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar North
- Publisher(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Engine
- Rockstar Advanced Game Engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Grand Theft Auto
- Platform(s)
- Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action
