Grand Theft Auto VI comes out on November 19, 2026, on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. It is the eighth main game in the series and the sixteenth entry overall once you count the expansions and handheld games. The run started in 1997 with a top-down PC game and has only produced two main entries since 2008: GTA IV and GTA V.
The short answer for anyone counting days: you don't need to play any of them first. Every GTA tells its own story with a new cast, and the series is split into three separate universes that don't share plots. If you want one game before launch, make it Vice City, because GTA 6 goes back to that city. Below is every game in release order, where each one can be played today, and a ranked list for the time that's left.
GTA games in order of release
This is every Grand Theft Auto game, expansion and major re-release, in the order they came out.
| # | Game | Released | Original platform | Where to play it in late 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Theft Auto | 1997 | MS-DOS, Windows (PlayStation in 1998) | Original PC or PlayStation copies only |
| 2 | GTA: London 1969 (expansion) | 1999 | PC, PlayStation | Original copies only |
| 3 | GTA: London 1961 (expansion) | 1999 | PC (free download) | No current official release |
| 4 | Grand Theft Auto 2 | 1999 | PlayStation, Windows | Original copies only |
| 5 | Grand Theft Auto III | 2001 | PS2 | Definitive Edition: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, PC, iOS, Android |
| 6 | GTA: Vice City | 2002 | PS2 | Definitive Edition: same platforms |
| 7 | GTA: San Andreas | 2004 | PS2 | Definitive Edition: same platforms |
| 8 | Grand Theft Auto Advance | 2004 | Game Boy Advance | Game Boy Advance cartridge only |
| 9 | GTA: Liberty City Stories | 2005 | PSP | iOS, Android (or PSP and PS2 discs) |
| 10 | GTA: Vice City Stories | 2006 | PSP | PSP and PS2 discs only |
| 11 | Grand Theft Auto IV | 2008 | PS3, Xbox 360 | PC (Steam), Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S via backward compatibility |
| 12 | GTA IV: The Lost and Damned | 2009 | Xbox 360 | Included with GTA IV on PC; Xbox backward compatibility |
| 13 | GTA: Chinatown Wars | 2009 | Nintendo DS | iOS, Android |
| 14 | GTA: The Ballad of Gay Tony | 2009 | Xbox 360 | Included with GTA IV on PC; Xbox backward compatibility |
| 15 | Grand Theft Auto V and GTA Online | 2013 | PS3, Xbox 360 | PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC |
| 16 | GTA: The Trilogy, The Definitive Edition | 2021 | PS5, PS4, Xbox, Switch, PC | Same, plus iOS and Android since December 2023 |
| 17 | GTA V on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S | 2022 | PS5, Xbox Series X/S | Same; PC got the upgrade as GTA V Enhanced on March 4, 2025 |
| 18 | Grand Theft Auto VI | November 19, 2026 | PS5, Xbox Series X/S | Not out yet |
A few notes on the gaps. The first game used to be a free download from Rockstar along with GTA 2, but Wikipedia notes that service is no longer available, so the two 2D games have no easy legal route today. GTA IV has never come to PS4 or PS5. A port has been rumored since May 2025 and Rockstar has announced nothing. Vice City Stories is the hardest 3D game to play: its PS3 digital release was pulled in 2017 and it never got a mobile port.
Do the GTA stories connect? The 2D, 3D and HD universes
Mostly no. Rockstar's games are grouped into three universes, named after the technology of each era. Brands, radio jokes and place names carry across. Characters and plots do not.
| Universe | Games | What links them |
|---|---|---|
| 2D (1997 to 1999) | Grand Theft Auto, London 1969, London 1961, GTA 2 | Top-down games with no ongoing story |
| 3D (2001 to 2006) | GTA III, Vice City, San Andreas, Advance, Liberty City Stories, Vice City Stories | One loose timeline with recurring characters |
| HD (2008 onward) | GTA IV and its two episodes, Chinatown Wars, GTA V, GTA Online | A rebooted world; the two IV episodes run alongside IV's story |
The 3D games are the only ones where order matters a little, and even there the release order is not the story order. Vice City Stories is set in 1984, Vice City in 1986, San Andreas in 1992, Liberty City Stories in 1998, Advance in 2000, and GTA III after that. The prequels were written to be played after the game they lead into, so release order is still the better way through.
GTA 6 has a Vice City too, but it is not Tommy Vercetti's. The 2002 game belongs to the 3D universe. Rockstar hasn't formally said where GTA 6 sits, though it is a modern-day game in the fictional state of Leonida and one of its leads, Lucia, has family from Liberty City. Expect nods, not a sequel.
Do you need to play GTA 5 before GTA 6?
No. GTA 6 follows Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos in Leonida, and GTA V's Michael, Franklin and Trevor are on the other side of the country. We went through what a replay does and doesn't give you in should you replay GTA V before GTA 6, so we won't repeat it here.
