Grand Theft Auto III

2001 Rockstar Games Action

Windows 11With a fix

MacNot sold

LinuxGold

Gamicality score

Metacritic 934

OpenCritic Not rated

Steam players 851

How it’s combined

Playability today

2.5

Runs today3/5

Design today1.5/5

Steam user reviews

Very Positive

87%

14,600 reviews1

Facts checked November 1, 2026

Does Grand Theft Auto III run on Windows 11, Apple Silicon Macs, Linux and Steam Deck?

Windows 11With a fix

Runs with a fix. See the steps below.1

Mac (Apple Silicon)Not sold

No Mac version is sold.

LinuxGold

Through Proton. ProtonDB: Gold, runs perfectly after tweaks.3

Played Grand Theft Auto III lately?

One click, no account, so the next player knows. How we check where it runs

How to get Grand Theft Auto III running today

Install SilentPatch, including its DDraw component, to fix the startup video mode error, the CD check in some versions and many port bugs (PCGamingWiki).
If the game still refuses to start, run gta3.exe in compatibility mode for Windows XP SP2 with reduced 640×480 resolution (PCGamingWiki).
Keep the in-game frame limiter on, since frame rates above 30 cause timing bugs such as freezes and broken mouse camera (PCGamingWiki).
For a correct widescreen picture, install ThirteenAG's Widescreen Fix instead of the in-game widescreen option (PCGamingWiki).

Synopsis

Grand Theft Auto III is an open-world crime game set in Liberty City, the first in the series played in full 3D. A silent criminal, betrayed during a bank job, works his way up by taking jobs from gangs and mob bosses. Between story missions the city is open to drive, steal cars, take side jobs and hunt hidden packages.

Developer: Rockstar Games
Released: 2001
Best version: The original PC release was delisted from Steam in October 2021 and stays playable for owners; the 2021 Definitive Edition is a separate remaster sold on its own.
Genre: Action

Reception

Critics treated the PC version as a landmark at release, with high scores from Game Informer, GameSpy and IGN and particular praise for mouse aiming over the console auto-targeting. The free-roaming city and its radio stations set the template for a whole genre. Rockstar pulled it from sale on Steam in October 2021 in favor of the Definitive Edition. Owners still rate it highly, but many point to the tiny pause map, fragile cars and long drives back after a failed mission. The PC port also needs fan patches for widescreen and for timing bugs at high frame rates.

Playability today

The average of two parts, each from 1 to 5. Tap a check to see why. How it works

Runs today

3/5

?Not confirmed yetSold or given away today by an official source
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
Needs fan patches to run well on Windows 11
?Not confirmed yetSingle-player works without an internet connection
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
Some content no longer works (servers, DLC, unlocks)
The game was delisted from Steam on October 13, 2021 in favor of the Definitive Edition, so it can no longer be bought there; owners keep it, and SilentPatch restores content cut from the French and German versions (PCGamingWiki).
No proper support for modern resolutions and widescreen
The in-game widescreen option stretches the HUD and crops the image, so proper widescreen needs ThirteenAG's Widescreen Fix (PCGamingWiki).
Full controller support or remappable controls
Keys and controller buttons can both be remapped, though controller prompts show button numbers (PCGamingWiki).
?Not confirmed yetSteam Deck Verified or Playable
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
?Not confirmed yetNo intrusive DRM or required third-party launcher account
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
No pay-to-win or pushy microtransactions
No known game-breaking bugs in the current version
Startup errors on modern Windows have documented fixes, and the timing bugs are avoided with the in-game frame limiter on (PCGamingWiki).

Design today

1.5/5

Controls feel natural on a modern controller or mouse and keyboard
The Standard control style is built for mouse and keyboard, with free mouse aiming, full key remapping and inverted mouse as an option. Critics at release singled out the mouse aiming as an upgrade over the console version. Source: pcgamingwiki.com, metacritic.com.
Menus, text or interface are hard to read on today's screens
The built-in widescreen option stretches the HUD, crops the picture and misaligns mouse aiming, and only 16:9 is supported at all. Controller prompts show raw button numbers instead of button names. Source: pcgamingwiki.com.
Saving is harsh: few saves or checkpoints, progress gets lost
Saving works only at safehouses, and there are no mid-mission checkpoints, so a mission failed near its end has to be replayed from the start. Source: steamcommunity.com.
Hard to make progress without a guide
The radar shows only the nearby streets and the pause menu has no city map, so players often lose track of where to go. Several Steam players name the missing map as the worst part of the game. Source: steamcommunity.com.
Pacing drags: grind, filler or forced backtracking
Every failed mission means starting it over from the beginning, often after a drive back to the mission marker, and players also call the many vehicle missions repetitive. Source: steamcommunity.com, steamcommunity.com.
Camera or movement fights the player
There is no field of view setting, and at frame rates above 30 the mouse camera on foot can stop responding. In widescreen the aim point does not match the crosshair. Source: pcgamingwiki.com.