You don’t need to play any older GTA game before GTA 6. It has new lead characters, Jason and Lucia, and Rockstar hasn’t tied its story to an earlier game. If you want to play something first, pick GTA: Vice City for the city GTA 6 returns to, and GTA V for the most recent version of how a GTA plays.
Confirmed Rockstar’s GTA VI site describes the game as set in Vice City and across the state of Leonida, with Jason and Lucia as its two leads. Not announced Rockstar hasn’t said that GTA 6’s story follows on from any earlier game.
Our picks at a glance
| Game | Why play it before GTA 6 | Where to play it now |
|---|---|---|
| GTA: Vice City (2002) | The original Vice City, the city GTA 6 goes back to | The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition (PS5, PS4, Xbox, Switch, PC); on Xbox also sold alone; phone apps |
| GTA V (2013) | The latest mainline GTA, and the best way to learn how the series plays | PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC |
| GTA: San Andreas (2004) | Optional: a whole state with cities and countryside, like Leonida | The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition; phone apps |
Store links and current prices for each are on our download pages for Vice City, The Trilogy and GTA V, and the full list of platforms is in where to play older GTA games.
1. GTA: Vice City
Why: GTA 6 is the series’ return to Vice City, and the 2002 game is where that city began. It drops Tommy Vercetti into a 1980s Vice City, and Kotaku’s review of the time praised the city’s realism and its soundtrack.
GTA 6 itself points back to it more than once:
- Flash FM returns. Rockstar’s GTA VI music page calls the pop station “the Vice City institution”, a name carried over from the 2002 game; see Flash FM.
- Tommy’s shirt. The Vintage Vice City Pack, the preorder bonus, adds a weapon pattern that the Xbox Store says is inspired by Tommy Vercetti’s palm tree button-up.
- The Vercetti Estate. The Ultimate Edition’s Hawk & Little Morgan revolvers have classic stylings “sourced from the Vercetti Estate”, according to the Xbox Store listing.
None of these needs the old game to make sense. Analysis They will mean more if you have seen the original. Our comparison of GTA 6’s Vice City and the 2002 original covers what has changed.
Where to play it: The remastered version is part of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, with GTA III and San Andreas. The PlayStation Store sells it for PS5 and PS4, and the Microsoft Store sells both the Trilogy and Vice City – The Definitive Edition on its own for Xbox. On PC, Rockstar’s store lists the Trilogy and marks it as included with GTA+. The original 2002 game is now sold only as a phone app. Tips for the old game are on our Vice City hub and Vice City cheats.
2. GTA V
Why: GTA V is the most recent mainline GTA, and with GTA Online it has been Rockstar’s main GTA for over a decade. Analysis If you have never played a GTA, it’s the best way to learn how the series handles driving, shooting, police chases and heists before GTA 6 arrives. Our GTA 6 vs GTA 5 guide covers what has been shown to change.
Where to play it, and what changed this year:
- PS4 and Xbox One owners can upgrade for free. Kotaku reported that from June 18, 2026, owners of the PS4 or Xbox One version can move to the PS5 or Xbox Series X|S version at no cost, and PC owners of the Legacy edition can move to Enhanced.
- It left Xbox Game Pass on April 15, 2026, according to Xbox Wire’s list of games leaving the service.
- It leaves PlayStation Plus on November 17, 2026. Kotaku reported that Sony is telling PS5 owners GTA V leaves PS Plus Extra and Premium two days before GTA 6 launches. If you subscribe, that’s your window.
- GTA+. Confirmed Take-Two says the GTA+ Games Library includes GTA V, and digital GTA 6 preorders come with one free month of GTA+. See GTA+ price and rewards.
More on the game: our GTA 5 hub.
3. Optional: GTA: San Andreas
Why: San Andreas covers a whole fictional state, with three cities and the countryside between them. Analysis That’s the closest earlier GTA to GTA 6’s idea of a full state, Leonida, with Vice City as one part of it. It’s a bonus, not homework. It comes in the same Trilogy as Vice City, so if you buy one, you have both. Start at our San Andreas hub.
Do you need to play them in order?
No. Analysis Every numbered GTA starts a new story with new leads, and GTA 6 does the same with Jason and Lucia. Play whichever appeals; if you only have time for one, choose Vice City for the setting or GTA V for the gameplay. For the full list of releases, see every GTA game in order.
What about Red Dead Redemption 2?
It isn’t a GTA game and has no story link to GTA 6. Analysis It is Rockstar’s most recent open world game, from 2018, so it shows where the studio’s world building had got to before GTA 6. Play it if you want more Rockstar, not to prepare.
Common questions
Will Tommy Vercetti be in GTA 6?
Not announced Rockstar hasn’t said. GTA 6 nods to him with the Vintage Vice City Pack’s weapon pattern and the Vercetti Estate revolvers, but no character from the 2002 game has been confirmed.
Is the original Vice City map the same as GTA 6’s?
No. GTA 6’s Vice City is a new, present-day city in a much bigger state. Our Vice City comparison and the Leonida map show what Rockstar has revealed.
Can I play Vice City on PS5 or Xbox Series X|S?
Yes, through The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, which the PlayStation Store lists for PS5 and the Microsoft Store sells for Xbox. On Xbox you can also buy Vice City – The Definitive Edition on its own.
Do I need GTA V to play GTA 6?
No. GTA 6 is a separate game, and you don’t need to own GTA V or GTA Online to play it.
Related pages
Where to play older GTA games
Every GTA game in order
GTA 6 Vice City vs the 2002 original
Is GTA 6 on Game Pass or PS Plus?
GTA 6 beginner tips before you play
Sources
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