Modders have managed to get Rockstar’sGrand Theft Auto 5running on the Nintendo Switch. Ever since its initial release in 2013,Grand Theft Auto 5has been a massive success. Not only doesGTA 5continue 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 Autoitself was most recently brought to Nintendo’s hardware whenGTA: The Trilogy - The Definitive Editionlaunched on the Nintendo Switch console alongside other platforms in 2021. Hopes for aGTA 5Switch port were dashed by the December 2023 Rockstar leak, which indicated that aGTA 5Nintendo Switch port was never even planned. Despite that, some dedicatedGTAmodders have managed to unofficially port the game to the Nintendo Switch.
Footage of this unofficial port to the Switch was posted by theGTA 5modding 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 howGTA 5would crash before the game even loaded. This new clip shows that the game is now playable up toGTA 5’s heist prologue chapter.
Superstar South’s GTA 5 Switch Port Progress
The team explains the footage is running from theNintendo Switch’s handheld modewith 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 aforementionedGTA 5source 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 withGrand Theft Auto5, it’s unlikely that the in-developmentGTA 6will come to the Nintendo Switch either.
Grand Theft Auto 5
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.
