Wait, didn’t that game come out ages ago? If you’re asking when does GTA 4 come out, you’re probably either a nostalgic gamer looking for a trip down memory lane or—more likely—you’re caught up in the whirlwind of rumors about a modern remaster. It's wild to think about, but Grand Theft Auto IV originally landed on the scene nearly two decades ago. Specifically, it hit the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on April 29, 2008.
The world was a different place then. No one was obsessed with TikTok, and we were all just blown away by the fact that you could actually see individual bricks on a building in Liberty City. But if you’re looking for a "new" release date because you've heard whispers of a PS5 or Xbox Series X port, the answer gets a bit more complicated. Honestly, Rockstar Games has a habit of keeping us in the dark until the very last second.
The Original Release: A Trip Back to 2008
Let’s get the facts straight for the history buffs. When the game first dropped in April 2008, it wasn't just another game release; it was a cultural event. People stood in lines that wrapped around city blocks just to get their hands on a physical copy. Can you even imagine doing that now?
PC players, as usual, had to wait a bit longer. The Windows version didn’t actually show up until December 2, 2008 in North America. And man, was it a mess at launch. It was notoriously unoptimized, requiring hardware that most people didn’t even own yet just to run it at a decent framerate. It basically became the "Can it run Crysis?" of the GTA world.
- PlayStation 3 & Xbox 360: April 29, 2008
- Microsoft Windows (PC): December 2, 2008
- The Complete Edition (Steam/Rockstar Launcher): March 24, 2020
The game went through a major transformation on PC recently, too. In 2020, Rockstar replaced the separate versions of the base game and "Episodes from Liberty City" with a single "Complete Edition." This was mostly to strip out the dead "Games for Windows Live" service that everyone hated, though it sadly took some of the iconic radio station songs with it due to expired licenses.
Why Everyone is Asking About a New Release Date
So, why the sudden surge in people wondering when does GTA 4 come out in 2026? It mostly stems from the success of the Red Dead Redemption port. When Rockstar brought the first RDR to modern consoles recently, the rumor mill went into overdrive. Insiders like Tez2—who has a pretty solid track record with Rockstar leaks—have hinted that a GTA 4 port for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S has been in the works for a while.
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The current situation for Sony fans is pretty grim. If you own an Xbox, you’ve been able to play the original 360 version via backwards compatibility for years. It even runs at a silky smooth 60fps on the Series X. But on PlayStation? You’re stuck digging out a dusty PS3 from your attic. There is currently no way to play GTA 4 on a PS4 or PS5. That’s why everyone is desperate for a re-release.
What to Expect from a Potential Remaster
If a new version does drop later this year or in 2027, don’t expect a full remake. Think more along the lines of a "polished port." We’re talking:
- 4K resolution support.
- Consistent 60 frames per second on consoles.
- Faster loading times thanks to SSDs.
- Maybe some Trophies and Achievements tweaks.
Rockstar is currently putting almost all their resources into GTA 6, which is slated for a 2025/2026 window. Releasing a GTA 4 port right before or shortly after the new game would be a smart way to keep the hype train moving without needing a massive development team.
The Mystery of the Delayed PC Version
The original delay between the console and PC versions in 2008 was about eight months. If a "Definitive" or "Remastered" version comes out today, would PC players have to wait again? Probably not. Rockstar has moved toward more unified launches recently, though they still prioritize consoles because that’s where the big money is.
If you're on PC right now, you actually have the best version of the game—if you're willing to mod it. The community has spent fifteen years fixing the bugs Rockstar left behind. There are mods like "Fusion Fix" that repair the broken shaders and "Many-to-One" that brings back the multiplayer features. It’s kinda poetic that the fans have done more for the game's longevity than the actual developers have lately.
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What You Should Do Now
If you are dying to play as Niko Bellic again, you have a few options depending on your hardware. Don't just sit around waiting for an announcement that might never come.
- If you have an Xbox Series X/S: Just buy the digital Xbox 360 version. It’s cheap, it’s backwards compatible, and it plays better than it ever did on the original hardware.
- If you have a PC: Grab the Complete Edition on Steam. Just make sure to look up a "GTA 4 Essential Fixes" guide on Reddit or Steam Community. It takes ten minutes to set up and makes the game feel like a modern title.
- If you only have a PS5: You’re in a "wait and see" pattern. Keep an eye on the Rockstar Newswire. If a port is coming, it’ll likely be announced with very little warning, just like the RDR1 port was.
The reality is that Grand Theft Auto IV is a masterpiece of storytelling and physics that hasn't been matched by its sequel in many ways. Whether it "comes out" again tomorrow or stays trapped on older hardware, it’s a game that every serious gamer needs to experience at least once. Just watch out for Roman calling you to go bowling every five minutes.
Check the digital stores on your respective platforms for the Grand Theft Auto IV: Complete Edition to see if a current-gen version has stealth-dropped in your region. Verify your PC specs against the updated Steam requirements to ensure the 2020 version runs correctly on your modern Windows 11 setup.