It's hard to believe that the top-down crime simulator that started the entire Grand Theft Auto franchise came out way back in 1997. What's even more difficult to imagine is that the game responsible for everything related to GTA (including this site) is near-impossible to play on modern platforms. It's been essentially unplayable on modern computers for years. Not because it doesn't exist on Steam, either.
It technically does, you just can't buy it, and even if you could it wouldn't work properly. Rockstar Games pulled it from sale over a decade ago and never looked back, while the sequel is nowhere to be seen. Of course, we're talking about the platform that is the home of emulation, media preservation and modding - so it was up to fans to do what Rockstar would not, and they've come through big time.
Created by modder LukeStorm, the emulated version called GTA Ready2Play packages the entire game into a portable, plug-and-play experience that runs flawlessly on modern Windows systems, as well as the Steam Deck. No installation hassles, no compatibility tweaks, no pulling your hair out trying to get 1997-era DirectDraw to cooperate with Windows 11. Just double-click and play.
