GTA 5 Modders Get Game Running on Switch

Modders have managed to get Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto 5 running on the Nintendo Switch. Ever since its initial release in 2013, Grand Theft Auto 5 has been a massive success. Not only does GTA 5 continue 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 Auto itself was most recently brought to Nintendo's hardware when GTA: The Trilogy — The Definitive Edition launched on the Nintendo Switch console alongside other platforms in 2021. Hopes for a GTA 5 Switch port were dashed by the December 2023 Rockstar leak, which indicated that a GTA 5 Nintendo Switch port was never even planned. Despite that, some dedicated GTA modders have managed to unofficially port the game to the Nintendo Switch.

Footage of this unofficial port to the Switch was posted by the GTA 5 modding 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 how GTA 5 would crash before the game even loaded. This new clip shows that the game is now playable up to GTA 5's heist prologue chapter.

The team explains the footage is running from the Nintendo Switch's handheld mode with 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