Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – The Definitive Edition

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – The Definitive Edition is a technically reworked version of the 2004 open-world action game. The story of Carl “CJ” Johnson takes place in the fictional US state of San Andreas. Alongside the missions, players can freely travel between cities, towns and countryside.

The remaster keeps the story and structure of the original, but offers, among other things, modernized controls, reworked lighting, higher-resolution textures and longer draw distances.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – The Definitive Edition was released on Nov 11, 2021 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch. The PC version was first available through the Rockstar Games Launcher and was also released on Steam on Jan 19, 2023.

Native versions for iOS and Android followed on Dec 14, 2023.

The Definitive Edition has been released for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android. PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, as well as Xbox One and Xbox Series, each get their own native platform versions.

On Nintendo Switch, the remaster supports motion controls for aiming and touchscreen features, among other things. For PS5 and Xbox Series X, Rockstar lists support for 4K resolution and frame rates of up to 60 FPS.

San Andreas combines car chases, pursuits and gunfights with a connected open world. Carl Johnson takes on jobs for different characters, earns money and gets into fights with gangs and corrupt cops.

Outside the main story, players can drive vehicles, explore the cities and take part in activities beyond the missions. The Definitive Edition remains a single-player game.

The PC version requires Windows 10 64-bit, at least 8 GB RAM and 19 GB of free storage space. Rockstar lists an Intel Core i5-6600K or AMD FX-6300, plus a GeForce GTX 760 with 2 GB or a Radeon R9 280 with 3 GB, as minimum hardware.

16 GB RAM and a GeForce GTX 970 with 4 GB or a Radeon RX 570 with 4 GB are recommended. The Steam version also requires a Rockstar Games Social Club account.

The story takes place in the early 1990s. After the death of his mother, Carl “CJ” Johnson returns to Los Santos. There he finds a fractured family and a neighborhood shaped by rival gangs.

When corrupt cops frame him for murder, CJ sets out on a journey across San Andreas, trying to reunite his family and win back his standing in the underworld.

San Andreas has three large cities: Los Santos, San Fierro and Las Venturas. In between are country roads, deserts, forests and smaller towns that let you switch between city missions and long drives.

The Definitive Edition extends the draw distance and adjusts how the environments look, but does not change the basic structure of the three cities.

The Definitive Edition uses modernized lighting and weather effects, higher-resolution textures and a longer draw distance. It also adds controls based on Grand Theft Auto V and a reworked targeting system.

Grove Street Games rebuilt the remaster on the Unreal Engine. The adjusted features differ in part by platform, for example motion controls on Nintendo Switch.

The mobile versions of GTA: San Andreas – The Definitive Edition were released on Dec 14, 2023 for iOS and Android. They are also offered as standalone games outside of the Netflix release.

The mobile versions have a classic lighting mode, which follows the lighting mood and sky of the original game more closely.

San Andreas – The Definitive Edition is the reworked version of the original Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. It is not the same as the 2004 original or older HD versions.

Together with the also reworked games Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, it belongs to the Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition collection. The three games each have their own stories and settings.

The PC version supports German menus and subtitles. Full voice acting is available in English. Steam lists 13 supported interface languages in total, including German, English, French and Spanish.