Rockstar releases an unexpected GTA Trilogy PC update that is almost as good as playing on your phone.

Rockstar has released a surprise update to Grand Theft Auto Trilogy: The Definitive Edition, which I will now refer to as GTA Trilogy. This is good news for the fans because the PC version is now almost as good as mobile.

I'm kidding, but not completely. You'll remember that the GTA Trilogy Definitive Edition was a mess when it launched in 2021. And not in the sense "Wow, looks old," but rather:

The mobile version of the game, which was released in late 2023 through Netflix, was a standout: Mobile gaming website TouchArcade gave it a 4.5/5 rating, stating that it is "better in almost all ways than the PC and Console versions." Rockstar credited the addition of "Classic Lighting" mode, which "restores look and feel of sky in the original game."

This mode finally arrived on the PC version of GTA Trilogy. Console editions are also available if you prefer that. The patch notes for today's update include "numerous improvements and fixes" to the GTA Trilogy game. I wish I could say more, but that's all I can tell you.

Despite its briefness, the list of updates appears to be substantial. BeskInfinity, a Rockstar fan, listed a few highlights of X. These included the ability to pause cutscenes and fix running animations when aiming. Shadows also worked properly.

This is the new eye candy for us:

It's neither perfect nor complete--BeskInfinity called the update "a step in the right direction but still not enough"--but the general consensus on Reddit and Resetera era is that it's a major (and long overdue) improvement to games that seemed destined to be left in a deeply flawed state.

It is also interesting to note the apparent removal from the GTA Trilogy splash screen of Grove Street Games. Grove Street was the studio that ported all three games to Unreal Engine and took the blame for the poor job. It's still listed in the credits of the game (I can't confirm this at this time but it would be quite a controversy if it wasn't), but it looks like there is some distancing.

GTAonlineNews reports that the update has broken GTA Trilogy for Steam Deck. This is different from GTA Online which lost compatibility after adding BattlEye Anticheat. You can fix this by adding "-dx12", without the quotes, as a launcher option.

I've contacted Rockstar to find out more about the changes in the update and if there are any other patches planned. (Although that may not be the case, given the current focus of Grand Theft Auto 6). I will update this post if I get a response.