The one practical thing to know is that the cheap ways in are closing. GTA V left Xbox Game Pass on April 15, 2026, and it is reported to leave PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium on November 17, two days before GTA 6 arrives. On Steam, GTA V Enhanced is $29.99.
Which GTA should you play before GTA 6?
With about ten days left, you have time for one game, maybe one and a half. Story lengths below are press estimates and your pace will vary. Here is how we'd rank them.
- Vice City (Definitive Edition). This is the pick. It's the same city, the 1980s Miami fantasy that the whole series keeps returning to, and GTA 6's pre-order bonus is a Vintage Vice City Pack built around it and Tommy Vercetti. The story runs roughly 20 hours, so an hour or two a night gets you there. It's on every current platform, including phones.
- GTA V, heists only. If you'd rather stay modern, don't restart the whole thing. Play the big heist missions and drive around Los Santos for a couple of evenings. You get the best comparison point for GTA 6's two-lead setup without a full replay.
- GTA IV. The best story Rockstar has told in a GTA, and the closest in tone to what the studio says it wants from GTA 6: a character-led story players connect with. It is roughly 28 hours and only on PC and Xbox, so it's a stretch for ten days. Start it only if it's the single thing you play.
- Chinatown Wars. The wildcard. About 10 hours, top-down, sharp, and it's on your phone with a free 30-minute trial. Good for a commute.
- Vice City Stories. On theme, and a good game, but you'd need a PSP or PS2 and a disc. Not worth the hunt this month.
Skip the 2D games unless you're curious about history, and save San Andreas for later. It's the biggest of the PS2 trilogy at 27.5 million copies sold and the longest of the three, which is exactly why it doesn't fit.
One more option isn't a GTA at all. Rockstar has said GTA 6 borrows its chapter structure and its approach to character from Red Dead Redemption 2. If you've never played it, our guide to Red Dead Redemption 2 before GTA 6 makes the case, though that one is a long game for a short window.
Where to play every GTA game right now
PS5 and PS4 have the Definitive Edition trilogy and GTA V. Nothing from the 2D era, no GTA IV, no handheld games.
Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One have the same, plus GTA IV and both episodes through Xbox 360 backward compatibility. That makes Xbox the only console family where you can play III, Vice City, San Andreas, IV, V and VI on one machine.
PC has the trilogy, GTA IV: The Complete Edition (which includes both episodes) and GTA V Enhanced on Steam. It does not have GTA 6. No Windows version is scheduled, and the only date going around is an October report of early 2027 from industry sources. If you're waiting on that, see what to play instead while GTA 6 skips PC.
Switch has the Definitive Edition trilogy and nothing else.
iPhone and Android quietly have the widest spread of older games: the trilogy, Liberty City Stories and Chinatown Wars. The App Store listings are free downloads with a 30-minute trial and a one-time purchase to unlock the full game.
What changed for GTA in 2025 and 2026
Not much was released, which is the story of the last decade. The PC version of GTA V got the PS5 and Xbox Series upgrades as a free update on March 4, 2025. GTA 6 slipped twice, first from 2025 to May 26, 2026, then to November 19. Rockstar confirmed in August that it runs at 30 frames per second on both consoles at launch. Pre-orders opened on June 25, the Xbox Store lists the standard edition at $79.99, and boxed copies contain a download code instead of a disc.
Pre-loading starts on November 10 and the download is big. Our GTA 6 pre-load and file size guide has the times and the storage you need to clear.
Sixteen entries across three universes and a dozen platforms is a lot to hold in your head, and most people have a half-finished San Andreas save somewhere. In Perthro you can put the series in a list in the order you mean to play it, log each one with the platform and hours as you finish, and note where you stopped in the ones you didn't. Our backlog tracker page shows how that works when a 200 GB launch is about to push everything else off your console.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Grand Theft Auto (series)
- Wikipedia: Grand Theft Auto VI
- Wikipedia: Grand Theft Auto (1997 video game)
- Wikipedia: Grand Theft Auto: London 1969
- Wikipedia: Grand Theft Auto Advance
- Wikipedia: Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
- Wikipedia: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
- Wikipedia: Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
- Wikipedia: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Wikipedia: Grand Theft Auto V
- Wikipedia: Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy, The Definitive Edition
- Wikipedia: Backward-compatible games for Xbox One and Series X/S
- Rockstar Newswire: Grand Theft Auto VI Pre-Load Begins on November 10
- Steam: Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced
- Steam: Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition
- Steam: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, The Definitive Edition
- Xbox Store: Grand Theft Auto VI
- App Store: GTA: Liberty City Stories
- App Store: GTA: Chinatown Wars
- Insider Gaming: GTA 5 and four other games leaving Game Pass in April 2026
- LevelUp: PlayStation Plus is losing GTA V in November 2026
- TechRadar: GTA 4 port rumors for PS5 and Xbox Series X
- TheGamer: Grand Theft Auto games ranked by length
